Muslim Mob Attacks Christians in Gujrat, Pakistan
("Compass News Direct," September 27, 2010)
Sargodha, Pakistan - A mob of Muslim extremists on Thursday (Sept. 23) shot
at and beat dozens of Christians, including one cleared of “blasphemy”
charges, in Punjab Province’s Gujrat district, Christian leaders said.
The attack on Tariq Gill, exonerated of charges of blaspheming the Quran on
Sept. 3, 2009, and on his father Murad Gill, his mother and the other
Christian residents was the latest of more than 10 such assaults on the
Christian colony of Mohalla Kalupura, Gujrat city, since Sept. 8, the Rev.
Suleman
Nasri Khan and Bishop Shamas Pervaiz told Compass.
About 40 Islamists – some shooting Kalashnikovs and pistols at homes and
individuals on the street, others brandishing axes and clubs – beat some of
the Christians so badly that they left them for dead, Pastor Khan said. So
far, 10 families have been targeted for the attacks.
On Thursday (Sept. 23) the assailants ripped the clothing off of Gill’s
mother and dragged her nude through the streets, Pastor Khan said.
Among the Christians attacked on Thursday (Sept. 23) were Rashid Masih and
his family, he said. The critically injured Masih and his family members,
Gill and his parents, and the other injured Christians were initially rushed
to Aziz Bhatti hospital in Gujrat, Pastor Khan said, and then transferred
to Abdullah Hospital in nearby Lalla Musa to receive more advanced care.
“The injured Christians were under the observation of able doctors at
Abdullah Hospital in Lalla Musa,” Pastor Khan told Compass by telephone.
Bishop Pervaiz, central vice chairman of the Pakistan Interfaith Peace
Council, said the mob was led by two members of the National Assembly, Meer
Anjum and Farasat Dar, at the behest of a powerful member of the Punjab
Assembly named Sheikh Islam. The three Muslim politicians were not immediately
available for comment, but the Gujrat superintendent of police
investigations, identified only as Hafeez, told Christian leaders they were
respectable
legislators who were innocent.
Also asserting that the three Muslim politicians were behind the violence,
Pastor Khan said the assailants have vowed to mount an attack on Mohalla
Kalupura similar to the Islamist assault on Gojra in 2009. On Aug. 1, 2009,
an Islamic mob acting on a false rumor of blaspheming the Quran and whipped
into frenzy by local imams attacked the Christian colony in Gojra, burning
at least seven Christians to death, injuring 19 others, looting more than
100 houses and setting fire to 50 of them. The dead included women and
children.
Bishop Pervaiz said the attackers in Gujrat have threatened to kill him,
Pastor Khan and Bishop Yashua John and continue to roam the streets of
Mohalla Kalupura looking for Christian residents to kill.
The Lorry Adda police station house officer (SHO), inspector Riaz Qaddar,
has stated publicly that “no stone would be left unturned” to apprehend the
gunmen, but the Christian leaders said he has refused to act.
“The SHO flatly denied indicting the Muslim mob and especially the Muslim
legislators,” said Pastor Khan, chairman of Power of God’s Healing Ministry
International Pakistan and national coordinator of Jesus’ Victory Gospel
Assembly of Pakistan.
Bishop Pervaiz said that besides the Christian accused of blasphemy, the
attacks also may have been sparked by the election victory last year of an
area Christian – who was slain a few days after taking office. Yaqoob Masih
won the Tehsil Municipal Authority Gujrat election by a landslide, and a few
days after he took office on Dec. 15, 2009, Muslim candidates running for
the same office killed him, Bishop Pervaiz said.
He added that Lorry Adda police did not register a murder case at that
time.
In the blasphemy case, Tariq Gill was falsely charged on Aug. 15, 2009
under Section 295-B of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws for desecrating the Quran,
but
due to the intervention of Christian leaders, influential Muslim elders
and police, he was exonerated of all allegations on Sept. 3, 2009, said
Bishop Pervaiz, who is also chairman of the Council of Bishops and head of the
National Churches in Pakistan.
“Muslim legislators Meer Anjum, Sheikh Islam and Farasat Dar had resentment
against Murad Gill’s family over this blasphemy row as well,” said Bishop
Pervaiz, “and now through these assaults, which are becoming more frequent
and massive, emboldened Muslims have found a way to vent their fury.”
The Christian leaders said they approached District Police Officer Afzaal
Kausar about the attacks, and he sent the application for charges to Hafeez,
the superintendent of police investigation in Gujrat.
“But he did not bother to watch the video we shot of the attack and
shrugged off the matter,” Pastor Khan said.
He said that Hafeez told them that Anjum, Dar and Islam were respectable
legislators, “and without any investigation declared them innocent.”
This afternoon Pastor Khan led a protest at the Islamabad National Press
Club. He said more than 250 Christian protestors reached Islamabad despite an
attempt by Inspector Qaddar of Lorry Adda police station to arrest them
before they left the area.
“But the invisible hand of Almighty God helped us, and we safely made it to
Islamabad,” Pastor Khan said. “Although the government has clamped a ban
on all sorts of processions and demonstrations, we successfully staged the
sit-in before National Press Club Islamabad.”
Saying he regretted that the demonstration had drawn little attention, he
added that the protestors would remain in front of the building tonight
demanding justice. The pastor said tomorrow (Sept. 28) they would protest in
front of the Islamabad Parliament House.
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