October 2023 Persecution Magazine

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Peril in Pakistan A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY’S STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE 10 <strong>Persecution</strong> | OCTOBER <strong>2023</strong>
Much of the world was shocked by the nightmare that descended on a Christian community in Pakistan this August. The dust has long settled, and the world has all but moved on. Yet hundreds of Christian families and pastors are still picking up the pieces, trying to regain a foothold in the world that they lost. And we are there to help them. The tranquility of the quiet, Christian suburb of Faisalabad, Pakistan was shattered when 5,000 radical Muslims descended upon Jaranwala in a rampage. They set 26 churches ablaze, along with 196 homes, and many businesses. The scale of destruction is difficult to fathom, and it was a stark reminder of the precarious situation faced by Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. The uproar began when a Muslim man, driven by malice, made a false blasphemy charge against a Christian teen. It was a petty dispute over a business transaction that spiraled into a nightmare. The allegation was the spark, but the dry tinder of communal tension had been growing far too long. Word of the blasphemy charge quickly spread beyond the boundaries of Jaranwala. Angry mobs from afar descended upon the community with a fervor that defied reason. Witnesses recounted the chilling sight of men on motorcycles, laden with flammable materials, setting homes, churches, and businesses ablaze. The streets that once echoed with hymns and prayers now bore witness to an inferno fueled by intolerance. The attackers’ rage went beyond the false blasphemy charge; it was a collective belief by some that Christians were undermining Pakistan’s identity as a Muslim nation. Many among the mob were not even familiar with Jaranwala, but they came to destroy it. Others believed that Christians were undermining Pakistan’s identity as a Muslim nation. The government has promised relief and began to distribute checks to Christians to offset their losses. It certainly won’t be enough to rebuild their homes. More than 100 attackers were arrested in a nod to justice. We asked two members of our team to give their assessment of the destruction. Here were their responses: PERSECUTION.ORG 11
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October 2023 Persecution Magazine

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