DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The sound of Christmas carols was heard again in Wana, South Waziristan on the Pakistani-Afghan border, where not long ago violence and Taliban rule would silence all happy celebrations.
“Our tiny Christian community observed Christmas with a zeal. Last night, we had door-to-door visits to celebrate the birth of Jesus with our community members,” pastor Zeeshan Alam told Arab News on Wednesday.
On Christmas Eve, enjoying support from their Muslim neighbors, members of the small congregation prayed for peace at their little church in the tribal district, which used to be known as the epicenter of terrorism and one of the most dangerous places on earth.
People gather for a communal meal on Christmas Day in Wana, South Waziristan, Dec. 25, 2019. (Photo courtesy: Wana church)
In times of trial and worry, members of both communities would visit and assist each other, the pastor said.
Tribal elder Khalid Anwar said that Christians and Muslims in what used to be a troubled and violent region, have been living in harmony, and there has never been a single incident of communal violence.
“Look, we had experienced the worst vicious cycles of terrorism in the past decade. Locals have no problem with people of other communities observing their religious rituals. We are proud that people of other faiths live here in harmony,” he said.
Noor Alam, a retired civil defense official, said the pastor was widely known as a noble man who enjoyed great respect among tribal people. He said that Christians and the tribal community understand each other well, and share moments of grief and happiness together. “We have no sectarian tendencies here,” he added.
Next to the church stands the main mosque of Wana.
The sole church in Wana, South Waziristan, is seen on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2019. (Photo courtesy: Wana church)
Pastor Zeeshan said that Frontier Constabulary Inspector General Maj. Gen. Azhar Abbasi was invited as guest of honor to the Christmas event, during which children sang traditional carols and “special dishes were prepared to serve guests and relatives.”
The Christian community, which now counts 113 families, has been living in Wana since 1947, said the pastor, a business administration graduate who received theological training from schools in Gujranwala and Karachi.
Security officials are on duty on Christmas Day at the Wana church in South Waziristan on Dec. 25, 2019. (Photo courtesy: Wana church)
When the foundation stone of the Wana church was laid in 2000, the ceremony was attended by civil and military officials, the 33-year-old pastor said. But a few years later the district, which is now part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was overrun by the Taliban. Violent fights between the militants and Pakistani security forces for years took peace away from the region.
After long military operations, a sense of normalcy has finally returned.
