When one child suffers, all humanity is wounded. As people of faith, we are called to embody our prayers through active solidarity with the most vulnerable communities, irrespective of faith differences. Justice must never depend on the religion of the victim.

A few months ago, Pakistan mourned the heartbreaking death of an eight-year-old Christian girl who was fatally attacked by stray dogs in the middle of a public street. As people watched helplessly, no one reached her in time to save her life. Christian leaders rightly raised their voices, calling for justice and greater protection for vulnerable religious minorities. Their response reflected a fundamental conviction shared by every faith tradition: every human life is sacred, and every child deserves protection.

Today, our nation grieves once again.

Seven-year-old Muntaha, a Muslim child, walked only a few steps from her home before she fell into the hands—not of stray dogs, but of human predators. She was raped, brutally tortured, murdered, and her lifeless body was returned to her family in a sack. Her death has wounded the conscience of our nation.

These two tragedies are different in circumstance, yet they ask us the same question: Will our compassion depend on the religion of the victim, or on the sacred value of every human life?

If we truly believe that every person is created with God-given dignity, then our response cannot be selective. A Christian child, a Muslim child, a Hindu child, a Sikh child—each bears immeasurable worth. Violence against one child is violence against every child. Injustice against one community diminishes the humanity of us all.

The name Muntaha means purity, excellence, and drawing near to the Divine. Like every parent, her family dreamed of a future filled with hope and promise. Those dreams were brutally stolen. Yet her story must not become just another headline that fades from public memory.

Her story should awaken us. It should compel us to ask why such brutality continues in a society where religion occupies such a central place in public life. The problem is not our religions, but our failure to embody their deepest moral teachings. We pray, worship, and profess faith, yet too often remain silent when the vulnerable cry for justice. We have tolerated corruption, weakened the rule of law, normalized violence, and become accustomed to indifference.

Every major faith tradition teaches that justice, mercy, and the protection of the weak are sacred responsibilities. Faith is not measured merely by prayers, rituals, or religious slogans. A faith that is loud in words yet empty in action fails both God and humanity. Faith becomes authentic only when it is lived through courageous love, compassionate action, and unwavering commitment to justice.

When the vulnerable are targeted, every Pakistani must stand beside them

This is why I appeal to every Pakistani—Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and all people of goodwill:

When the victim is Christian, let Muslims stand beside Christians.

When the victim is Muslim, let Christians stand beside Muslims.

When the victim belongs to any vulnerable community, let every Pakistani stand beside them.

Only then will we become the nation we aspire to be.

Let us reject the temptation to see suffering through the narrow lens of religious identity. Instead, let us embody our faith in active solidarity with the most vulnerable communities, irrespective of faith differences.

Let us strengthen the rule of law, protect every child, defend the dignity of every woman, and refuse to allow violence to become the accepted language of our society.

May God grant us the courage to speak when others remain silent, to stand where others turn away, and to build a Pakistan where every child—regardless of religion, ethnicity, or social status—can live in safety, dignity, and hope.

Source: Khushnud Azariah