Angry Muslims Stage Protest, a Hail of Stones Hits Local Catholic Church

FAISALABAD, Pakistan, July 19, 2010, 11:30 Hrs (Fides):

“About a hundred Islamic militants marched in protest calling for the death of two Christians accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed. A little Catholic church was battered by a hail of stones and rocks. We are in a state of alarm, despite the apparent calm at the moment now the situation is under control”: this testimony was given to Fides by Dominican priest Fr. Pascal Paulus OP, parish priest of Holy Rosary Catholic Church at Waris Pura, one of the largest suburbs of Faisalabad.

On 10 and 11 July street protests disturbed the area which is home to numerous Christians, about 100,000. According to a report by the local organisation Minorities Concern of Pakistan, the Muslims were protesting about two Protestant Christian brothers Pastor Rashid Emmanuel and his brother Sajid Emmanuel, arrested on 2 July and charged with writing a booklet containing blasphemous words against the Prophet Mohammed. The angry Muslims chanted "we will teach the Christian community a lesson ” and, "we will take justice into own hands”.

“Tension is high, we are very concerned. Already, some Christians, fearing more violence, have moved away. We have asked for more protection from the police. The protest was quite unfounded: the two men, whom they wanted to see condemned to death, had already been arrested once and were found to be innocent”, the priest told Fides. “Our church, dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and the only Catholic church in Waris Pura, was hit by a hail of stones and rocks. We were very frightened, but now the worst seems to be over ”, he said.

The situation is once again under control thanks mainly to an intervention by the Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad, Bishop Joseph Coutts, who contacted civil authorities, police and the local Muslim leaders. A Waris Pura Joint Civil-Religious Committee was set up, headed by the Bishop, to restore peace and civil harmony and prevent any further violence.

“It should be said that the angry Muslim mob had been incited to violence by certain local leading Muslims. The country suffers from unrest caused by extremists which often turns to terrorism. This was one of many such episodes of violence based on unfair 'blasphemy laws' and it is a problem, said Fr Khalid Rashid Asi, Vicar General of the diocese of Faisalabad and President of the diocesan Commission for Ecumenism and Dialogue. “Our work to promote dialogue and harmony continues. We believe in interreligious dialogue and in the good will of people ”, the Vicar General told Fides.