Muslim and Christian, young and old, men and women came together last week at St John’s the Evangelist Church in the Diocese of Southwark in order to remember those young children so viciously cut down in their youth by the Taliban in Peshawar.
Some of the speakers could not hold back their emotions as they spoke of the pain that communities in Pakistan are suffering because of the instability in the country and the sense of deep fear generated by the Taliban. Sitting in the audience was the Deputy Ambassador for Pakistan in the United Kingdom and the theme of ‘love overcoming hate’ resonated in the church as pictures of London life looked downwards on the congregation.
Rev Rana Khan, who had organised the event to remember the lives lost in Peshawar, talked about the need for action and not just words. He eloquently referred to a Persian proverb where a blind woman was trying to help put out a fire and was left in her home as the young men stepped forward to ensure that the house did not collapse. Undaunted, the elderly lady picked up a glass of water and unable to see, she threw the water in the direction of where she thought the fire was to save the inhabitants of the house. When she could do no more, she cried and flicked the tears towards the burning home. It was at that point Rev Rana said, that the heavens opened up and the fire was put out.
The point being made by Rev Rana was that those in the UK can take small steps to help those in Pakistan just like the blind elderly lady. He said that many times he had been approached by people living in the UK who had come to the opinion that they could not help in Pakistan. These conclusions were wrong and that all of us had a duty to protect the weak, the young, the lonely and the sick. Boundaries he said, are no barriers to Muslims and Christians when the lives of human beings are at stake.
The remembrance service ended with time for reflection as Muslims and Christians stood side by side, united in a common humanity and in the desire to stand against those who sought nothing more than pain, death and division.