Good for Qatar! It plans to:

…build the country’s first Christian church since Islam’s arrival in the 7th century — a step that may anger local Muslims.

Yes, the pundits are worried about Muslim sensitivities again. Kind of like:

British banks are banning piggy banks because they may offend some Muslims.

Oy, vey. What’s next? But Qatar’s move may force a little sensitivity on its own Muslims. After all, the country’s populace does not adhere just to Islam:

Qatar now counts 70,000 Christians, including 7,000 Anglicans and 50,000 Roman Catholics — largely from the Philippines, according to the World Christian Database. Qatar’s Anglican community is its oldest, dating to 1916, the database says.

The Anglican Journal — of the denomination building the church — says:

“Qatar is an extremely important country in the Middle East and building this centre sends an unmistakable message about dialogue and understanding between Christians and Muslims,” said the Nicosia-based Anglican bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf, Clive Handford.

“This centre will serve people of many nationalities and backgrounds who live and work in Qatar,” Bishop Handford noted. “For many of them it will be a home from home. But we hope that it will also serve the wider community in the region.”