Updated on Saturday, September 11, 2010, 13:45
Kochi: Justifying the action of the church run Newman college management to sack Prof TJ Joseph, for allegedly preparing a question paper which hurt the sentiments of a community, the Kothamanagalam Bishop has issued a pastoral letter which would be read out in the churches during Sunday mass tomorrow.
The letter, however, states that aggrieved lecturer can approach the court to redress his grievance and the management would abide by the court's decision.
Prof Joseph was brutally attacked by the activists of radical outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI) for preparing the questioning paper by hacking his right arm. The lecturer, who was suspended by the management as controversy broke regarding the question paper, is yet to recover completely from the attack on July 4 as he was returning home from church with his family after Sudnay mass.
In the letter, Bishop of Kothamanagalam dioceses George Punnakottil said the attack does not nullify the 'crime' committed by Joseph. Such an 'irreresponsbile' act cannot be expected from the lecturer. The college was accused of being an accomplice in hurting the religious feelings of the Muslim community. So the management had to take a decision to distance itself from the act of the lecturer, it said.
'We stand for secularism and we do not want to offend anybody', the bishop said.
The letter gives a clear message to the community that the college will not tolerate any action to wound the religious feelings of another community.
Meanwhile, police arrested and removed about 30 activists of the Joint Christian Council, an anti church forum, who took out a procession at Kothamanagalam in Ernakulam district demanding the reinstatement of Prof Joseph.
Though the activists first tried to take out the march from the RC Cathedral, the church did not permit the same. They then took out the march from a little distance away and raised slogans against the church and sought re-instatement of Prof Joseph, police sources said.
PTI
I think the position of the Church in sacking the professor is correct. The Church did not want to be seen as an accomplice in an act of gross religious provocation and the Church cannot be faulted for this. However, the college management, while sacking the professor had reportedly said that the professor can be reinstated if the Muslim community forgave the professor. This contradicts the Church position that the attack does not nullify the "crime" of the professor. Then how can his pardoning nullify it? Moreover, asking the aggressor (Muslims) to sit in judgement over the victim (the professor) is to hypothecate the rule of law. Thus, it is obvious that the Church is playing politics over a tragedy - trying to be law-abiding secular citizens on one hand and being ready to compromise on the spirit of the law on the other. This is a typical position Churches in India take - in the case of conversions, for instance. We are against forced conversions, they say, while all along indulging in conversions through allurements.
http://www.zeenews.com/news654362.html
Kochi: Justifying the action of the church run Newman college management to sack Prof TJ Joseph, for allegedly preparing a question paper which hurt the sentiments of a community, the Kothamanagalam Bishop has issued a pastoral letter which would be read out in the churches during Sunday mass tomorrow.
The letter, however, states that aggrieved lecturer can approach the court to redress his grievance and the management would abide by the court's decision.
Prof Joseph was brutally attacked by the activists of radical outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI) for preparing the questioning paper by hacking his right arm. The lecturer, who was suspended by the management as controversy broke regarding the question paper, is yet to recover completely from the attack on July 4 as he was returning home from church with his family after Sudnay mass.
In the letter, Bishop of Kothamanagalam dioceses George Punnakottil said the attack does not nullify the 'crime' committed by Joseph. Such an 'irreresponsbile' act cannot be expected from the lecturer. The college was accused of being an accomplice in hurting the religious feelings of the Muslim community. So the management had to take a decision to distance itself from the act of the lecturer, it said.
'We stand for secularism and we do not want to offend anybody', the bishop said.
The letter gives a clear message to the community that the college will not tolerate any action to wound the religious feelings of another community.
Meanwhile, police arrested and removed about 30 activists of the Joint Christian Council, an anti church forum, who took out a procession at Kothamanagalam in Ernakulam district demanding the reinstatement of Prof Joseph.
Though the activists first tried to take out the march from the RC Cathedral, the church did not permit the same. They then took out the march from a little distance away and raised slogans against the church and sought re-instatement of Prof Joseph, police sources said.
PTI
I think the position of the Church in sacking the professor is correct. The Church did not want to be seen as an accomplice in an act of gross religious provocation and the Church cannot be faulted for this. However, the college management, while sacking the professor had reportedly said that the professor can be reinstated if the Muslim community forgave the professor. This contradicts the Church position that the attack does not nullify the "crime" of the professor. Then how can his pardoning nullify it? Moreover, asking the aggressor (Muslims) to sit in judgement over the victim (the professor) is to hypothecate the rule of law. Thus, it is obvious that the Church is playing politics over a tragedy - trying to be law-abiding secular citizens on one hand and being ready to compromise on the spirit of the law on the other. This is a typical position Churches in India take - in the case of conversions, for instance. We are against forced conversions, they say, while all along indulging in conversions through allurements.
http://www.zeenews.com/news654362.html
No comments:
Post a Comment