He Stopped Suicide Bomber Who Planned to Blow Up a Full Church

Text: Sharon Sheemer in Lahore, Pakistan, and Johannes Morken 

At 23 years old, Sikander stopped a suicide bomber from blowing himself up in a packed church. Ten years later, he is still serving as a guard at the same church. 

“I have never been afraid to go to church,” Sikander Inayat tells Stefanus Magazine a decade later. He was seriously injured in the struggle that saved many lives in 2015. 

The Youhanabad district in the major city of Lahore is home to the largest Christian population in Pakistan, with 100,000 Christians living there. 

Sunday, 15 March 2015—two weeks before Easter, the most important Christian holiday. Here, Christians take the Easter message seriously: the triumph over death. Poor Christians filled the churches, ready for worship. 

For a long time, church leaders had requested police protection, but it was never granted. Sikander Inayat was one of several young men who volunteered as guards outside St. John’s Catholic Church. No strangers were to be allowed through the blue gate leading to the courtyard in front of the church. 

Explosion and Gunfire 

“Suddenly, we heard an explosion. At first, we thought it was a gas cylinder, but then we heard gunshots,” says Sikander Inayat. 

In the chaos, the 23-year-old heard someone shouting that he had to close the gate. 

“I was told to lock it from the inside. A man tried to force his way in. But I fought with all my strength to close the gate. The terrorist hit me with an iron rod and injured my eye. I lost hearing in one ear because he also fired a shot. But despite the pain, I managed to push the man back and lock the gate,” Sikander recalls today. 

Another guard, 19-year-old Akash, threw himself on the man outside. He refused to let the terrorist go, and the attacker then detonated his suicide bomb, instantly killing both himself and Akash. The force of the explosion threw Sikander across the courtyard as the iron gate struck him and blood poured from his wounds. 

“In the ambulance, I thanked God for saving the people inside the church.” 

Seriously Injured, Strong in Faith 

A similar attack struck Christ Church nearby. There too, the terrorists were stopped outside the building. 

Sikander knew six of the 22 Christian victims killed in the twin church attacks. All 22 now have their photos and names displayed on the “martyrs’ wall.” Had the terrorists made it inside the churches, the death toll would have been far higher. 

Today, Sikander is 33 years old and married to Sara. He works as a real estate agent and also rents out his courtyard for events. He lost sight in the eye that was injured during the shooting, and it constantly oozes discharge. He has almost no hearing in one ear. The metal fragments still lodged in his body cause swelling in his legs and waist. A large scar marks his temple, just above the damaged eye. 

“I’m struggling. But life goes on, and I thank God for that.” 

Going to church is just as important as before. After the attack, the volunteer guards were joined by armed police, with security increasing during major holidays. 

“How important is your faith to you, Sikander?” 

“Jesus is the living God. I have testified to hundreds that He has saved me and strengthens me in difficult times. I will hold on to my faith until my last breath.” 

Neighborhood Burned Down 

On 9 March 2013, two years before the attack in Youhanabad, tragedy struck Joseph Colony—a small, impoverished Christian enclave on the outskirts of Lahore. 

In a dispute with a neighbor on 8 March, Christian street sweeper Sawan Masih was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad. The following day, a large crowd demanded that Sawan Masih be arrested for blasphemy. A religious leader called for his execution. A mob of more than 3,000 people burned down over 100 Christian homes, dozens of shops, and at least two churches. 

Two weeks later, Sawan Masih was sentenced to death. After spending more than seven years on death row, he was acquitted by a higher court in October 2020. Today, his family lives safely in another part of Pakistan. 

One person who remembers the brutal attack on Joseph Colony in March 2013 is 72-year-old Kairaat Masih, who still runs his scrap business. 

“I was at work. As a politically active member of the All Pakistan Minority Alliance, I reached out to my political contacts and mobilized the local business community. They tried to intervene and resolve the situation, but unfortunately, the attempt failed,” he tells Stefanus Magazine. 

“The Mob Showed No Mercy” 

He adds: 
“The mob showed no mercy. They shouted slogans, called for the killing of anyone in their path, and burned down Joseph Colony.” 

The Christians became aware of the approaching mob just in time and fled before the attackers arrived. No lives were lost. Among the homes destroyed was that of Kairaat Masih. 

“It was heartbreaking. I had built that house with hard work. I was devastated. My wife and four children stood crying in the ashes.” 

Everyone received state compensation for their burned homes and shops, equivalent to around 35,000 Norwegian kroner each. 

“But it took two years to rebuild everything.” 

“How do people live with the memories, twelve years later?” 

“People still live in fear—no one forgets such a horrific event. Now, parents teach their children to avoid arguments—not just among themselves, but also with Muslim neighbors—to prevent conflicts that could lead to something similar. Everyday life for our family is back to normal, but the fear of an attack over something small still lingers.” 

God’s Blessing 

He shares that because he tried to intervene to resolve the situation—and because he still does so when needed—“I am not well liked by some Muslims, as I am a strong and outspoken Christian.” 

“What does your faith mean to you?” 

“It is God’s great blessing that I was raised in a Christian family. I will hold on to my faith in Jesus until my last breath. Faith gives the strength to endure even a tragedy like this,” says Kairaat Masih.