Wednesday, March 1, 2006

DOOR, WINDOWS OF CHURCH TORCHED IN PAKISTAN

By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for Assist News Service in Pakistan

SARGODHA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Some unidentified people set ablaze a door and windows of the United Presbyterian Church (UP), Sargodha at 4:45 am on Tuesday, Feb 28. The culprits managed to escape.

A view of Christian Colony Noori Gate comprising some 500 houses. The colony is at a stone’s throw distance from UP Church Sargodha. The residents of the colony are living in grinding poverty.

The Church is situated near Christian colony Noori Gate comprising some 500 houses. Pastor of the Church Rev BM Akhtar, fortunately got up when he listened noise and extinguished the fire with the help of some Muslim men of the area.

Back door and windows of the UP Church were set ablaze by unidentified people in the small hours of Tuesday morning

Firefighters rushed to the Church and overpowered the fire which otherwise might have engulfed the entire church. Pastor of the United Presbyterian Church told ANS that the doors of the Church were locked however gatekeeper, Shera was on leave on Tuesday.

“Christian and Muslim residents of Factory Area rushed to the Church after seeing smoke billowing out from the Church and helped to put out the fire,” said Rev Akhtar who shepherds over 200 faithful.

The unidentified people set ablaze the back door of the church and fled the scene, he said.

Later in the day hundreds of Christian residents from Noori Gate Christian colony, Eidgah Christian colony and other Christian colonies flocked at the scene of incident and expressed their outrage and resentment against the attempt by some unknown people to torch the Church which was built in 1929.

Local Christian and Muslim leaders also arrived in the Church and together condemned the incident. Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has sought report of the incident within 48 hours.

“The incident could have been averted if police official had been standing guard outside the Church”, said a Christian man who did not wish to be named.

Condemning arson attempt at the Church General Secretary of the Church Session, Edward Zafar Akhtar who also happens to be son of the UP Church’s Pastor told this correspondent that they did not have any dispute with anyone in the city.

Asked if there was any link of arson attempt with the current row over publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad by some European newspapers Zafar remained non-committal however he said they had already condemned publication of the controversial sketches of the Prophet Muhammad.

“ We do not need any financial help from any quarters all we demand of the government is that ours as well as other places of minority worship in the city and elsewhere in Pakistan be protected by government”, said Zafar.

He went on to say that they had had a meeting with ASP Kashif (a high-ranking police official) on Tuesday and he assured them that Police would do all it can to ensure protection of Churches in the city.

The general secretary of the UP Church Session added that the meeting was attended by local clergymen, heads of all Christian organizations and local Christian politicians.

During the meeting he said that Christians demanded of the local government to deploy police officials outside all main Churches of Sargodha.

To a question he said that they had decided against taking out any demonstration or rally “ We do not want to stage any violent protest since it could bring a bad name to Christians and could also pit local Christians against Muslims”.

General Secretary of UP Church Session, Edward Zafar Akhtar dressed in pants shirt and Christian residents of Sargodha standing outside the burnt door of the UP Church.

Zafar said that mass would be held in the Church at 12:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday, March 1 followed by a peaceful protest within the compound of the Church. Those who were invited to speak to local Christians included Member National Assembly Ch Haroon Qaisar, veteran Christian politician Ch Tariq C. Qaisar, Tehsil Nazim, Minority member district council Tahir Naveed Chaudhry and others.

Hundreds of local Christians who had gathered in the Church compound were wearing black bands around their arms to condemn the incident.

One Christian youth, Sabir, Sethi, 25 told this correspondent that he alongwith his friends had come from Christian Colony Eidgah, some 3kms from the UP Church to express solidarity with the UP Church pastor and the church members.

“ We were shocked after learning that an attempt had been made to torch the UP Church so we could not help rushing in here”, he said.

NOORI GATE CHRISTIAN COLONY

The incident sparked fear and unrest among poor residents of Christian Colony Noorgate which is at a walking distance from the UP Church. The impoverished residents of the colony were gripped with fear as most of them do janitorial and menial jobs. Ill-planned houses, cramped space, appalling drainage system, high illiteracy rate and abject poverty are the areas where local government should concentrate to give a better living standard to hapless residents of the colony.

“Minorities are not safe in Pakistan. They are denied of their fundamental rights”, said Nazir Masih, a resident of the colony.

Another resident of the colony on condition of anonymity said she felt scared going to the Church after the incident.

“Why do they target Churches? I could hardly make any sense of this crazy act”, she said while referring to the arson of UP Church’s door and windows.

Earlier, two Churches namely Saviour Chruch and St. Mary’s Church were torched in Sukkur in the province Sindh of Pakistan on November 19 over rumour that Quran, the Muslims holy book had been desecrated.

Christians fear more attacks on Churches as protests against publication of irreverent sketches of the Prophet Muhammad in the country continue. Anti-cartoon rallies would be held in the country as well across Muslim world on March 3.