More Violence Against Pakistani Christians
Jihadists Increase Violent Threats and Attacks Against Christians
Oct 17, 2009
A Pakistani judge releasing six more of the Gojra, Pakistan Christian killing suspects is the latest in a series of alleged human rights abuses against Christians in Pakistan.
Sessions Court Judge Toba Sek Singh released the suspects who are accused of the murders of eleven Christians and with burning down more than 40 Christian owned houses in Gojra.
This release follows last month’s order by a Lahore judge releasing thirteen other suspects in the case.
Ahmad Amasa is an Israeli-born Arab who specializes in human rights law at Harvard Law School and he says these types of abuses are not unusual, “This happens a lot when there is one prevailing religion in a country. The system is normally geared to help the religious majority.”
That explanation for Pakistan’s apparent complicity in the persecution of its Christian minority isn’t satisfactory to other human rights groups.
An Explanation
International Christian Concern’s Pakistan analyst Jonathan Racho says Pakistani law plays favourites, “The laws in Pakistan are discriminatory and are biased against Christians. The laws protect Islam.”
“Muslims use the laws to support violence and attacks against the Christians,” Mr. Racho added.
Mr. Racho also said that some Gojra Christians are rightly fearful of further violence, “The release of those six men is very serious and a cause of great concern by Christians in Gojra.”
“The leaders in Pakistan say that these six men and the others will resume their acts of violence against Christians," Mr. Racho continued. "The release isn’t punishment. It tells any Islamic extremist that they can do whatever they want to.”
The Gojra attacks are the latest in a series of increasingly violent acts against Christians.
A Muslim mob attacked Murree, Pakistan resident Rafiq Mashi Bhatti and his family threatening to kill them if they didn’t convert to Islam.
The threats began five months ago and involved a series of letters, phone calls and verbal taunts.
More Attacks
Other recent attacks in Pakistan include the murder by burning to death of eight Christians near Lahore. The Muslim mob accused the eight of insulting Islam and ‘desecrating’ a copy of the Qur’an.
A Muslim mob attacked and looted more than 50 houses in Bahami Wala in the Kasur district of Punjab Province and another mob burned a church in the Sialkot district of Punjab Province.
Terrorism and Pakistan scholar Animesh Roul is the Executive Director of the Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict in New Delhi, India and he says the increase in attacks is due to the powerful emergence of the Taliban.
“Portions of Pakistan are actually lawless and controlled by the Taliban. They give control to local warlords who answer to them.”
“The increase in violence is also because of Pakistan’s ISI and army helping the Taliban,” he added.
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