Candles lit for Pakistan massacre victims

MANILA, Philippines - At least 100 Pakistanis, including children aged three to five, gathered in Manila’s Rizal Park last night to condemn the massacre of 141 people, mostly students at an Army-run school in Peshawar last week.

They urged Pakistanis worldwide to unite against terrorism.

Pakistani Ambassador Safdar Hayat said the candlelight vigil was an expression of their resolve to fight all kinds of
terrorism.

At least six Taliban militants scaled the walls of the school last Dec. 16 and shot everyone in sight, including 132 children of Pakistani Army personnel.

Pakistani authorities said security forces killed all the attackers.

“We are not here to mourn their martyrdom because this is what the terrorists want,” he said. “We are here to tell the terrorists that we will not be cowed down by their barbarity. Their barbarity has in fact strengthened our resolve to fight this scourge.”

Hayat said people representing different religions and nationalities gathered in other countries to convey a strong message that the world is united against terrorism.

“If all countries are against it, terror groups will not survive,” he said. “Terrorism is an international phenomenon. It knows no religion, no race and no geography. The attack is indiscriminate, including children and elderly, the civilians.”

The Pakistanis lit candles, released more than a hundred white balloons, and observed two minutes of silence, before calling on all the countries and world leaders to fight terrorism.

Hayat condemned the people “who are hiding under the cloak of Islam but are actually godless killers.”

“Islam is a religion of peace,” he said.

“There is not a single word in the Koran that allows you to kill innocent people.” 

Hayat said the attack on the school and the killing of innocent children was carefully planned “because they wanted to hurt the Army.”