London, England, Aug 3, 2009 / 23:27 pm
A Catholic bishop in Pakistan has responded to the anti-Christian attacks over the weekend, deeming them some of the worst attacks Christians have suffered in the country. He lamented the “half-hearted and ineffective” police response to threats against Christians.
On Saturday a mob of nearly 3,000 violent Muslims looted and burned a Christian neighborhood of Gojra city in the Punjab province, killing at least six Christians by burning them to death.
The attacks reportedly took place in reaction to a rumor that the Koran was desecrated in a nearby village. The desecration was alleged to have taken place when children cut up pages from an old school book to use as wedding confetti. The school book supposedly contained verses from the Koran.
The international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reports that not six but eight Christians were burned to death, including nine-year-old Umia Alnaf, her mother Asifa, and ten-year-old Mausa Masih. A 22-year-old named Asia Victar and her mother Eerueen were among the dead, as were two men in their 70s.
More than 20 people were injured in the attacks by the mob, which carried sticks, clubs and a small number of firearms. The mob set fire to property including more than 50 homes and two Protestant churches.