“Islamophobia is the biggest threat to peace in the world today.” — U.S. “academic” Kevin Barrett in Iran’s state-run PressTV
“Pakistan Christians Threatened After Mourning Suicide Attack Victims; Pastor Detained,” from BosNewsLife, October 13 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
PESHAWAR/LAHORE (BosNewsLife)– A Pakistani Christian family was hiding Sunday, October 13, after allegedly receiving death threats for protesting against twin suicide attacks at a historic church in the violence-plagued city of Peshawar, in which their friends were killed. In total at least 171 people died and some 150 people were injured in the September blasts at Peshawar’s All Saints Church, officials said.
Peshawar resident Waqas Pervez, 26, told BosNewsLife that he and his family were “forced to flee” the city after suspected Muslim militants threatened to kill him, his mother and other relatives.
He said the men were angry that he was openly expressing grief at an anti-violence demonstration about the loss of his friends and those who were injured in the suicide attacks.
“The problems began on Monday, September 23, when I and other Christians were protesting on University road near a Christian cemetery to mourn our loved ones and to express concerns over the suicide attacks. As we walked towards the Jamia Mosque, clerics and others came out and tried to stop the protesters and scatter them,” he said.
Both the demonstrators and attackers were injured, according to witnesses.
‘CLERICS THREATEN’
“Clerics from the locality vowed to avenge the injuries and they started looking for the people who were leading the protest,” Pervez said.
A day after, “several men came to my house where they threatened me and my mother who was injured in the attack,” he said. “My brother Fahad Pervez and maternal uncle Johnson Yousaf tried to stop them, but they assaulted the them also. My uncle was injured and they threatened to kill the whole family,” Pervez recalled.
He said the family was forced to leave everything behind and now lives in hiding in another city.
A priest, who was not identified for security reasons, helped them escape.
Activists say this isn’t an isolated case. Christians in Pakistan have complained about persecution for their faith in several parts of this heavily Islamic nation….
Activists say violence is increasing against Pakistani Christians, who comprise roughly three percent of Pakistan’s over 193 million people. (With BosNewsLife correspondents reporting from Pakistan).