by Shafique Khokhar

In the district of Faisalabad, 21 places of worship and the homes of Christians were devastated by a mob fueled by Islamic extremists. Hundreds of people were forced to flee. The Christian accused of writing outrageous phrases against the Koran is actually an illiterate, The president of the Pakistani bishops Mgr Arsad: "Our people are not safe. A transparent investigation into this violence to re-establish the primacy of law and justice'.

Faisalabad (AsiaNews) - An episode of alleged blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed and the desecration of pages of the Koran attributed to a Christian man, Raja Masih, unleashed a wave of violence in Pakistan on August 16 and attacks on churches and homes in Jaranwala in Faisalabad district.

A mob instigated by extremists attacked as many as six churches and numerous homes, creating a very serious situation for the local Christian community.

The simple discovery of pages of the Koran on the ground, accompanied by a letter containing blasphemous comments and the name of Raja Masih - a person who is actually illiterate - was enough to unleash the fury and indignation of the local population, with a rapid escalation and protests on a large scale.

The situation took a distressing turn when mobs targeted churches and homes of the Christian community. Three Presbyterian churches, a Catholic church, a Full Gospel Assembly church, and a Salvation Army church were affected.

Hundreds of Christians from Jaranwala were forced to flee in fear from their houses that were stormed. Yassir Bhatti, a 31-year-old Christian, told the AFP agency: "They broke the windows and doors and took away refrigerators, sofas, chairs and other household items to pile them up in front of the church and burn them. They also burned and desecrated Bibles, they were ruthless."

Pastor Imran Javed, coordinator of Voice for Justice, witnessed the attack. Describing the environment as tense, he told AsiaNews that the incident escalated further when crowds gathered outside local mosques, demanding swift action in response to alleged desecration of the Koran and the Prophet Mohammed.

In response to the growing violence, merchants have closed their shops and protesters have blocked some important intersections. Law enforcement officers tried to restore order and ensure safety.

The commander, flanked by mufti Muhammad Younis Rizvi, addressed the crowd, appealing for restraint and reassuring the demonstrators that immediate measures should be taken against the accused. Despite these efforts, however, some factions have continued to push for extreme action.

The president of the Bishops' Conference of Pakistan, the archbishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi Msgr. Joseph Arsad, strongly condemned what happened in Jaranwala by appealing to the government of Punjab to take immediate action against the perpetrators of the attacks.

In a statement released by the diocese, the bishop wrote: "These incidents open the way to insecurity for minorities living in Pakistan. Our places of worship and our people are not safe. There is a transparent investigation into this tragic incident so that the primacy of law and justice is re-established and a better society is built in harmony and respect for religions".

Interim premier Anwar ul Haq Kakar - in charge of ferrying Pakistan towards the elections - responded by urging swift action against those responsible for the violence.

Fr. Khalid Rashid Asi, director of the Commission for Justice and Peace of the diocese of Faisalabad, has asked for the immediate intervention of the police and the safeguarding of Christian residences and churches to avoid further damage and unrest.

“The Jaranwala incident shows the extreme need to deal with the escalation of tensions. I am heartbroken: in recent days we had expressed our concerns and asked the government to protect religious minorities; It has just been a day since Independence Day and we are witnessing such a brutal incident, " he told AsiaNews. 

"This is the real reason why our country is not on good terms with the international community and is facing multiple political and financial problems”.

Joseph Jansen, president of Voice for Justice, strongly condemned the violent attacks on churches and Christian homes, underlining the fundamental importance of thorough investigations before any extrajudicial action.

The growing trend towards religious intolerance and prejudice leads more and more often in Pakistan to unfounded accusations and persecutions against minority religious groups.

Even the president of the Minority Alliance Pakistan has strongly condemned the attacks on churches and Christian homes. Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws, which provide for the death penalty or life imprisonment for blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed, lead to targeted persecutions against Christians, which are often used to solve personal vendettas.

"The mob attack on the Christian settlement of Jaranwala is not an isolated example of religious hatred - adds Naseem Anthony, another human rights activist from Faisalabad.

"Throughout history, numerous cases of mob violence have targeted Christian settlements in Pakistan: Shanti Nagar Khanewal, Badami Bagh Lahore, Koryyan Village Gojra Faisalabad, Warispura Faisalabad, Youhananabad Lahore and Sialkot.These are mafia attacks in addition to the lynching of people on the basis of blasphemy charges.SNP practices that have become sadly common in Pakistan Addressing these problems is essential to promote tolerance, harmony and respect for human rights in the country".

• Persecuted Christians
• Islam
• fundamentalism