Mob burns church and Christian homes in Pakistan

author: FutureCar Staff    

A mob in Pakistan set fire to a church and several Christian homes in response to blasphemy accusations. The incident occurred in Jaranwala, a town in the Faisalabad district of Punjab province. The violence erupted after some Muslims in the area claimed that a local Christian man and his friend had desecrated the Quran by tearing out its pages, throwing them on the ground, and writing insulting remarks on others. This accusation angered the local Muslims, leading to a mob gathering and attacking multiple churches and Christian homes.

Police Chief Rizwan Khan stated that the mob burned furniture and other household items in the targeted Christian homes. Members of the Christian community fled their homes to escape the violence. Eventually, the police intervened by firing into the air and using batons to disperse the attackers. Muslim clerics and elders also assisted in quelling the violence. Authorities have initiated raids to apprehend all those involved in the attacks. Dozens of rioters have already been arrested.

Videos and photos shared on social media depict an angry mob vandalizing a church by throwing bricks and setting it on fire. In other videos, two additional churches are attacked, with windows broken and furniture thrown out and burned. Some police officers are seen watching the situation without intervening to stop the vandalism.

Khalid Mukhtar, a local priest, reported that most Christians in the area had fled to safer places. He added that his own house was burned, and he believes that most of the 17 churches in Jaranwala were targeted. Additional police forces were deployed to the area, and an investigation is underway. Police Chief Khan affirmed that all those responsible for the attack would be prosecuted. Troops also arrived in Jaranwala to support the police, while a delegation of Muslim clerics from Lahore expressed solidarity with the Christian community.

Blasphemy accusations are not uncommon in Pakistan. The country's blasphemy laws stipulate that anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic religious figures can face the death penalty. In many cases, merely being accused of blasphemy can lead to riots, mob violence, and even killings. One of the most severe attacks on Christians occurred in 2009 when a mob burned approximately 60 homes and killed six Christians in Gojra, Punjab, after accusing them of insulting Islam.

The recent attack in Jaranwala has received widespread condemnation from top leaders and political parties across Pakistan. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar expressed his distress over the images emerging from Faisalabad and pledged stern action against those who violate the law and target minorities. Bishop Azad Marshall, a senior Christian leader, appealed for justice and immediate intervention from law enforcement and the justice system to ensure the safety of all citizens. Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the violence, emphasizing that there is no place for such acts in any religion.

In Karachi, dozens of Christians gathered to denounce the attacks in Jaranwala. Domestic and international human rights groups have highlighted that blasphemy allegations are often used to intimidate religious minorities in Pakistan and settle personal scores. This incident follows a similar one in December 2021, where a Muslim mob killed a Sri Lankan man and publicly burned his body over blasphemy allegations in Sialkot district.

FutureCar Staff