The next morning the elders who had survived the attack met in Noah's home. Some of the community leaders were nursing wounds, and all of them were somber as they sat quietly, waiting for Samuel to speak.

"Matthew died early this morning." Samuel cleared his throat and swallowed, surveying the men in the small, dark room, who sat silently, their heads bowed and their shoulders sagging. Each one of them knew he might have been the one to die. They were glad to be alive, ashamed of their feelings, and sad and angry about the death of Matthew. He had been a good man, and they all had known him well.

"More than nine hundred persons are under arrest," Samuel continued, "and we know of about a hundred who are in the hospital." He paused again, perhaps to let this bitter news sink in or possibly because he wasn't yet sure of what to say next. "Lawyers from the Human Rights Commission have already petitioned the Governor to order that the charges against the marchers be dropped, and the Christian members of the Sindh Assembly are trying to negotiate the release of the men in custody. Because of the negative publicity in the press, in a few days I think we can get everyone out of jail who was arrested."

Paul looked around the room at the dozen men huddled together, sitting on chairs and on the bed and on the floor. The elders gathered in this humble home were men who were respected by their neighbors. They were the leaders of the Christian colonies in Karachi. Most of them were simple, working men. Some could read and write, but others could only sign their names. A few were Catholic, the rest Protestant. The deep lines in their dark faces told the story of their struggle to survive in Karachi.

In the silence that clung to the men Paul stared at the cigarette smoke swirling upwards, caught in the draft of the ceiling fan that moved the hot air slowly over their bodies. Noah's home was a typical colony house made of cinder blocks. The main room they were in was without windows and had a blanket for a door. A single light bulb on the wall beside the doorway burned dimly, casting dark shadows across the faces of the men and into the corners of the room. The walls of the room were plastered and painted green, but the paint was faded and grey stains marked the walls near the light switch and beside the door. A calendar with a picture of the ocean hung on one wall alongside a painting of Jesus holding a lamb and a shepherd's staff. Jesus was remarkably pale in contrast to the men in the room. Cups littered the low table in the center of the crowded room. As hospitality required in Pakistan, Noah had served them tea laced with milk and sugar.

Samuel, who was sitting in the middle of the bed between four other men, shifted his weight slightly and then spoke again. "Several men including Fr. Paul have been charged not only with the death of Matthew but also, under the blasphemy statutes, with defacing a mosque yesterday after the march was broken up. The charges are ridiculous, of course, but serious nonetheless. Several of the men have been arrested and released on bail. Fr. Paul has yet to turn himself in." Paul flushed, feeling the eyes of the other men on him. He had been shocked to learn he was charged with murder and with attacking a mosque. If convicted, he would be sent to prison for several years. Even the thought of prison was terrifying, but at least he hadn't been charged under 295 (c) with blasphemy. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, grateful that only his liberty and not his life was on the line.

"Many of our people are unhappy about the march," Noah interjected. "They feel it increased the tension in the city without accomplishing anything."

Paul could see from the eyes of some of the men that they shared this view, although few would be willing to admit it openly. Samuel waited for a moment, to see if anyone wanted to say more about the anger in the colonies. It was easy, of course, to be angry. It was much more difficult to know what to do to about the injustice being inflicted upon them.

"The charges against Fr. Paul and some of the others are probably a way of putting more pressure on us," Samuel continued in his steady voice. "Perhaps the police will drop the charges, if we don't push for an investigation into their behavior yesterday. We'll know more in a few days."

Simon, the oldest man in the room, rubbed the stubble of white whiskers on his chin and sighed. "We need to find some way to turn public opinion against the blasphemy law, because that law and what it represents is behind all this violence against us."

The men sat in silence, knowing that Simon was right, but wanting to find some other way out of their dilemma. The blasphemy law hung over their heads like a raised sword.

"I've spoken with Bishop Gregory," Samuel replied. "He says it's too dangerous to make a public statement against the blasphemy law because even that might be considered an act of blasphemy. But you're right, Simon. The blasphemy law is being used to justify attacks on Christians and to legitimize police violence. We have to find a way to raise this issue in public. That will be the only way to gain international attention and bring pressure to bear on the government."

