01/01/2021 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – A Christian activist has condemned the destruction of a historic Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The temple was destroyed on December 31 after a mob of extremists was stirred up by local Islamic leaders.
On December 31, a mob of extremists destroyed a historic Hindu temple in the village of Teri, located in the Karak district. The mob reportedly attacked the building by throwing away sacred objects, destroying structures with hammers, and setting the building on fire.
According to Asia News, police stood by and watched as the mob destroyed the historic temple.
“This type of attack is not a new thing, but is repeated continuously against all minorities, against temples and churches, without the authorities implementing any strategy,” Naveed Walter, President of Human Rights Focus Pakistan, told Asia News. “The role of the police always remains the same: that of being calm and silent.”
“There is a need to promote religious tolerance and an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence with concrete steps,” Walter continued. “It is necessary to counter these attacks and bring to justice the elements that move the crowds, both those who physically participate in the violence and those who instigate the crowds.”
Attacks on religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan are unfortunately common. In July, fundamentalists blocked the construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad after the building had received permission to be built. In October, a Hindu temple in the Sindh province was vandalized.
