Muslims Vandalized a Church Under Construction

Shamim Masih writes about Christians being persecuted by armed Muslims in the Okara District destroying a Church under construction then threatening the Christians. Corroborating Shamim report:

Pakistan: March 4, 2014. (Amir Parvez) More than one dozen extremist Muslims equipped with fire arms attacked foundation construction of a Church in village Chack Number 3/4L, in Okara district of Punjab province of Pakistan.

There are more than 50 Christian families in village Chack Number 3/4L who laid foundation of Church on their land and board of Church was installed but on March 2, 2014, at 9; 00 am more than dozen Muslims riding on a tractor trolley reached on Church site and vandalized Church foundation.

The Muslim attackers pulled down the Church board on which verses of Holy Bible were written with tractor on which they came; When Christians of village came out of homes to safe the Church foundation the Muslims attackers pulled guns on them and injured them with sticks.

The attackers were shouting slogans “No construction of Church in our village”“ (sic) No worship places of infidel Christians” which spread fear among Christian men and women of the village.  (Extremist Muslim vandalize Church foundations in a village near Okara; By Amir Parvez; Pakistan Christian Post; 3/4/14)

JRH 3/7/14

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Muslims Vandalized a Church Under Construction

By Shamim Masih

Sent: 3/6/2014 8:27 PM

ISLAMABAD: Religious freedom is guaranteed under Pakistan’s constitution, but discriminatory legislation punishes those who choose to actively follow the Christian faith and places restriction on the Church.  Restriction on spreading the gospel publically [and] is reportedly banned. And [it is the] same with constructing new Churches. And honestly speaking, I am being beaten up by the radical Muslims in Mansrah district [for] selling religious books when [I] voluntarily worked with Operation Mobilization (OM team in Pakistan).

Christians of the Okara district dared to construct a new Church building along with a Christian school on a two-kanal piece of land owned by Akber Masih, one of their community members in the last week. But their dreams didn’t come true when a day after they had partially constructed a church building and installed a cross, radical Muslims came in and damaged the building first with their hands and later they ploughed the ground with the help of a tractor.

The investigation officer – IO Mohammad Javed - told that police have registered a First Investigation Report (FIR) and [are] raiding to arrest the accused.

Sohail Johnson, head of Sharing Life Ministries, reached there with his team and crop up; talking on the telephone he said that the FIR under section 295 – A and 506 – B of Pakistan Penal Code against ten people for damaging the church and defaming a Cross is registered but the police have not been able to arrest the accused so far. He said that Christians in Pakistan face discrimination in its different forms and are not protected in the country. He added that we are equal citizens of this country and our forefathers have shed their blood for this piece of land. We will fight for our rights if not rendered and in this struggle we will not spare any one. He demanded the Chief Minister to take strict measures against the perpetrators.

Farrukh H Saif, chief of WVIP said that we have been struggling against discriminatory laws for decades and will not leave any stone unturned to achieve the rights of our people. The Blasphemy law is used for vested interests and minority girls are raped and married forcefully.

  

Earlier in September 21, 2012 St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mardan [was] burnt by radical Muslims, and a year [later] in September 22, 2013 [around a] hundred [were] killed and over 150 injured in Peshawar church attack. Two Churches in Joseph Colony, Lahore were set ablaze with 150 houses of Christians to take revenge of the blasphemy allegedly committed by a Christian man. 

Be Blessed,

Shamim Masih

____________________________

Edited by John R. Houk

Brackets indicate editorial input. All links by the Editor.

© Shamim Masih

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