The Washington Post describes the dream of a Karachi businessman to offer hope and comfort to the Christians of Pakistan.
Christians are a small minority of the mostly Muslim country of Pakistan, and they have suffered abuses and violence in recent times, causing many to flee the country. Parvez Henry Gill says that God told him in a dream to find a new way to protect his fellow Christians from persecution and fear.
“I said, ‘I am going to build a big cross, higher than any in the world, in a Muslim country,’ ” said Gill, 58. “It will be a symbol of God, and everybody who sees this will be worry-free.”
Erected at the entrance to a Christian cemetery prone to vandalism, the cross will stand 140 feet tall, with a 42-foot crosspiece, the largest in Asia, according to Gill. He has invited the Pope, the Queen of England, and Hillary Rodham Clinton to the dedication of the cross upon its completion, although he acknowledges that he does not know if they will attend. He hopes, nevertheless, that his fellow Christians in Pakistan will receive a clear message.
Gill said, he hopes it can convince the members of Pakistan’s persecuted Christian minority that someday their lives will get better.
“I want Christian people to see it and decide to stay here,” said Gill