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Fr Pat returns to Pakistan from his holiday in Fiji on Friday, 15th July. I thank him for helping out in Ba parish and for visiting our formation house. Below are a few stories he told us in May. When Pakistani people first meet me wearing a shalwar kamiz they think that I am a Pathan, from the |
north of Pakistan. While shopping in the market last Christmas, a Pathan seller was packing stuff for me and he asked, “What place in the north are you from?” I had to explain to him that I am not Pakistani. He started laughing with me.
At a military checkpoint a soldier got into a bus I was travelling on. He began talking to me. I didn’t understand a single word. He realized there was a problem so he asked for my I.D. He looked at me and said, “So you are not Pakistani!” We both started laughing. I discovered then that he had been speaking in Pashto, the language of the Pathans.
The toughest thing in Pakistan for me is the culture. It is different. It takes a while to learn why they do what they do. If you don’t learn to like the culture in Pakistan forget about working there. You won’t survive if you don’t learn to like the culture.
I came to appreciate the Muslim religion. I really admire the way they pray 5 times a day. Sometimes I feel ashamed because they go to pray when they hear the call to prayer. We struggle to do our prayers but for them it is a must. It is a habit. It is a challenge. We can learn good things from each other.
There are three mosques around our church compound. Our relationship with the nearest mosque in the front is good and their loud speakers are no longer facing in towards us. It can be crazy when they go off. One of the maulvi’s daughters is teaching in our school for the last 25 years. She attends many of our programs. She is almost like a Christian.
Dialogue is easy where Christians are in the majority. In Pakistan, Muslims are in the majority so you have to do things on their terms. Christian-Muslim dialogue there is in our daily interactions with people. We do have Muslim friends with whom we work. I found it hard to approach them in the beginning but as I improved at the language I was able to chat to them. I really enjoy being in Pakistan. I just love all aspects of life there.
by Fr. Frank Hoare
