Extremist Mob Hunts Down Christian Sisters in Pakistan

First published at stefanus.no 08.14.24 Written by: Johannes Morken Photo: Human Friends Organisation

In Pakistan, extremist mobs are becoming more aggressive, partly because previous attacks on religious minorities have gone unpunished. Recently, two Christian sisters were accused of blasphemy, facing serious and life-threatening charges. This incident comes a year after the Jaranwala tragedy, where 90 homes and 25 churches were burned. 

The Incident 

On August 6th, in the Gojra district of Pakistan's Punjab province, a Christian widow named Saima and her two young children found themselves in grave danger. Their neighbor, Muhammad, came home and claimed he found torn pages of the Quran in a trash pile near Saima's house. He accused Saima of throwing the pages away. 

Saima, who doesn't know Arabic, firmly denied the accusation, explaining that neither she nor her children had a Quran to destroy. At first, Muhammad seemed to accept her explanation. 

Inciting the Mob 

However, another neighbor, Rajab—who had a history of conflicts with Saima—used the situation to cause trouble. Rajab, who once built a roof on his house using Saima's wall without permission, convinced Muhammad and others that this was a serious religious offense. 

On August 7th, Rajab gathered a mob of angry locals, who marched towards Saima's home, shouting threats. Fearing for their safety, Saima and her children hid in a neighbor's house. Unfortunately, the mob found them, broke in, and threatened them. 

Police Response 

When the police arrived, instead of stopping the mob, they arrested Saima. She now faces charges under Section 295-B of the Penal Code, which could lead to the death penalty if she’s found guilty of desecrating the Quran. Saima's sister, Sonia, was also named in the police report but has not been arrested yet. 

The Human Friends Organisation (HFO), a partner of the Stefanus Alliance, has provided a lawyer for the sisters. The court has granted Sonia temporary protection from arrest until August 20th, giving the police time to investigate. Sonia’s bail was set at 50,000 rupees. 

"Sonia is innocent. The police are trying to arrest her just to humiliate her," said their lawyer, Abbas Rasool Warrich. 

The Manhunt 

Despite the court's protection, police have been aggressively searching for Sonia. They even arrested two of her relatives to pressure her into surrendering. The search only stopped when Sonia was granted temporary protection. HFO has since moved both families to safe locations, as they have lost their jobs and live in constant fear of the mob. 

Christians Forced to Flee 

The attack on Saima and Sonia also forced 35 other Christian families to flee for their lives. They are too afraid to return home, and the police have done little to protect them. 

"This incident highlights the serious dangers faced by religious minorities in Pakistan," said Sajid Christopher, head of HFO. 

"This incident highlights the serious dangers faced by religious minorities in Pakistan” 

Sajid Christopher, head of HFO

One Year After Jaranwala 

This attack comes almost a year after the Jaranwala tragedy, where a mob burned 25 churches and 90 homes in a Christian neighborhood. The violence was sparked by false accusations of blasphemy against two Christian brothers, who were later proven innocent. 

"The Jaranwala tragedy opened many eyes to the persecution of minorities in Pakistan," said Christopher. While the government condemned the attacks, little has been done to protect Christians and other minorities. Many of the 300 Muslims arrested for the Jaranwala attacks have been released on bail, with only a few still in custody. 

"The weak judicial system in these cases encourages extremists to carry out new attacks on minorities," Christopher warned. 

Continued Violence 

Since the Jaranwala tragedy, violence related to blasphemy accusations has continued. Earlier this year, a Christian man named Nasir Masih was lynched in Sargodha, and his wife died shortly after, overwhelmed by the trauma. In another incident, a mentally ill woman was arrested on blasphemy charges. 

The government has started rebuilding the burned churches and repairing the homes damaged in Jaranwala. However, the Christian community remains disappointed by the lack of justice. 

"Those released after the Jaranwala mob attack are treated like heroes," one resident told Voice of America. "Christians here are not safe." 

"Those released after the Jaranwala mob attack are treated like heroes,"

  Resident

Call to Action 

To mark the first anniversary of the Jaranwala attacks, HFO will hold a prayer meeting in Lahore's Christian neighborhood of Johannabad, followed by a larger event in Jaranwala. 

"We must continue supporting the Christian community in Jaranwala by providing emergency aid, legal help, and safe shelters for the victims. These attacks must end," Christopher urged. 

Blasphemy in Pakistan 

Over the past 30 years, nearly 100 people have been killed by extremist mobs in Pakistan over blasphemy accusations. The most recent victim was 73-year-old Christian shoemaker Nazir Masih, who was lynched in Sargodha in May. His 72-year-old widow died shortly after from the trauma. 

In June, a Sunni Muslim man in the Swat Valley was also lynched by extremists who accused him of desecrating the Quran. This year has seen a sharp rise in blasphemy accusations, with more attacks on non-Muslims, particularly Christians. 

Of the 329 people accused of blasphemy last year, three-quarters were Muslims, according to the Centre for Social Justice. But Christians and other non-Muslim minorities face the most violence, with devastating impacts on their lives.