A few days ago we shared with you a report from Mission Network News, where Todd Nettleton from The Voice of the Martyrs commented about a recent ban on the name of Jesus Christ in Pakistan. The gist of the commentary was that Pakistan had banned the use of the name of Jesus Christ in their texting, but no one was completely sure what the real reason was, leading to questions speculating about whether it is an issue of religious freedom.
Today, after much international press on the issue, Catholic Culture, as well as CathNewsIndia are now reporting that the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority has decided, at a minimum, to delay the ban on the use of the name Jesus Christ.
Telecommunications Authority (PTA) decided this week to delay a proposed ban on 1,695 English and Urdu words deemed to be obscene, a list of which words was issued last week, among them the name Jesus Christ.
“[The PTA] was under immense pressure and now denies any involvement in the selection [of the words]. The blow to religious freedom has now been averted,” said Bishop Sebastian Shah of Lahore archdiocese.
Christian politicians, clergy and some Muslim clerics had condemned the move as a blow to interfaith harmony.
Please keep Christians in Pakistan in your prayers. Thank you!
