Several churches and the homes of Christian families have been vandalized and set on fire in Jaranwala, eastern Pakistan. The almost 400-year-old city, located between two of Pakistan’s largest cities, has become the site of a bitter conflict between countrymen, Muslims and Christians. Pastor at Holmlia congregation, Asif Masih, has followed the situation from home. He says that he was devastated when he saw the pictures from Jaranwala. – I think of all the innocent families who have had their homes destroyed and lost their possessions, says Masih. – Religion is about spreading love, not hate. You cannot burn holy books, nor can you attack innocent people, adds Masih. It all started on Wednesday, after two Christian men were accused of destroying a Koran. Jaranwala is located between two of Pakistan’s largest cities: Faisalabad and Lahore. Started with Koran fame On Wednesday, a mob of Muslims gathered after accusations that a local Christian family had desecrated the Koran, writes The Guardian. Two Christian men were allegedly seen ripping out pages of a Koran. The men are accused of then throwing the pages on the ground and of having written insults on some of them. – Photos and videos of burnt pages of the Koran were shared among locals, Rana Imran Jamil, a rescue worker at the site, told AFP. A policeman walks past destroyed property in Jaranwala, the day after churches and homes were vandalized. Photo: Reuters Police Chief Rizwan Khan says local Muslims were outraged by the alleged actions. Several in the local Christian population ran away to get away. Two days after the riots began, the authorities appear to be in control. The ruins are behind barricades and barbed wire, while Pakistani special forces are present to assist the police. More than 100 people have been arrested. Despite the fact that the military has surrounded the city, the situation is still described as tense. A little boy comforts his mother by what is the ruins of their home. Photo: AP News came today that two Christian people have been arrested and accused of blasphemy. In Pakistan, you can be sentenced to death for blasphemy. Although people have become so in the past, no death penalty has ever been carried out as a result. Yet even accusations of blasphemy can lead to widespread riots, lynchings and murders. Pakistani special forces have been brought in to assist the police in Jaranwala. Photo: AP Christians and Muslims stand together – What is important is that it is the state’s responsibility to prosecute people who break the law. Not ordinary people, says Masih, who hopes that both those who have vandalized and destroyed the Koran will be arrested. He is now working to raise money and connect with friends in mosques and churches in Pakistan, to help the families rebuild what they have lost. Asif Masih is pastor at Holmlia congregation where he holds services in Urdu. Photo: Privat At the same time, Muslims and Christians in Pakistan have come together to call for an end to the violence, and are asking the authorities to protect the Christian minorities and punish the perpetrators. – Minister of Justice: The nation demands that you establish a court at the church where the Holy Cross was damaged, and that you conduct a trial and deliver a verdict within a month. The nation wants the culprits to be punished, said Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, head of the All Pakistan Ulema Council. On Thursday, Mohsin Naqvi, head of Punjab province, promised to restore the homes of the affected families in the next few days. – As a Muslim, a human being and an authority, it is my duty to compensate their losses and restore it to its original form.
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Christians in Pakistan attacked – accused of reading the Koran – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
