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The attacks began after torn pages of the Quran were discovered near a Christian neighbourhood with allegedly blasphemous content written on them.
A crowd of 700 attended Mass outside their burnt-out church in Punjab on 20 August following one of the worst outbreaks of violence against Christians in Pakistan’s history.
“Most of the people were crying in the Mass,” one community leader told Aid to the Church in Need. The Pakistani bishops’ conference observed “a day of prayer” the same day for victims of the violence.
Hundreds of people armed with batons and sticks attacked churches in Jaranwala City in Punjab province on 16 August, after two Christian residents were accused of blasphemy.
St Paul’s Catholic Church and a Salvation Army Church were set ablaze, among nearly 30 churches attacked throughout the day along with private homes. Around 1,000 terrified Christians spent several nights hiding in nearby sugarcane fields.
The attacks began after torn pages of the Quran were discovered near a Christian neighbourhood with allegedly blasphemous content written on them.
Two men accused of damaging the Quran have since been detained and are being investigated for blasphemy, which is punishable by death in Pakistan. The Jaranwala police detained 207 suspects for “vandalising multiple churches and torching homes belonging to the Christian community”.
Continued below.
Pakistani churches attacked after blasphemy allegations
A crowd of 700 attended Mass outside their burnt-out church on 20 August following one of Pakistan’s worst outbreaks of violence against Christians.