Bishop Gregory of the Church of Pakistan was a powerful man in their community, and they generally liked and respected him. He was right, of course, to be cautious. The statute was very vague and thus allowed Muslims easily to intimidate Christians. A simple dispute over a debt or some land, much less over an objection to the law itself, could turn into a life-threatening situation. Once a complaint was filed against a man it was difficult for him to prove his innocence. Moreover, extremist Muslims threatened to put to death anyone who was charged with blasphemy but found not guilty.

"What about asking Ahmer to bring up the issue in the National Assembly?" The question came from Timothy, a younger man sitting to the left of Samuel. Timothy managed one of the hotels owned by Christians in Karachi. He was better educated than most of the men in the room and known for his quick temper. Ahmer was one of the four Christians who were Members of the National Assembly from the province of Sindh.

"He'll never do it," Samuel replied. "None of the Christian MNAs are willing to risk their influence by raising such a controversial issue."

MNAs, even Christian MNAs, were in a position to earn a lot of money by selling their influence. Sometimes the elders had to go to a Christian member of the National Assembly or the Sindh Assembly for help, as they had in their attempts to have the charges dropped against the arrested marchers. But in trying to challenge the blasphemy law, they were on their own.

"Why not organize a mass protest against the law itself?" This question was raised by Jonah, a short muscular man sitting across from Samuel. He had been one of the leaders of the resistance movement against the law of registration. When the government had required the minorities to carry a registration card that indicated their religion, the elders had led a mass protest resulting in thousands of arrests. On this issue the Christian MNAs had backed them, and coverage in the international press had led to intense pressure from foreign Western governments. The statute requiring the registration cards was not repealed, but the government had backed away from enforcing it. Moreover, those who had been arrested were released from jail without being charged.

Samuel sighed. "I don't think it would work." He again shifted his weight on the bed to relieve the strain on his back. "Many of the mullahs would view a mass protest against the blasphemy law as an attack on Islam and not merely as resistance to unfair enforcement of an unjust law. They might incite their people to attack our colonies, as they did at the time the Babri mosque in India was destroyed by Hindu extremists."

There was silence again while the men recalled the devastation of their communities. The mobs had burned Hindu shrines and Christian churches, ransacked homes, pillaged shops and raped young women. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured. Certainly the elders had to avoid a mass confrontation with the Muslims. Christians were less than 5% of the population of Pakistan. They could not succeed simply by fighting openly for their rights.

Paul knew that there were many Muslims who opposed the blasphemy law, in principle or because of the way it was used to intimidate non-Muslims and even some Muslims. These included some of the leaders of the opposition political parties, jurists and leading businessmen. Publicity about the blasphemy law was an embarrassment for Pakistanis who travelled abroad or who were involved in international business. It was also bad for tourism. The elders needed to find a way to work with these Muslim leaders. They had to find a way to encourage the Muslims, who were opposed to the blasphemy law, to make their views known publicly.

He listened as the men discussed a recent complaint and arrest in the city of Quetta. A teacher was accused of blasphemy for saying that the Qur'an was just a book written by Muhammad. The Qur'an was understood by most Muslims as the word of God given to Muhammad. They believe that Muhammad had written in the Qur'an the very words in Arabic that God had revealed to him. Only a few Muslims educated in Western universities thought of the Qur'an as a collection of ancient, inspired writings, in the way that many Christians today understand the Bible. For most Muslims, it was blasphemy to suggest that the Qur'an was an historical composition, even if one allowed for its inspiration and importance.

Of course, the teacher may not have said any such thing. It was easy to fabricate such a charge and terribly difficult for the accused to prove that he hadn't said it. Who was to judge whether the Christian or the Muslim was telling the truth? In such a situation the police and the magistrate would tend to believe the Muslim rather than the Christian.

