Muslims storm a Protestant church in Islamabad
A mob of about 40 people attacked a church during Sunday service, scaring the worshippers present. Less than an hour earlier, three young men had harassed and beaten the children of the local pastor. “We will not stop our prayer meetings,” said a Church spokesman.
Islamabad (AsiaNews) – On Sunday, a mob of about 40 Muslims stormed the Voice of Jesus Church in Khokhar Town (Islamabad) harassing and scaring worshippers taking part in Holy Mass.
The incident began outside the church when three young Muslim men began pestering Sharjeel, 20, and his sister, 19, whose father, Rev Younas Javed, heads the Voice of Jesus Protestant church.
Sharjeel asked the three Muslims to stop bothering his sister, but they began to abuse him before leaving.
After about half an hour, as the religious service got underway, a mob of 40 to 45 people stormed the church with iron rods, sticks and loaded guns, firing into the air to scare the faithful. Amid the general chaos, some were people hit and the church building was desecrated.
The attack ended only with the arrival of the police. Rev Younas immediately filed a complaint against the three young men who had harassed his children and the 40 or more unknown persons who had stormed his church
Tariq Ghouri, human rights activist and coordinator of the diocesan office of the National Commission of Justice and Peace in Rawalpindi, was with the pastor when he filed the complaint.
“I must express my appreciation for the Islamabad police, who registered the complaint against the culprits under bailable sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including the sections on terrorism. The perpetrators will not be able to obtain bail," the activist explained.
"Incidents of violence against religious minorities are increasing day by day, which is harming Pakistan's image internationally. The state seems to be indifferent and does nothing to deal with these incidents. Thus, incidents will increase in the future.,” he added.
"The state should do its best to ensure the safety of religious minorities and should stand with these peaceful communities who are doing their best for the country’s progress”.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Rev Rameez Munir, spokesman for the Voice of Jesus Church, said: "We call upon the government to provide security to our churches and issue weapons licenses to our guards.
"We practise our rituals peacefully, but these people who promote violence do not obey the law of the country and harass us because we have a different faith. In the city, these Muslims are known for their bad actions,” he explained.
"I am looking into the matter and have been in contact with the local police, who have arrested five people so far.”
However, "Some of the culprits are still at large, but police have assured us that they will catch them soon. We want justice and we will not stop our prayer meetings just because of these hatemongers."
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09/02/2023 14:33
