- 3 weeks ago
Pakistan is home to major places of worship that reflect its strong religious diversity. We will follow several families belonging to the Christian minority as they prepare for the Christmas festivities. We will witness their daily religious practices and the challenges they face.
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00:30Despite the Sharia rule, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a multicultural and multi-religious
00:37country in which peoples and empires of the past have left a rich legacy.
00:55Christmas festivities are there to remind us of the secular presence of which there are
00:59over two million followers of Christianity.
01:01Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Jesus, happy birthday to
01:19you.
01:26Here, there are about 100 to 150 Christian homes.
01:41During the Christmas period, we decorate the street.
01:44We collect monies and we also distribute cakes.
01:48On Christmas Eve, we cut the cake together and it's a party, a time to share.
01:56At 11 a.m., we hold a mass.
02:09When we go to these people's homes, they are also Christians.
02:16They are our neighbors and we can return home without fear.
02:20But we cannot go like this among Muslims.
02:23On the one hand, because their women are veiled, and secondly, we have no contact with them.
02:29We say hello and goodbye, and that's about it.
02:35Good morning.
02:36Good morning.
02:37Good morning.
02:38Good morning.
02:39Good morning.
02:40Contrary to the opinion conveyed by Western imagination, you can go quietly to your neighbors,
02:45to your friends.
02:46In terms of the Catholic obedience, women, girls, wives are not veiled.
02:51They are pretty and even wear makeup.
02:54The time to come for Christians will be very bad.
03:11Every day, Muslims find an excuse.
03:14They are struggling against the Christians, so Christians are suspicious.
03:19Even if there is a riot or a conflict between Christians and Muslims, they always bring up
03:24the history of blasphemy by saying, ah, they burned a Koran.
03:27They insulted the prophet.
03:29And because of that, we are always scapegoats.
03:35Josephine and her family are going to their neighbors.
03:38On Christmas Eve, tradition dictates that one goes around to the neighbors' houses,
03:42where many discussions are held over tea and pastries.
03:46The courtyards are richly decorated, and as women are veiled, we still feel that we
03:51are indeed in the heart of the city of Peshawar.
03:57In larger towns and areas, protection is provided by Christians.
04:01They are between 10 and 20, in which they do rounds, and they even go on the roofs to
04:06ensure that no one touches us.
04:08In addition to this, the government also put in place a security police.
04:19But still, we do not trust the police.
04:22Because too often, as the police are Muslims, they are the ones that give information to
04:27the fundamentalists.
04:29In this case, no one protects us.
04:31In smaller places frequented by Christians, they cannot leave their homes.
04:36They are so afraid that they are really hidden.
04:43As Josephine said, in the future, things will get worse.
04:47It is because of madrasas.
04:50People only see the benefits to their children in madrasas.
04:53They will be fed and educated, but it will also teach them to be anti-Christian.
04:58They are taught that all the others are impure.
05:02That those who kill the impure are performing the work of true Muslims.
05:06They will go to heaven.
05:08Who is a traitor then?
05:10One who is not a Muslim.
05:13In our education system until the 7th grade, despite the changes, the first thing that is
05:18quoted in the books is, we are Muslims and Pakistan is our country.
05:36It is good to believe in Islam, but if it is a history lesson or a science course, this
05:41does not happen to be.
05:43Whatever the discipline, it always starts like this.
05:46So students are unaware of other religions.
05:50And so there may be a Muslim sitting beside a Christian, but they don't know who he is.
05:55The Christian must also say and write this sentence.
05:58Initially, the Muslim does not know I am a Christian, and as soon as he knows,
06:03he may distance himself from me asking what is a Christian.
06:10When he did not know that I was a Christian, he was perhaps my friend.
06:14We ate together and we laughed.
06:16And the problem here is because of education.
06:19The only improvement was evident on the commercial side, because people wanted to do business
06:24with each other.
06:25Pakistan, and particularly the Punjab region, have long been at the religious and civilizational crossroads.
06:40The Katas Temple is the timeless witness to this phenomenon.
06:44The Mandir is a grand center of the Hindu religion.
06:48Built there over 1200 years ago, it is still the place of pilgrimage.
06:53In Hindu mythology, when Shiva's wife Parvati left, Shiva was very sad.
07:00He cried a lot, and one of her tears fell here.
07:03The Shakwal district is very dry.
07:07The tear that fell in this place formed a lake, and became the source of which the entire region feeds from.
07:13For political reasons dating back to the independence, it is now very difficult to reach this place of worship.
07:19Despite the promise of the Pakistani government to include the site as a world heritage in 2007, the Katas Temple remains abandoned.
07:29Archaeologists and restorers are denied access to the Mandir.
07:34The Hindus, who migrated to the East Punjab, however, refused to give up the Katas.
07:39Today, the faithful of all faiths are allowed to enter the building complex only once a year.
07:45For pilgrims, bathing in the sacred pond will lead to the renunciation of sins and achieve ultimate salvation.
08:06Until recently, the belief was that the source of water had unlimited depth.
08:11However, the intensive use of groundwater for industrial purposes has led to the gradual drying of the land.
08:19The
09:12Peshawar is considered to be the center of international terrorism, yet it has at its heart a church and a Christian cemetery dating from 1821.
09:28The Peshawar Catholic Church was once a synagogue erected in 1883 by Worthington Jukes.
09:42When this church was built, there were eight deaths that day.
10:03The mark of their martyrdom is in the cross.
10:05We can still make out the bullet holes.
10:07In the past, people here thought that with the minaret,
10:12the building was going to be a mosque.
10:14But no matter how the church was designed,
10:16the plan revered to be a mosque.