Paul remembered getting into a fight, when he was a child, with a Muslim boy. The Muslim boy had called him a kafir. Paul didn't know what the word meant, but he knew from the tone of the boy's voice that it was a slur. When he threw a stone, the boy ran at him. They wrestled and threw wild punches at each other until the boy's father came out and separated them. Later Paul's father scolded him for fighting with a Muslim boy. "They hate us," his father had told him, "and they'll try to get revenge if you get the upper hand. Don't mess with them, even if they call you names."

When he was in seminary Paul had learned that Muslims referred to persons who didn't believe in God as kafirs. Many Muslims thought of Christians as kafirs, even though Christians obviously worship God, because Christians didn't worship "Allah." In seminary Paul had learned that Allah was simply the Arabic word for God, but he hadn't known that when he was a child. He thought then that Muslims worshipped a God named Allah, whereas he and other Christians worshipped the God named Jesus Christ.

The anger in Jonah's voice brought Paul's attention back to the present. "We can't just let them use this law against us," Jonah was arguing, "without fighting back in some way." He was almost shouting now, his fists tightly clenched. "We've got to stand up to them!"

Paul could feel the tension in the room rise. He heard the sound of matches striking and felt the pungent scent of cigarette smoke seep deeper into his lungs. They had to reach a decision soon. Samuel wouldn't be able to maintain a rational discussion much longer.

Suddenly, Paul knew what they could do. His heart leaped at the thought and his hands began tremble. It was a bold idea, but it might work. He tensed his muscles to control the quivering that was sweeping over his body and then, closing his eyes for a moment, he concentrated on relaxing. After a few deep breaths, Paul felt ready to speak. He opened his eyes and leaned forward.

"I have an idea," he said in a quiet but clear voice. He waited until he had their attention. Clouds of cigarette smoke now moved lazily around the room, churning back and forth as first one man and then another exhaled. Paul wondered if the elders would agree with his proposal. It was a big risk, but anything they did involved risks. He cleared his throat. "I think we should file a lawsuit in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the blasphemy law." He paused to give them a chance to ponder the implications of such an action. "We might be able to get an injunction that prohibits charging anyone with violating the law until our suit is decided. But even if that doesn't work, it's likely that once we challenge the constitutionality of the law there won't be any actual prosecutions under the blasphemy law until our petition is heard. In the meantime, we can sponsor public seminars involving Muslim and Christian political leaders to explore ways of protecting minority rights in Pakistan."

Paul waited once more, scanning the faces of the men for some sign of their reaction. "If we don't win the lawsuit, we will at least demonstrate that there's support among Muslims as well as Christians in opposition to enforcement of the blasphemy law. Surely that will help us, because we have to develop some political support against the blasphemy law among moderate Muslims and intellectuals. We have to find a way to show the public that this isn't a win or lose issue between Christians and Muslims. It's a matter of simple justice."

The men were giving Paul their full attention. He could feel their eyes boring into him, testing his resolve. He was younger than most of them, but he had joined in the mass demonstration against the registration card. Moreover, they all knew he had been with them yesterday in the protest march when they had been attacked. They knew he could be trusted and, because he was a Catholic priest, there was no question about his faith.

"Father," Samuel said, apparently unaware of the irony of this form of address to a man more than thirty years younger than he was. "Do you think the Supreme Court would really agree to hear such a lawsuit?"

"There's a chance. The Supreme Court has a history of independence from the government. Moreover, at the time the blasphemy law was passed several years ago a Committee of the Senate reported that the law was vague and should be reviewed before being enacted. The Committee's report was ignored, but it offers us a good argument. Who knows? The Court might even side with us and base their decision on this report."

"Who would file such a lawsuit?" Timothy asked. That question quieted the room, which had been filled with the sounds of men shifting their weight forward in anticipation of what was to come.

