Pakistan’s Christians to Hold Day of Protest

Members of the Christian community in Pakistan have announced they will observe a day of “Protest, Prayers and Fasting” for the Sangla Hill attack.

|TOP|The day of protest will take place on 20th December to mark the end of the 40 days of mourning held by Christians across the country after radical Muslims called for Muslims to attack Christians and Christian property, reports Assist News.

The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) said in a press release: “This day will be observed to condemn the lawlessness and intolerance in the name of religion, and (the) callous attitude of authorities for not arresting the real culprits.”

Chairman of the APMA, Shahbaz Bhatti, told reporters at a press conference last week in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, of the attack on Sangla Hill which centred around a young Christian man, Yousaf Masih, who was accused of desecrating the Koran.

According to Bhatti, the accusations against Masih were followed by calls in a number of mosques in the Sangla Hill area to attack Christians.

A mob of around 2,000 extremist Muslims then attacked Christians with weapons, petrol, highly flammable chemicals, sticks and batons, as well as Christian property including a Roman Catholic Church, two United Presbyterian Churches, a covent, a high school and a girls’ hostel.

According to reports, around 500 Bibles, Christian literature, crucifixes and other Christian material were also set on fire.

|QUOTE|According to Bhatti, an immediate enquiry was promised by an official after a visit to the area at the insistence of a number of Sangla Hill’s community leaders six days after the attack

The official also, according to Bhatti, ordered the arrest of everyone in connection to the attack as well as the suspension of local police officers for their “negligence”, the APMA news release reported.

The news release added, however, that “the key culprits nominated by the church leaders and local Christian community of Sangla Hill are not yet arrested”.

Bhatti also complained at the lack of action by the Pakistani Government to defuse the tension and failing to find a solution to the situation, accusing the Government instead of protecting the instigators of mob violence.

|AD|He added that the attack had caused the Christians living at Sangla Hill worry because of the ongoing atmosphere of fear and insecurity.

“They are frightened because the real culprits are still at large, and Islamic extremists are threatening and harassing the Christians at Sangla Hill,” said Bhatti.

He added: “This state of affairs points to a serious crisis of governance and the policies. The current situation calls for exhaustive efforts on the part of government, citizens and public organisations to undertake the responsibility to address the issues of concern in a real sense, and to promote the culture of tolerance and interfaith harmony.

Discrimination on the account of their faith must end to make Pakistan a tolerant society.”

Bhatti said the attack on Sangla Hill was not an isolated incident against Christian minorities and their places of worship but that a number of similar incidents had also taken place in the past without any action being taken against the alleged perpetrators.

The APMA made the demand for an end to religious intolerance and the immediate arrest of the Sangla Hill perpetrators as well as their trial in an anti-terrorist court.

Bhatti also called for the release of Yousaf Masih with all charges against him dropped, adding that those who urge attacks against Christians and Christian churches at mosques should be punished.

He added , “Discriminatory laws such as blasphemy laws, a major tool for creating disharmony, should be repealed, and reconciliation efforts between people of different faith should be made to eliminate violence in the name of religion.”