Bishop John Joseph was a bishop for 17 years, a priest for a much longer time and a Christian all his life. He knew his theology well and he knew the Catholic teachings on suicide. When he decided to ignore these he would not have done so lightly. His was not a decision that was quickly arrived at.

He had warned about it indirectly. He had warned the government that unless the blasphemy law was repealed he would protest in an astonishing way. At an international gathering he had said that the people would protest and the protest would take different forms. It was thus a long contemplated, deliberate act of protest. He decided that instead of allowing the poor and the weak to be attacked, it was time for a leader to come face to face with the challenge. He would take the Suffering of his people on himself. His master Jesus had taught that a man can have no greater love than to lay his life down for another.

Thus on 6 May, Bishop John Joseph, an Asian bishop, offered his life on behalf of those he led. He did not seek revenge on his enemies but courageously undertook an act that should open the eyes of anyone who had some sanity left. This great man who will surely be remembered by posterity has also challenged the leaders of the Christian community in his own country and outside.

* Asian Human Rights Commission's programme with Religious Groups

AHRC is an Asia based organisation dedicated for the protection and the promotion

of Human Rights particularly among the excluded in Asia. It draws its strength from the great religious traditions, beliefs and practices and values and from the UN Conventions and Declarations and from the path finders/ the great human rights defenders.

It is our understanding that joy, peace, development and sisterhood/brotherhood are attained to the extent that the rights of all are protected and promoted.

The international community has been concerned about religion being used as a divisive factor by certain fundamentalist groups and the politicians devoid of human values and principles in a number of Asian Countries.

Pakistan just happened to be one of them and is not the only one. India, for centuries, has denied rights to low caste and out-cast people numbering over 200 million, and justifies this discrimination on religious grounds. In the last year alone, tens of thousands of people have been displaced, abused, violated and killed on sectarian / religious grounds in Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia. Thus it is very important for us to be aware of these pitfalls in our effort to promote the rights of all - we need to defend the rights of ALL our brothers and sisters.