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Muslim mob demands death for alleged Christian blasphemers

More Christians are starting to face allegations of blasphemy under controversial laws in Pakistan, reports Jeremy Reynalds, correspondent for ASSIST News Service.

According to a story by Aftab Alexander Mughal writing for Minorities Concern of Pakistan (MCOP), Christian families in Lahore were forced to flee for their safety while at the same time thousands of Muslim protesters demanded the death sentence for Christians for allegedly committing blasphemy in Faisalabad city.

MCOP said a Muslim “mob” in Faisalabad city, Punjab province, on July 10 and 11 2010 and demanded the death sentence for two Christian brothers, Rashid Emmanuel, 32, a pastor, and Sajid Emmanuel, a graduate student.

MCOP said the brothers were arrested on July 2 on charges of writing a pamphlet with blasphemous remarks about Prophet Mohammad. They were reportedly detained at the Civil Lines Police Station Faisalabad.

Atif Jamil Pagaan, told the Minorities Concern of Pakistan, “The protests were held in Waris Pura locality where more than 100,000 Christians are living. They wanted to attack and burn the area where Emmanuel brothers’ house was located. The protesters chanted slogans, raised weapons and (threatened a) lesson to the Christian community. They also stoned the Catholic Church in Waris Pura and burned tires on the roads to show their anger.”

He added, “Despite the presence of the police the protesters did not disburse but announced to continue their protest. The Christian community in Faisalabad city, especially in Waris Pura, the second biggest slum in the city, was scared and many of them fled to their relatives in other towns and villages.”

The Christian social worker told MCOP the mob threatened that if both Christians were not given a death sentence they would seek revenge from the entire Christian community as well as the two brothers.

Pagaan of Harmony Foundation told MCOP that the charges against the two brothers are false. There is no evidence neither were there witnesses present. The hand written photocopied pamphlet is distributed by unknown individuals, but the names and telephone numbers of Rashid and Sajid are on the booklet.

MCOP reported that area Christians say the situation could become as violent as the incidents from a year ago in Gojra city. There nine Christians were burned alive and more than 120 homes occupied by Christians were burned to the ground by Muslims reportedly wanting to punish Christians for alleged blasphemy charges against a Christian.

In another case on July 5, MCOP said a Christian family from Model Town Lahore, Punjab province, was forced to leave their home for their safety. Yousaf Masih, his wife Bashrian Bibi and their son-in-law Zahid Masih were accused of blasphemy against the Quran. About 2,000 angry Muslims protested against them and tried to burn their house.

MCOP said police have filed a case against them under blasphemy laws because of Muslim pressure. According to local sources the allegation against Christians results from “personal rancor and enmity.”

In yet another situation, MCOP said the family of a Christian human rights activist Saleem Sylvester were also forced to leave their home and live elsewhere to protect themselves from the blasphemy charges. According to Sylvester, unknown individuals threw torn pages of the Quran on his roof on a number of days. Although they discovered the pages quickly, the threat remains.

“To save my family I shifted them to a rented house on July 27,” MCOP said his email message reads.

MCOP said the family is still in jeopardy because they have received a threatening call on their cell phone.

MCOP said while the situation for Christians is quite tense because of the blasphemy laws, two Christians Boota Maish and Riaz Maish, were granted bail under blasphemy laws on July 2. They had both been arrested on Oct. 30 2009, and jailed in Lahore.

MCOP said religious minorities, including Christians, Hindis, Sikhs, Ahmadis and Shias, say that the blasphemy laws, introduced by a military dictator, have been widely misused against them. It appears, MCOP said, that many of the charges under the blasphemy laws stem from such issues including personal enmity, religious rivalry and property disputes.

MCOP said it has repeatedly demanding to the government that these laws should be repealed as soon as possible. Doing so, the group said, would save the lives of innocent people and bring harmony to a society where peace has been shattered since the institution of the laws.

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TAGS: Pakistan Muslim mob Christian blasphemers persecution Catholic Church

[07/19/2010]

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