{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Pakistan\u0026#39;s largest christian church' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c33cd8eafeecae15fc71' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c33cd8eafeecae15fc71' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nPakistan\u0026#39;s largest christian church\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eKarachi, Pakistan,  November 16, 20111. Mid-shot of 15-year old Christian girl, Michelle Ayub, as she walks in the foyer of St. Peter's church, Karachi2. Wide-shot of girls attired in white dresses during their Confirmation3. Close shot...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eKarachi, Pakistan,  November 16, 2011\u003cbr/\u003e1. Mid-shot of 15-year old Christian girl, Michelle Ayub, as she walks in the foyer of St. Peter's church, Karachi\u003cbr/\u003e2. Wide-shot of girls attired in white dresses during their Confirmation\u003cbr/\u003e3. Close shot of Crucifix\u003cbr/\u003e4. Wide-shot of girls sitting on the floor of St. Peter's Church, Karachi\u003cbr/\u003e5. Close shot of red armband worn by church-goer\u003cbr/\u003e6. Wide-shot then tilt down showing frescoes, as well as the Archbishop Evarist Pinto addressing his flock\u003cbr/\u003e7. Mid-shot of Archbishop Evarist Pinto\u003cbr/\u003e8. Close shot of Archbishop Evarist Pinto\u003cbr/\u003e9. Close of the Archbishop with consecrated oil\u003cbr/\u003e10. Mid-shot of Archbishop blessing 15-year old Michelle Ayub\u003cbr/\u003e11.SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Ayub, 15-year old, Student \u0026amp; Church-goer\u003cbr/\u003e\"It's a big opportunity and it's a big day for us also as we have had our 'Confirmation' done. We have received our holy spirit. Let's see what we get from the holy spirit. And this is a new church. It was build just two weeks ago. And it's the biggest church in Pakistan. And we are really happy to have this biggest church of Pakistan in our hometown.\"\u003cbr/\u003e12. Wide shot tilt up of church-goers sitting on the floor of the Church as they pray\u003cbr/\u003e13. Close shot of crest of Vatican City\u003cbr/\u003e14. Mid-shot of Archbishop, Father Saleh Diego and others as they conduct prayers\u003cbr/\u003e15. Wide shot of boys in congregation\u003cbr/\u003e16. Cut-away of one of the stations of the cross - a holy painting adorning the church\u003cbr/\u003e17. Shot of Father Diego praying at the altar\u003cbr/\u003e18. SOUNDBITE (English) Father Saleh Diego, Father of St. Peter's Church\u003cbr/\u003e\"Being a Christian, we cannot run away from the Cross. On the Cross our Lord gave his life for us so that we may have ever-lasting life. And to his followers, his believers, he said, if you want to be my followers, you have to carry your cross everyday and that's why I say, without persecution, without Cross, there is no Christianity. So if we are faithful in persecution, if we are faithful in suffering to the Lord, then we are really attested that we belong to the Lord.\"\u003cbr/\u003e19. Cut-away of Crucifix\u003cbr/\u003e20.SOUNDBITE (English) Father Saleh Diego, Father of St. Peter's Church\u003cbr/\u003e\"During the service, the prayer service, we were all not together in one place. And they were sitting here and there And that is why we felt the need to have one big church so that we may be able to accommodate all the people in the church and have service altogether.\"\u003cbr/\u003e21. Mid-shot of women praying\u003cbr/\u003e22.Wide-shot of women praying\u003cbr/\u003e23.Close-shot of one woman praying\u003cbr/\u003e24.Mid-shot of Father Diego and communicants receiving Holy Communion\u003cbr/\u003e25.Close-shot of Father Diego distributing Holy Communion\u003cbr/\u003e26.Close-shot of the \"dhol\" being played to accompany the hymns sung by the choir\u003cbr/\u003e27.Wide-shot of dhol-player\u003cbr/\u003e28.Wide-shot of (choir) girls singing hymns\u003cbr/\u003e29. Close-shot of (choir) girls singing hymns\u003cbr/\u003e30.Top-shot of prayer area with church attendees inside St. Peter's Church\u003cbr/\u003e31. SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan James, local Christian (November 16, 2011)\u003cbr/\u003e\"We go to people's homes like I go to Muslim families to give tuitions. They respect us a lot. We eat together, we celebrate together. There isn't any problem over there.\"\u003cbr/\u003e32. Exterior shot of St. Peter's Church, with people going inside for prayers\u003cbr/\u003e33. Mid-shot of outside of St. Peter's Church, with people entering it for prayers\u003cbr/\u003e34. Close shot of security personnel stationed outside the church\u003cbr/\u003e35. Top-shot of the church, left panning from slum area towards the church\u003cbr/\u003e36. Mid-shot of the domes of St. Peter's Church\u003cbr/\u003e37.  Various shots of people from Karachi's downtown area \u003cbr/\u003e38. Top shots Karachi  sunset in Karachi\u003cbr/\u003e 39. Top shot of sunset in Karachi\u003cbr/\u003ePakistan's biggest Christian church is now open to worshippers.\u003cbr/\u003eIt took 11 months to build and has united the Christian community in this staunchly Muslim country.\u003cbr/\u003e15-year old Michelle Ayub is barely able to conceal her joy as she walks into the newly-built St. Peter's Church - which will from now on will serve her community. \u003cbr/\u003e\"We are really happy to have this biggest church of Pakistan in our hometown.\"\u003cbr/\u003eThe domed, three-story building towers over the sprawling poor area it serves.\u003cbr/\u003eSt Peter's of Karachi, which opened its doors this month, can hold around 5,000 people. It's a sign of the resilience of their faith that the church has come into being.\u003cbr/\u003eThe church took 11 months to build and cost $3.8 million, raised from local donations and from Roman Catholics around the world, according to Father Saleh Diego. \u003cbr/\u003eIt was built on the site of a smaller church in Azam Basti district, a jumble of lanes and simple brick houses that is home to around 15,000 Christians.