Justice and Peace: "Strong condemnation of attacks on Ahmadis"
Lahore (AsiaNews) - The Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace strongly condemns attacks on places of worship of the Ahmadi community, which occurred in Lahore on 28 May", stressing that the massacre" reflects the continued growth of religious extremism and ' intolerance against minorities and non-Islamic faiths. " In the meantime, a new attack has shaken the community: five people were killed in armed raid last night in a hospital in Lahore, where many of the injured from the mosque attacks were admitted.
On May 28, during Friday prayers, armed groups and suicide bombers attacked two mosques belonging to the Ahmadi sect. The places of worship are located in the well to do urban area of in Model Town and in the crowded area of Garhi Shahu. According to the government, the dead are at least 80: More than 200 wounded.
The terrorist group, "armed and well trained, had AK-47 rifles, pistols, grenades and were wearing vests loaded with explosives. They opened fire on the crowd indiscriminately, occupying the mosque for several hours and taking the faithful hostage. When the police decided to raid, Islamists blew themselves up, causing carnage.
In yesterday's raid on Jinnah hospital, however, there was talk at first of 12 deaths. This morning the police reduced the toll. According to Tariq Saleem Dogar, inspector of police in Punjab province, "four terrorists entered the hospital with police uniforms." Their goal was to "kill or liberate" a comrade who was wounded in the attack and captured alive. The man, identified by the name of Moaz o Amir Muawiya is detained in the intensive care unit of the hospital (where there are also 10 faithful wounded in that attack).
According to the Justice and Peace commission, "is extremely sad to note that the government's response to this tragedy is inappropriate. Governments, both provincial and federal, should be more attentive to the demands made by civil society, its calls for an end to language which foments hatred and the abolition of discriminatory laws, to better protect the groups that are most vulnerable. "
Specifically, the Episcopal Commission asks that "the Ahmadi community is accepted as part of the population, with the consequent removal of Article 260 of the Code that discriminates against them, the laws and policies based on religious discrimination must be eliminated, those guilty of violent discriminatory acts must be brought to justice, the government must help the survivors and families of victims, "religious" organizations that foment extremism must be banned, the government must give all people the same rights. "
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