With update from Indonesia
Please pray for those Christians who continue to be affected by the violent riot in Pakistan’s Jaranwala city last year.
More than 25 churches and 85 homes of Christians were ransacked and looted last summer by a mob of thousands of Muslims, after two Christian brothers had been falsely accused of desecrating the Quran and writing blasphemous comments.
Of the several thousands who took part in the attacks only 380 people were arrested, most of whom have been released on bail, pending court cases; others have had charges dropped.
Akmal Bhatti, the chairman of Pakistan’s Minorities Alliance, told Morning Star News: ‘The Jaranwala incident is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan. The government’s failure to bring the perpetrators to justice shows its [lack of] interest in protecting religious minorities from future violence.’
Many of the Christian victims of that devastating riot are still awaiting government compensation. Some of those who have filed private cases have subsequently faced intimidation and threats from Muslim extremists groups to drop their complaints.
A Release International partner said, ‘Pastors and the people there are still scared – even a year later. Many are struggling under trauma. In the beginning the government supported the rebuilding of churches and did some work for the rehabilitation of the people, but after a few months everything stopped.’
Suicide bomber thwarted in Indonesia
Earlier this month authorities in Indonesia thwarted a plan to suicide-bomb two churches in East Java, Indonesia, Morning Star News reported. A 19-year-old Islamist extremist and his parents were arrested by an anti-terror special detachment force. Several other arrests have been made.
(Source: Christian Daily International-Morning Star News)
