Sunday 17 January 2016

A mob attacks a Christian’s house during a prayer service

SIALKOT: A Christian’s house in a village of Sialkot was attacked by a mob of Muslims at the time when a prayer meeting was being held in the house.

According to details, a mob of Muslims attacked the house of a Christian where a prayer meeting was going on. This incident took place in a village Nawan Pind, Sadho Mahal of Sialkot.

Prior to this occurrence, the local Muslims had seized church land and a quarrel erupted between the local Christians and Muslims which was intervened by the police.

On January 4, police arranged for a reconciliation meeting among the local Christians and Muslims. It has been revealed that the Muslims reached there armed with weapons at the meeting and instead of holding peace talks to resolve the issue.

While remarking about this situation, one of the local Christian resident of the village Bashir Masih said that the local Muslims have almost “made it almost impossible” for the Christians to worship even in their homes.

“We obtained written approval from the DPO, Rai Ijaz, to hold a three-hour prayer meeting in the private courtyard of a Christian, Javed Masih, on January 3, which was a Sunday.”

Bashir further said that the police official had also deployed two policemen at the venue in order ot provide security to the local Christians.

At the time of attack about, 30 Christians were in the house who were worshiping because the church building had already been seized. The Christians stated that a Muslim man namely Rashid Jutt, stormed into the house where Christians were worshiping. Rashid along with his accomplices disrupted during the prayer service.

Bashir Masih says, “The policemen assigned for our security were late, therefore one of our boys, Gulshan, stepped forward to stop Jutt from harassing the congregation. The two soon started fighting, but we intervened and separated them. Jutt then left, vowing to ‘teach all of us a lesson.’” Bashir further said that the Rashid Jutt, later filed an FIR against Gulshan and five other Christians of torturing him.

"This incident is a vivid instance of shrinking space for religious freedom for Christian and other religious minorities in Pakistan",said Sardar Mushtaq Gill,Human Rights Defender.

Authority is doing nothing to defend the shrinking space for religious minorities in Pakistan. All religious minorities live under siege at the hands of religious extremists and religious freedom also under threats.Sadly, Pakistan’s religious minorities have either relocated to other countries or they are moving from pillar to post to find a safe heaven inside the country. And on the other hand, thousands of Christians have also left silently to Thailand and Sri Lanka to seek asylum. 

One another instance of a 7 year old Christian girl who was forcibly stopped on her way home from school by the Muslim family who took her their home,before beating her and stripping her naked, leaving her clothes,school uniform,in the garbage to burn.The Christian family has one option to leave the village or accept Islam.This is the punishment for her uncle wish to get married with a Muslim girl.

We  at LEAD  try to defend them by asking you to stand with us for this great noble cause for our rescue mission and for timely needed action for them because we can do nothing without your support. 

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