Christians face Muslim terror

BY CHRISTINA WHITE
Two Christian villages were attacked last week in the latest spate of violence to hit the Punjab region in Pakistan.
A hostile Muslim mob vented their anger against the local Christian community after a mosque in Khanewal, 200 miles south of Lahore, broadcast that pages had been torn from the Koran and the religious text had been desecrated. An estimated 30 000 Muslims marched on the Christian villages of Shanti Nagar and Bhootabad, threatening villagers.
Onlookers report that authorities were powerless to stop the rioters, despite a police and army presence. An estimated 1,600 Christian homes were destroyed in the violence that followed. Three churches were burned and other Christian buildings, including a hospital and hostel, run by the Salvation Army were attacked. A 100 Christian villagers were hospitalised. Two Muslims were killed when police fired on the mob. Both villages are now under military curfew and the area has been cordoned off.
Relations between the religious communities have been under stress since the beginning of the year. Christians of Shanti Nagar staged demonstrations in January after police had allegedly desecrated a Bible by throwing it onto the floor during the arrest of a villager. International agencies are calling urgently for the Pakistani authorities to guarantee the safety of the Christian minority.