No religious minority is safe in Pakistan.
“Make ready for them all that you can of force and of warhorses, so that by them you may strike terror in the enemy of Allah and your enemy…” (Qur’an 8:60)
Meanwhile, 129 Muslims have been arrested, but it is unlikely that there will be a serious or thorough investigation, or any severe consequences for the men who have done this, as most Pakistani authorities in cases of this kind are more sympathetic to the attackers than the victims.
List of 21 churches set ablaze in Pakistan’s Punjab province after alleged accusations of #blasphemy
Number 1. Pastor Salim Arif Sahib's AEC Church Isa Nagri
Number 2. Pastor Rizwan Sahib's church has been completely burnt
Number 3. Pastor Adnan Michael Gung Dum of the Church… pic.twitter.com/tWvDSJ8anY— Faraz Pervaiz (@FarazPervaiz3) August 17, 2023
Christian Awareness Movement Chairman Dr.Emanuel Adil Ghori has called all his district presidents to protest against the burning of 21 churches and 40 Christian homes in Jaranwala. pic.twitter.com/uuVYOcT0n6
— Dr_Adil Ghouri (@DrAdilGhouri1) August 17, 2023
“Pakistani police arrest 129 Muslims after mob attacks Christian churches,” PA News Agency, August 17, 2023:
Police arrested more than 100 Muslims in overnight raids from an area in eastern Pakistan where a Muslim mob attacked churches and homes of minority Christians, prompting authorities to summon troops to restore order, officials said on Thursday.
The attack by the mob was prompted by the alleged desecration of the Koran by a Christian man.
There were no casualties as Christians living in a residential area in the city of Jaranwala in the Faisalabad district moved to safer places following one of the country’s most deadly attacks against Christians.
Christians slowly returned to their homes Thursday, only to see the destruction of at least one church that was burned.
Four other churches were also damaged and two dozen homes were torched or badly damaged during the riots.
Speaking outside her home, which had been torched, Shazia Amjad said: “We were sitting at home when suddenly we heard that a mob is coming and it is burning homes and attacking churches.”
She told The Associated Press that the rioters burned household items and furniture. Some of her possessions were stolen as she moved to a safer place with her family, she added.
Mrs Amjad said the rioters sprinkled petrol to burn homes in their area and they stole jewellery and other things. Other Christians described similar ordeals and expressed bewilderment.
Local Christians consoled each other outside their damaged homes, as many women wept and cried over the destruction. Those whose homes were burned had no idea where to go or what to do now.
On Wednesday, Khalid Mukhtar, a local priest, said that most Christians living in the area had fled to safer places.
“Even my house was burned,” he said, adding that he believes most of Jaranwala’s 17 churches had been attacked.
Delegations of Muslim clerics arrived in Jaranwala to help calm the situation, as troops and police patrolled the area.
Local authorities have shut schools and offices and banned rallies for a week to prevent more violence.
The violence drew nationwide condemnation, with caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar ordering police to ensure the rioters are arrested.
On Thursday, Rizwan Khan, the regional police chief, said 129 suspects had been arrested and the situation was under control.
The violence erupted after some Muslims living in the area claimed they had seen a local Christian, Raja Amir, and his friend tearing out pages from a Koran, throwing them on the ground and writing insulting remarks on other pages.
Police say they are trying to arrest Mr Amir to determine whether he desecrated Islam’s holy book.
According to Mr Khan, the mob quickly gathered and began attacking multiple churches and several Christian homes…
Michael Copeland says
Allegation only suffices.
No need for any tiresome evidence.
How many times have we heard muslims bleating about having the whole community blamed because of the actions of a few? Yet this is exactly what is stipulated in the Pact of Omar, the rules for dealing with the filthy kafirs.
tunde says
Well said, Mr. Copeland.
Hindu American says
Pakistan’s minority population, at the time of its separation from India in 1947, was around 23% (Hindus, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists). Today, it’s less than 3% and depleting fast through forced conversions. The world must wake up and the UN should declare this country a rogue nation that violates minority rights.
India has a standing offer and tried to pass an act that would give automatic asylum to minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Guess which religious community in India blocked national highways to oppose this act?
Devasur says
And the ones who opposed their refugee in India along with muslims is none other than Indian Christians. Yet they cry about Christian persecution in India.
Nick says
Stop denying Christian persecution. It’s well documented. I have screenshots of what people like you say about us on twitter
tim gallagher says
islam in action in its usual totally evil and totally intolerant way. And yet we let these vicious Muslim scum into our western countries and expect that it will work out well. Muslims have no intention of living peacefully with any non-Muslims and once they have grown their numbers in any country there will always be massive trouble as they try to impose islam on everybody. In western countries, we treat Muslims with great tolerance, but anywhere that Muslims gain power in the world they always treat non-muslims in an appalling manner, as this report from that disgusting country, pakistan, shows.
OLD GUY says
Burn one Quran and the whole world goes nuts, burn 40 Christian Church’s and no one seems to notice. Just how much of the media is owned by the islamic leaders.