Paul took a deep breath and then said, "I'm willing. Maybe they made a mistake by charging me with a violation of 295 (b). That gives me standing, at least against the Section, and that ought to be enough to keep the Court from throwing out the petition on procedural grounds." Paul paused, thinking now more seriously about what he was suggesting. "I know a Muslim lawyer who contributes time to the Human Rights Commission. He might take the case. The fact that I'm a Catholic priest should give me some protection. If we are able to show support among leading Muslim political and business leaders, that would also help to keep the issue from becoming a Christian-Muslim conflict."

As soon as he had finished speaking, Paul felt very calm. He knew he was right. This was the best course of action. It might not work, but it didn't put the entire community at risk in the way that additional mass demonstrations would. Primarily, it put him at risk, and perhaps some members of his Catholic order. But the other priests in his order would support him, once he explained the reasons for this strategy. They would see not only that it just might work, but that it was consistent with the gospel they had pledged to serve.

In Pakistan it was dangerous to preach the gospel outside the confines of a church. The conversion of a Muslim was a crime both for the person converted and for the Christian who converted him. Therefore, witnessing to the gospel in Pakistan, to the good news of God's love in Jesus, was more a matter of how one lived than of what one said. A lawsuit against the blasphemy law was a way of resisting injustice without condemning the faith of Muslims. The focus would be on the constitutionality of the law, not on the teaching of Islam. It was a way of avoiding violence between Muslims and Christians. It was also a way of keeping the commandment to love one's enemies.

It would be resisted, of course, but he could pray for those who persecuted him. He would pray for them! It was a great opportunity to demonstrate the faith of the Church and the love of God for all people, whether they are Christian or Muslim or Hindu or whatever.

All the men were sitting forward now. It was time to end the meeting, as a decision had been made. They were ready to support his proposal, even though there hadn't been a vote. The Christian community was divided and would probably remain so. But they needed a new initiative, a constructive focus for the anger and discontent in the colonies. As no one had a better plan, it was important to support Paul's offer. The men had been close for many years and didn't need to say much to know they were in agreement.

Now it was time to pray. They stood in silence with their heads bowed and their shoulders touching, some of the men holding hands. Paul closed his eyes. "Merciful God, we thank you for your love and your many gifts to us. We are especially grateful for your son, Jesus Christ, who came into the world to call us to new life through repentance and love for one another. Through him we know that nothing can separate us from your love. Give us strength, Father, that we may do your will."

Paul felt within his chest a tightening that he often experienced during prayer. Was God really present with them? "Help us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, and to forgive those who wrong us, for they do not know what they are doing. Cleanse our hearts of hatred, so that without pride or arrogance we might seek our fundamental human rights and secure our human dignity in a way that will calm the fears of our Muslim brothers and allow us to live together in peace."

Paul was aware of the sound of the men next to him breathing deeply. He could even feel them breathing, as their shoulders pressing against his own swelled and fell. We are the body of Christ, he thought. We must be strong. We must not be broken. "And now hear us," Paul continued, "as we pray together, the prayer your Son taught us." As he repeated the familiar words, Paul heard the voices of the other men, filling the room with their strength and longing. "Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen." Most of the men said "forever and forever," but many years earlier Paul had begun to say "now and forever" because he wanted to remind himself each time he prayed of the presence of God's kingdom now. The prayer was commonly prayed this way in the contemporary Catholic Church. Besides, the concluding words to the prayer weren't in the New Testament but had been added during the first or second century of the early church. He didn't feel it was wrong, therefore, to give these words a new emphasis.

Paul crossed himself, saying quietly, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Two others did the same, but most of the men were Protestant and didn't make the sign of the cross. Paul stood to one side while the men began to leave the room. They were speaking to one another in low voices, as if chastened by the decision they had made. Paul thanked Noah and his wife for their hospitality and laid his hand on the head of the small child in the woman's arms. She was a granddaughter, no doubt, and probably one of many from the worn appearance of the woman who held her. The child slept soundly, unaware of the troubles they faced. Would the future be better for this child? Would their decision put her life more at risk or help to protect her from persecution?

"May God bless you and keep you," he said. "May God lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." His hand lingered on the child's head for a moment, and then Paul stepped into the hallway and went through the low doorway out to the street.