Church presents rare example of religious harmony

St Thomas Church at Loha Bazar here has set an example of religious harmony.

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Fourteen years ago, when an enraged mob had burnt it following the rumours of alleged desecration of the holy Quran at Michigan in the United States of America, the region had witnessed a fine example of communal harmony when Muslims, led by Amjad Ali, had come forward to restore and renovate the shrine.

Since then, the Church is being taken care of by Sahil, a Muslim man, when nobody is present here for prayers or religious congregations.

Sahil, who is a tea vendor near the church, said he was glad that senior members of the community entrusted him with the responsibility of taking care of their shrine in their absence. “Holding the keys of the church’s main gate instills an extra sense of responsibility in me, even though I follow and believe in Islam,” he said.

According to Manjit Singh, members of all communities, including Hindus and Muslims, have been joining the Christian functions being held on special occasions.

Recollecting that the Muslims of the city, led by Amjad Ali, had helped restore the Church after it was burnt by a mob in September 2010, Singh appreciated the gesture shown by Muslims was also appreciated by Christians across the world.

Ali said he, like many other Muslims, had been associated with almost all religious organisations, irrespective of the communities governing these.