Treat everyone equally regardless of races: Council

By CHARLES MOI
THE PNG Council of Churches has urged Papua New Guineans to treat everyone equally regardless of race or religious beliefs.
General Secretary Rev Roger Joseph told The National yesterday that the attack on two Muslim mosques in New Zealand on Friday by a gunman was an attack on human dignity.
“Any genocide attack like this is the result of people who have no respect for human life regardless of race or religion,” Joseph said.
“To take lives like that is uncalled for.”
Joseph said the terrorist attack in a developed nation such as New Zealand which prided itself in being safe and peaceful was troubling for a developing country such as PNG.
“PNG is learning from developing countries like New Zealand and when such an attack occurs, it is not good for PNG and other Pacific countries,” he said.
Joseph who recently returned from Fiji said he was shocked to hear of the attack.
“My immediate response was, this cannot be happening in a country like New Zealand,” he said.
Joseph urged all Papua New Guineans to pray for peace for all New Zealanders.
He also urged the people to have respect for human dignity because everyone was made in the image and likeness of God.
“We also hope that law will also take its course,” he said.
It is a Christian ecumenical council in PNG which has four major programmes: a Social Concerns desk, a Women’s desk, theological programme and administration. Its members comprise the Anglican Church of PNG, Gutnius Lutheran Church, Union Baptist, Roman Catholic Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG, United Church and the Salvation Army.