Pakistaanse jeugd die zijn leven gaf om terroristische aanslag te voorkomen is symbool van christelijke eenheid

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Dienaar van God Akash Bashir. / Krediet: Hulp aan de Kerk in Nood

Lima Newsroom, 25 januari 2025 / 10:00 uur (CNA).

During this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a group of believers from different Christian denominations made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Akash Bashir, the young Pakistani Salesian who sacrificed his life in 2015 to prevent a terrorist attack at his church.

In Pakistan, een traditioneel islamitische natie, beschouwt iedereen dienaar van God Akash Bashir als een martelaar, volgens het Vaticaanse persbureau Fides. His figure has become one “that unites Christians of all confessions.” Moslims vereren hem ook.

“His sacrifice, giving his life to protect the innocent people praying in St. John Church in Lahore, transcends the boundaries of the Church and stands as a bridge for interreligious dialogue with the Muslim community,” Fides noted.

As part of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity activities, an ecumenical prayer service took place at his burial place in which the participants “entrusted the lives of Christians in Pakistan to the intercession of this young man.”

Onder hen waren een katholieke priester, pater Lazar Aslam, en twee protestantse voorgangers, I.B. Rocky en Samuel Ashan Khokhar. De laatste herinnerde zich die noodlottige dag van 15 maart 2015, toen Bashir vele levens redde door dapper een terrorist te confronteren die van plan was zichzelf op te blazen in de kerk.

“I was in charge of receiving the bodies, placing them in the morgue and making a list of those who had tragically lost their lives. I remember in particular writing the name of Akash Bashir on one of the body bags,” Khokhar said.

“It was a moving moment when I saw the boy’s face. Although lifeless, I was struck by his beauty, I was deeply touched by the smile and serenity that emanated from Akash’s face. He radiated a luminous and sacred presence that recalled the first Christian martyrs,” the pastor related.

Aslam highlighted the “powerful symbol of unity and interreligious communion” that the legacy of the young Pakistani represents. “His figure attracts people of different faiths and even non-Christians who come to visit and pray at his tomb,” he said.

“It was a deeply spiritual experience, which created a deep sense of unity, recognizing each other as children of God and sharing humanity. With his sacrifice, Akash Bashir continues to inspire the Pakistani faithful to be in solidarity, to protect their faith, and to embody in daily life the values of love, peace, and dialogue with every person,” the priest said.

Wie was Akash Bashir eigenlijk?

Bashir werd op 22 juni 1994 in Pakistan geboren in een arm gezin. Hij studeerde aan het Don Bosco Technical Institute in Lahore, leidde een eenvoudig gezinsleven en gaf een belangrijke plaats aan sport en gebed.

Op 15 maart 2015 ontdekte de 20-jarige dat een persoon die de kerk wilde binnengaan explosieven onder zijn kleding droeg. Hij probeerde hem ervan te weerhouden naar binnen te gaan, maar kon de terrorist niet overtuigen zich terug te trekken.

Bashir then locked his arms tightly around the terrorist and said: “I will die, but I will not let you enter the church.” The attacker set off the explosives, killing himself, Bashir, and two others.  With his heroic act he prevented hundreds of people from perishing during the Mass.

Today, more than 800 Catholic baptisms are celebrated annually at St. John’s Church in Lahore, and many young people have joined the active life of the parishes. Moreover, for religious minorities, Bashir is “a blessing.”

In 2024 eindigde de diocesane fase van de oorzaak voor zaligverklaring en heiligverklaring van Bashir, en hij zou kunnen worden Pakistan’s first martyr.

Dit verhaal werd voor het eerst gepubliceerd door ACI Prensa, de Spaanstalige nieuwspartner van CNA. Het is vertaald en aangepast door CNA.

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