Pakistan: Christian community demands justice after a year of Muslim attacks

The Christian community of Jaranwala, in Pakistan, is “terrorized and without hope,” according to its bishop, a year after the worst incident against Christians in the country’s 77-year history was recorded, according to the foundation. pontifical Help the Church in Need (ACN, for its acronym in English).

Bishop Indrias Rehmat, Bishop of Faisalabad, expressed his dismay to the pontifical foundation, noting that Christians have not received justice after Muslims looted and burned more than 25 churches and at least 85 homes, since August 16, 2023. .

“Some people are angry and want to mobilize. They demand that we act so that justice is done, but what can we do? Justice can only be delivered by the government. Most of the culprits are out on bail and that bothers the community,” said Bishop Rehmat.

“Extremist groups want revenge. They feel that after what happened in Jaranwala they have lost their reputation as good citizens. “They have lost their credibility,” he added.

In dialogue with CNA —EWTN News English agency—ACN press officer María Lozano stated that at the time of the attacks several witnesses shared that “messages from the mosques broadcast over loudspeakers called on local people to ‘go out and kill’. to Christians.”

Following the incident, authorities arrested more than 130 people, including members of the Islamist political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik. The vast majority have been released on bail, as specified by Bishop Rehmat, and only a dozen suspects still face trial, according to the organization. International Christian Concern (ICC).

The 2023 riots began after two Christian brothers were falsely accused of desecrating the Koran, who were acquitted by Pakistani justice earlier this year.

“The government has been very weak. He is afraid to act.”

ACN reported the statements of Father Yaqub Yousif, parish priest of Jaranwala, who shared that the commemoration ceremonies were carried out inside Catholic temples, due to warnings from state security officials to avoid gatherings on public roads.

“People are disturbed by the lack of justice. They feel very insecure. If the institutions responsible for delivering justice cannot help, what can people as weak minorities do? They are afraid,” Father Yousif highlighted.

“I would like to make it clear that we Christians never think of disrespecting either the Quran or the prophet and we would not see any value in acts of desecration,” he added.

For his part, priest Boniface ‘Bonnie’ Mendes, also from the Diocese of Faisalabad, denounced the poor government action in the face of the protests and their consequences, during a visit to the ACN headquarters in the United Kingdom:

“The government has been very weak. He is afraid to act. We increasingly feel that the government is impotent. This means that the Christian community increasingly tends to withdraw into itself and want to leave the country,” she stated.

Pakistan is home to around 4 million Christians, making up just 1.6% of the country’s predominantly Muslim population of 241 million. From 1987 to the beginning of 2021, more than 1,800 people They had been charged with blasphemy against Islam.