Islamic law forbids Christians to build new churches or repair old ones, so that their communities will be perpetually in a state of decline. The attackers here also went out of their way to desecrate a cross, as the cross is an affront to Muslims, since according to the Qur’an, Jesus was neither killed nor crucified (4:157), and Islamic tradition holds that at the end of the world the Muslim prophet Jesus will return and break all crosses. Thus the actions of this mob were fully in accord with Islamic doctrine and law. Peaceful Muslims who claim that this is not true and oppose this action should step up and explain why this mob’s actions were wrong on Islamic grounds. But that is something that we never see.
“Okara residents allegedly vandalise under-construction church,” by Rana Tanveer for the Express Tribune, March 4:
LAHORE: Residents of Okara district allegedly vandalised an under-construction church and desecrated a cross, The Express Tribune has learnt on Tuesday.
The Christian residents in the district started construction of the church on a two-kanal piece of land owned by one of their community members.
Only a day after they had installed a cross on the partially constructed building, a group of local Muslims — allegedly over political differences – damaged the building and the land by ploughing the ground with the help of a tractor.
Javed Iqbal Masih — one of the Christian residents — told The Express Tribune that despite repeated requests, the group of 10 people damaged the building first with their hands and later with a tractor in the presence of local Christians.
Investigation officer Muhammad Javed said that police have registered an FIR under section 295-A and 506-B of Pakistan Penal Code against ten people for damaging the church and defaming the cross. He said police were raiding different areas to arrest the accused.
While speaking to The Express Tribune, Human Liberation Commission Pakistan chairperson Aslam Parvaiz Sahotra said the Christian community was not protected in Pakistan and that they face discrimination at every level.