Pakistani president says Christian schools do not threaten Islam

Published: 2003-12-10

MULTAN, Pakistan (CNS) -- Pakistan's president said church-run schools and colleges in the country do not pose a threat to Islam. Addressing a special convocation of Forman Christian College in Lahore, President Pervez Musharraf said missionary schools in Pakistan have tried to raise educational standards, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. "We are in no danger from the missionaries," he said Dec. 6. "We should welcome more missionary schools and colleges in Pakistan," he said. Citing himself as an example, the president said that when he studied at Forman no one asked him to convert to Christianity. "Our faith and religion is not so weak that faithful (Muslims) could be distracted by others," he said.

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .