CCA applauds Muslims for protecting Christians over blasphemy charge in Pakistan

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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12 January 2017

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) expressed its deep appreciation to a group of Muslims who came forward to thwart mob-instigated violence against Christians after torn pages of the Quran were found on a street in Lahore, Pakistan.

Some Muslims attempted to use the local mosque's loudspeaker to announce the burning of Christian houses in the area, however, a group of Muslim community leaders helped prevent the spread of fire in Kamahan, a predominantly Christian colony.

A Christian evangelist Babu Shahbaz, 41 was arrested on December 28, 2016 in the Kamahan village of Lahore. He is accused of committing blasphemy as the Quranic pages scattered in the street bore his name.

Reliable sources of the CCA’s network in Pakistan reported that on December 30, 2016 Nishtar Colony Police Station, Lahore registered FIR No. 1906/16, offence under section 295-B, PPC (Pakistan Penal Code) against Babu Shahbaz, after a false allegation and complaint were lodged against Shahbaz. The complainant is a rival shopkeeper who was jealous and wanted the grocery shop owned by George Masih, Babu Shahbaz’s brother, to be shut down.

The General Secretary of the CCA, Dr. Mathews George Chunakara expressed the hope that, “the joint efforts of the 20-member committee of Muslims and Christians, which was formed after a public attempt to call for the burning of Christian houses will help prevent violence against minority Christians and reduce the religious animosity in the area.”

It is widely known that most blasphemy cases in Pakistan are merely improper applications of the blasphemy law, often used for score-settling, petty property disputes or to exact revenge; and are the root cause of persecutions against Christians in Pakistan.

Following the incident, the Christian community of Kamahan in Lahore live in a state of fear and panic.

Mathews George Chunakara added that the CCA appeals to the government of Pakistan to introduce safeguards to stop the ongoing misuse of the blasphemy law in the country and urges its member churches and councils to express support and solidarity by praying for the safety of Shahbaz, his family and the 600 Christian families residing in Kamahan.