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PAKISTAN: Church will not give way to fear, despite new killings
By John Pontifex
Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad in Pakistan presides over the funeral of Christians killed in violence in Gojra in 2009. Photo: Diocese of Faisalabad
Christians in the Pakistani city of Gojra remain determined to press ahead with events marking the first anniversary of some of the country’s worst anti-Christian atrocities – in spite of fresh violence which left two young men dead.
Events climaxing with a high-profile Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad are due to take place in Gojra on 1st August, the first anniversary of atrocities which led to eight people being killed in the Punjabi city’s Christian quarter.
A fresh wave of violence and unrest has erupted following the killings of two young Christians in the nearby city of Faisalabad. But Gojra parish priest Father Yaqub Masih told Aid to the Church in Need that the memorial service and other events would still go ahead.
Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his 30-year-old brother Sajid Emmanuel were shot dead on Monday (19th July) outside a courthouse.
The killings came as tensions ran high after the two men were acquitted of blaspheming the Prophet Mohammed by allegedly writing a document criticising him.
The incident sparked violence in the Emmanuel brothers’ home district of Waris Pura, Faisalabad, where angry Muslims threw stones at the Catholic Church of the Holy Rosary.
Despite the heightened tension, Father Yaqub said the people were determined to continue with plans to mark the anniversary of the Gojra violence.
He said people wanted to honour those who died, who included seven members of one family trapped in their home which was set ablaze by arsonists.
Father Yaqub said: “The situation is bad for Christians here. We are scared and we feel persecuted but we are determined to go ahead with the memorial events here in Gojra.”
He explained that the memorial service would be especially poignant for one Gojra family who are closely related to the Emmanuel brothers killed in Faisalabad on Monday.
In an interview with Fides news agency on Tuesday, 20th July Bishop Coutts underlined the “tragic situation” of Christians in Pakistan.
Stating that in his view “no real progress” had been made to improve security for Christians, Bishop Coutts recalled what he had said during yesterday’s funeral of the Emmanuel brothers, a service which he conducted.
He said: “I told our people that we would offer the blood of these innocent men together with the Blood of Christ.
"It will further our salvation and, we hope, heal our city of Faisalabad of the sickness of hatred and violence.”
Bishop Coutts called for renewed efforts to make the “Universal Church” aware of the plight of Christians in Pakistan.
Aid to the Church in Need is appealing for help to support the Church in Pakistan. Projects include formation of seminarians, Sisters and lay catechists, Bibles and other catechetical materials, Mass stipends for priests and construction of churches and other religious buildings.
The charity is also calling for the repeal of the country’s Blasphemy Laws (Codes 295B and 295C), which impose sentences as severe as the death penalty on people guilty of disrespect to Islam.
There is widespread concern that the laws are abused by people using them as an excuse to victimise vulnerable people including Muslims, Christians and Ahmadis, a religion closely linked to Islam.