\u003cbr/\u003eFor Father Diego, the new church will allow him to address his entire congregation at the same time.\u003cbr/\u003e\"During the service, the prayer service, we were all not together in one place. And they were sitting here and there And that is why we felt the need to have one big church so that we may be able to accommodate all the people in the church and have service altogether.\"\u003cbr/\u003ePakistani towns and cities are dotted with striking churches dating back to the 19th century, when the subcontinent was ruled by Britain. Newer churches do get built, especially by Protestant and evangelical groups, but are smaller, single-room affairs.\u003cbr/\u003eIn some Muslim countries, the construction of new churches can trigger tensions, but those built in Pakistan normally sit in Christian ghettos like Azam Basti, so they don't attract protests. Those few that are built in Muslim or commercial areas, can expect some opposition.\u003cbr/\u003eChristians are often discriminated against in Muslim countries, but in Pakistan they face unique problems.\u003cbr/\u003eMany are descendants of low-caste, \"untouchable\" Hindus, who converted to Christianity during the colonial era. Today, many still do the same work as their ancestors: street sweeping, domestic service or other menial jobs considered ritually unclean by high-caste Hindus. They tend to live in ghettos of extreme poverty, often separated from their Muslim neighbours by high walls. \u003cbr/\u003eHowever, it is not true for the entire community, as Faisal James, an educationist and a resident of the area, points out.\u003cbr/\u003e\"We go to people's houses. Like I go to (houses of) Muslim families to give tuitions. They respect us a lot. We eat together, we celebrate together. There isn't any problem over there.\"\u003cbr/\u003eChristians account for between 3 percent and five percent of the country's 180 million people, split approximately equally between Roman Catholics and Protestants. There are even smaller number of Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. \u003cbr/\u003eSt Peter's is roughly the same size as Karachi's imposing British-era Cathedral, St. Patrick's. But it can accommodate many more worshippers because they sit on the floor, not on benches as is common in churches visited by more wealthy Pakistanis like St. Patrick's.\u003cbr/\u003eThe church is a simple rectangular building, adorned with arches and dozens of spires in a Gothic style. It has dozens of stained glass windows showing the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Inside, its walls are painted shiny white, with large frescos and blue carpets.\u003cbr/\u003eOn a recent evening, many hundreds flocked to the church, where several young girls, including Michelle Ayub, were being confirmed.\u003cbr/\u003eDressed in their best clothes, the worshippers take off their shoes _ which, like sitting on the floor, is an Islamic custom adopted by some churches here _ before walking inside. They sing hymns to the accompaniment of a piano and a 'dhol', a traditional drum. \u003cbr/\u003eOutside the church, conversation turns to the predicament facing the community. \u003cbr/\u003eWhen it achieved independence in 1947, Pakistan's leaders envisaged a liberal Muslim state with minority rights protected, even if the constitution has always prevented Christians from become prime minister or president. \u003cbr/\u003eBut Islamist groups have gained ground since the 1970S, pushing through laws that have increasingly marginalised minorities.\u003cbr/\u003eOver the last 10 years, the rise of al-Qaida and the Taliban militancy has meant they have been targeted in bombings and shootings, along with other non-Sunni Muslims. In March this year, militants shot and killed Shahbaz Bhatti, the sole Christian minister in the government, for his campaign to modify blasphemy laws used to persecute Christians.\u003cbr/\u003eFather Diego says the church was concerned about rising radicalism, but that his building had received no threats.\u003cbr/\u003eHe says : \"Being a Christian, we cannot run away from the Cross. On the Cross our Lord gave his life for us so that we may have ever-lasting life. And to his followers, his believers, he said, if you want to be my followers, you have to carry your cross everyday and that's why I say, without persecution, without Cross, there is no Christianity. So if we are faithful in persecution, if we are faithful in suffering to the Lord, then we are really attested that we belong to the Lord.\"\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" aria-label=\"3.5 out of 5 stars\" 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class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eDate\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e2011\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-solid fa-language'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eAudiences\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?audience_ids%5B%5D=371079\u0026amp;grade_ids%5B%5D=259\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\"\u003eFor Teacher Use\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\u003cdd class=\"text-muted\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-lock mr5\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e2 more...\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='concepts-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='concepts-heading'\u003eConcepts\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list concepts' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='concepts'\u003eislam, social issues, prayer, christianity, south asia, pakistan, asia, discrimination, hinduism\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='concepts-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='additional-tags-heading' 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