7 Christians burnt alive in Gojra

4 August 2009 (Pakistan) - Christians in Pakistan are persecuted by the militant Muslims. In the most recent wave of persecution of Christians three major incidents took place in a short time of one month. In June, 57 houses in Bamni Wala,  Kasur were destroyed. On 30th of July, 50 houses of Christians in Krian Wala and on 1st of August 7 Christians were burnt alive and 70 houses destroyed. More than 50 Christians have also been injured.

There have been several other organized attacks also against helpless Christians in the past years as well. In Shanti Nagar in 1997 and in Sangla Hill  a couple  years ago. In March 2009 a woman lost her life in Gujrawala after an attack on Church, in April the attack on a Church  and Christian settlement in Taiser Town in Karachi  one young person was killed and sever injured by firing. In these incidents properties worth millions of dollars have been destroyed.  Christians built these houses after hard labor of decades of years but destroyed by the blasts of militant Muslims within seconds. Such acts of violent attacks against Christians are strongly condemned. It is very unfortunate that so far not  a single fanatic  Muslim has been brought to justice and no one is punished  for such acts of vandalism. All of this acts religiously motivated violence has been done in the name of religion – under one false accusation that Holy Quran has been desecrated.

The most violent attack which took place on 1st of August when a angry and armed mob of radical  Muslims from Gojra, along with Muslims from other cities of  TobaTek Singh and Jhang attacked a Christian Colony in Gojra and completely destroyed about 70 houses and burnt 7 Christian alive. These Christians included 4 women 2 children and one man. The children tried to run out of their home for safety but they were caught by the fanatic  Muslims and thrown back to their  home and blown up with a chemical. Al these 7 Christians were members of one Catholic family of Mr. Hameed Masih. I have visited this home where the incident took place. It is completed burnt. I also saw the other houses as well. It looked like a night mare to me. In one house there was preparation ceremony going on for the wedding of their daughter. This angry  mob came, looted their valuebles  in and blow up the entire home. I visited a small church which was  destroyed with Bibles and crosses all scared on the floor.  Almost all Christians who houses have been destroyed in this colony  literally nothing is  left. Not a single cup to have tea or glass to drink water or a plate to eat food. I did not see  any piece of  cloth which they could wear. You can imagine the trauma they have gone through. The mental shock they have going through. The money which they saved for several year to build small room was blown up within seconds.

It is very unfortunate that the police of Gojra and other security agencies did not do any thing to prevent this ugly incident. The government of Punjab sent  rangers in the evening when everything was over and  all  houses of Christians were  ransacked and 7 Christians were burnt alive on account of their faith. The situation in Gojra was tense and it was mounting since 9.00am in  the morning of 1st August and in spite of repeated appeals to the government of Punjab no one came to their rescue. When the  rangers came in the evening  - it was too late. It is also manifestation of  the attitude and protection which our government claims to give to minorities.

Now Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan, Mr.Yousaf Raza Gillani, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shabaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab have strongly condemned this act and have announced some compensation to rebuild the houses of these poor Christians. The government of Pakistan has announced to provide justice, to do a judicial inquiry and compensation to the affected Christians. But the question remains that how can  the sense of security, dignity, honor and sense of ‘religious’ freedom can be restored  among Christians.

It  is also sad to mention that the police authorities were reluctant to register First Information Report (FIR) of this incident. It took more that 9 hours of protest to get this FIR registered with the pressure  and intervention  from Mr. Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of the Punjab, Mr. Sana Ullana, Provincial Law Minister, Mr. Shabaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs, Mr. Kamran Michael, Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities  Affairs,  and
several other Members of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, religious leaders such  Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad, Bishop John Samuel of the Church of Pakistan, Gojra and Fr James Channan, Prior Vice Provincial of the Dominican Vice Province Pakistan.  Moreover, there was  strong protest from the Christians who had blocked the railway track with the coffins of 7 slain Christians and were determined not to burry these victims of violence unless FIR is registered. I was also part of the crowd who protested on the railway tracks to get FIR registered.  You can imagine if FIR has registered with such a
difficulty for this major incident how much difficulty do  the ordinary people face to get their cases registered with the police in Pakistan.

All of these acts of the persecution of Christians and terrorism against them  have been done in the name of religion. On the false accusation of the desecration of the  Holy Quran. It is worth mentioning that there are Blasphemy Laws 295 B and 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which give mandatory death sentence who profanes the name of Muhammad – the Prophet of Islam and desecrates the Holy Quran. It is very easy to kill any person in Pakistan under the accusation of blasphemy against Muhammad and desecration of the Holy Quran. If some one is accused of blasphemy of the Muhammad or Holy Quran that is the end of his life. He or she  will be killed by the angry mob or if he/she  is proved innocent by the courts, event than
the that  person cannot live in Pakistan for any fanatic Muslim can kill him or her.   Hundreds of people are behind the bars in Pakistan under these laws and interestingly  most of them are Muslims.  There are more than 400 Muslims who are jailed under the 295B and 295C. In the case of Christians – if one Christian is accused whole community suffers and is made victim of wrath. The entire Christian colony is burnt and totally demolished on this accusation – which have been proved  false all the times so far. Not a single Christian has desecrated the Holy Quran. All accusations against Christians have been false.

Now what should be done. As it is said “enough is enough”. The Christians of Pakistan demand total repeal of the 295B and 295C.  The government of Pakistan should address the root causes of such incidents.

All Catholic and Protestant Bishop have announced three days of mourning and all Christian institutes  will remain closed for three days in protest to this incident of Gojra. In several cities including Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Karachi, Multan, Bahawalpur and Sargodha Christians  have protested against these attacks and have demanded justice and security for their lives and property and have demanded total repeal of the Blasphemy laws in the country.

Several Muslims along with religious leaders including Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Grand Imam of the Badshahi Mosque Lahore have condemned the attacks against Christians. Such incidents  could be a conspiracy to create tension among Christians and Muslims, to derail the efforts of Christian Muslim dialogue we are doing for the last several decades. It could also be a deliberate act to defame Islam and create gulf among Islam and Christianity around the world.

It is appealed that human rights organization in the world take note of this incident and approach our government to repeal blasphemy laws and give protection to the Christians. We also appeal to the religious leaders and  promoters of peace and harmony intervene in this grave matter and urge our government so that persecution of Christians and such fanatic attacks are prevented in future and that justice is done.

Fr James Channan OP
Prior Vice Provincial
Dominican Vice Province Pakistan