10:20In the past, people here thought that with the minaret,
10:24the building was going to be a mosque.
10:26But no matter how the church was designed, the plan represents a cross.
10:42When we wanted to raise the cross, the locals attacked us, and that was in 1883.
10:48In my experience, people in Punjab are much harder.
10:53Here, Pashto are men of honor.
10:55They never caused us problems.
10:57You see the houses there?
10:59Shiites live there.
11:01This is the hardest area of Peshawar.
11:03This really is their center.
11:05This is where all the events take place.
11:07Everything happens here.
11:09And we live here.
11:10Even when there is a big party, I open the church every day.
11:15People come to pray nine, even ten hours.
11:18We are always present, regardless.
11:20Peshawar, December 24th.
11:22Far from the rumors in the media in the West,
11:25there is neither an Islamic country nor an Islamic country.
11:28There is neither an Islamic country nor an Islamic country.
11:31There is no Islamic country.
11:32There is no Islamic country.
11:34There is no Islamic country.
11:36Frieden!
11:37Fels and Christmas!
11:39These住 stories from the rumors in the media in the West,
11:40there is neither an Islamic terrorist nor a woman veiled on every corner.
11:53A couple does their Christmas shopping easily.
11:56Together, they experience the excitement of the city
11:59from one store to another.
12:01another.
12:32At the heart of the hustle and bustle of the city, women buy beauty products in a cosmetics shop.
12:53Here is a family choosing new clothes in a shop run by a very primed seller.
12:58The choice of sweater is an overall debate.
13:01It's a good idea to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
13:05It's really a good idea to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
13:09Like the Western community, the Catholic community of Peshawar prepares to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
13:15Like the Western community, the Catholic community of Peshawar prepares to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
13:29On Christmas Eve, one tries to be beautiful and elegantly dressed.
13:45Back at home, preparations are done in absolute joy.
14:07The girl has recently won a henna contest.
14:10She draws the careful patterns on the hands of her aunts.
14:15The women display their shopping on parade.
14:30They are enchanted by their new outfits.
14:33I bought it to hide from the cold.
14:37They do not hesitate to tease the only man left to contemplate their joyful day.
14:45It is now time to prepare the Christmas Eve meal.
14:51Everyone helps in the preparation.
14:57Do you mind?
15:00Do you mind?
15:01Do you mind?
15:02Do you mind taking the communal food?
15:07Do you mind taking the meal?
15:09Do you mind?
15:11Do you mind?
15:13Yes, of course.
15:15We are all good days.
15:17Everyone helps in the preparation of the meal.
15:22When it's time to eat and sit at the table, everyone laughs together.
15:50Everyone finds a most serious and solemn moment to say grace, except perhaps an uncle
16:07who prefers to prepare his camera.
16:20Dinner is primarily a moment of exchange and sharing between men and women, young and
16:24old.
16:25Before leaving for midnight mass everyone dresses up and is perfectly quaffed.
16:29It was a pleasure-trippy, who was almost tempted.
16:36It was a pleasure-trippy.
16:39And I took all the bazaars.
16:46Before leaving for midnight mass, everyone dresses up and is perfectly quaffed.
16:51This is an important moment, and it is a great moment to celebrate.
16:59Arriving at the church, one must take off their shoes.
17:06The faithful are far from resembling the Christian stereotypes rooted in the Western tradition.
17:17Yet the liturgy remains the same.
17:22I am a Christian, and I am a Christian.
17:25The faithful are far from resembling the Christian stereotypes rooted in the Western tradition.
17:30Yet the liturgy remains the same.
17:34I am a Christian.
17:44I am a Christian.
17:49I am a Christian.
17:54S.P. Singha was the Christian leader.
17:58There were differences during the elections, and it had been decided to be given the need to vote.
18:03The English told us, unite.
18:06So the Muslims went to see S.P. Singha, who told them,
18:12me and my fellow Christians will vote for you.
18:15If Christians had largely voted for India, there would be no Pakistan.
18:20They mostly voted for Pakistan, and hence, the country was born.
18:24And today, the Pakistani authorities are trying to erase the name of S.P. Singha,
18:29despite all he has done for the country.
18:31There were two groups, who were more Christians than those who were the minority,
18:36that they became a Christian, they were born.
18:38And in this early years, many people are not going to worship.
18:41They want to keep their name from S.P. Singha's名 in the name.
18:45Lord God, Father of the Holy Father,
18:48I remember this new feast on this true night,
18:51and from this night's natural light.
18:54By putting this light on this earth,
18:58that we have always believed in the peace and peace of God.
19:03And, of course, it is the message of God.
19:08It is not a Pakistani man.
19:11It is a Pakistani man.
19:13Anyone in Pakistan must first think about Pakistan.
19:16Stories of religion must take second place.
19:19Religion is good, but it has its own place and function.
19:23In my case, I went to the United States in 2002.
19:27I went with my cleric's clothing, and the Americans did not want to give me a visa,
19:31yet I am a bishop and my name is Sebastian.
19:37The people who live abroad have increased the reach of our nationality even stronger than religion.
19:42That's why these nations are strong.
19:45I was treated more as a Pakistani than as a Christian, and I think it's great.
19:49The Americans said, we better check out this guy to see who he really is.
19:54They did not let me go before the end of an investigation.
19:57And I think that is what is lacking in Pakistan.
20:00When we meet, we say, where are you from?
20:03I come from such and such region.
20:05Me? I am from another.
20:07Someone will tell me, I am from Balochistan.
20:11Until we get out of this regional division, we will not create a united nation.
20:18We have been with him.
20:19I am from Allah.
20:23We will be brought to you in the United States of the United States of the United States of the United States of the United States.
38:28Good morning.
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