International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that hundreds of Pakistani
Christian families from Charar, a neighborhood in Lahore, have fled
their homes after a mob of Muslims threatened to set fire to their
neighborhood. Local sources report that the mob threatened the
Christians after a faith-based social media post was published by a
local pastor.
“Pastor Raja Waris published a faith-based
post on Facebook on December 22, which Muslims claim hurt their
religious sentiments,” Saleem Khokhar, a displaced Christian from Charar, told ICC. “The pastor apologized for the post and the issue was resolved the next day.”
To date, no blasphemy charges have been filed against Pastor Waris for
the offending social media post. However, Pastor Waris and his family
have gone into hiding due to threats issued against them by local
extremists. Even though the issue of the social media post has been
resolved, a mob of hundreds of Muslims continues to protest against the
Christians of Charar. According to locals, the mob has demanded that
Pastor Waris be beheaded for publishing the offending post.
“The situation turned dangerous when someone found out the Muslims were planning to set fire to the houses of Christians,” Khokhar told ICC. “This forced the Christians to flee the neighborhood.”
Police have been deployed to Charar to keep the mob’s protests from
turning violent. Despite the police presence, many Christians have
stayed away from the neighborhood and sought shelter with friends and
relatives.
“This is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration,” Khokhar told ICC.
“But we are out of our homes and begging our relatives and friends to
protect and feed us. None of us are feeling good about this situation.”
In Pakistan, false accusations of blasphemy are widespread and often
motivated by personal vendettas or religious hatred. Accusations are
highly inflammatory and have the potential to spark mob lynchings,
vigilante murders, and mass protests.
Since Pakistan added
Section 295-B and 295-C to the country’s blasphemy laws in 1987, the
number of blasphemy accusations has skyrocketed. Between 1987 and 2017,
1,534 individuals in Pakistan have been accused of blasphemy. Out of
that 1,534, 829 accusations (54%) were made against religious
minorities. With Christians only making up 1.6% of Pakistan’s total
population, the 238 accusations (15.5%) made against Christians are
highly disproportionate.
Currently, 24 Christians are imprisoned
on blasphemy charges in Pakistan. These 24 Christians are defendants in
21 blasphemy cases represented at various levels of the judicial
process in Pakistan.
ICC’s Regional Manager, William Stark, said, “We
here at International Christian Concern are concerned by the situation
in Charar. We call on the Pakistani authorities to protect the homes of
Charar’s Christians. No one should be forced to flee their home because
of a social media post. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws must not be misused to
justify mob violence. Too often these laws have been a tool in the
hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence
against minority communities.”
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.
Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842
International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org
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