By: Zeeshan Yaqoob
The tragic events in Jaranwala, situated in the central Punjab district of Faisalabad, unfolded on August 16, 2023, claimed the lives of two Christian brothers who were accused of desecrating the holy Quran and offending the religious sentiments of local Muslims.
The accusation swiftly escalated into a violent rampage, resulting in the destruction of more than 20 churches and numerous homes by an impassioned mob. The aftermath has cast a pall of constant fear and trauma over the Christian community of Jaranwala, presenting them with a myriad of challenges. These challenges include the looming threat of mob attacks, escalating allegations of blasphemy, damaged residences and places of worship, a dearth of resources for infrastructural rehabilitation, and impediments in the pursuit of justice. The pervasive atmosphere of trauma and fear continues to afflict local Christian residential areas and their leadership.
Reverend Mashoor Masih, the local Priest of the Salvation Army Church which is also among the 24 vandalized churches, expresses his shock at the sudden attacks, highlighting that in his six years in charge, neither he nor his congregation faced threats or danger from local Muslims, practicing their church masses freely.
Rev. Mashoor underscores the uphill task of addressing infrastructural damages and legal obstacles in ongoing cases. While the government has undertaken the renovation of over 24 vandalized churches, he insists that mere renovation falls short. The buildings, weakened by fire and toxic chemicals, require complete rebuilding to avert potential collapses in extreme climate conditions.
Rev. Mashoor emphasizes the need for victims to be adequately compensated for losses such as furniture, sound systems, fans, and air-conditioners in vandalized churches and houses.
Regarding the challenges faced by victims seeking justice, Rev. Mashoor notes that the majority of complainants are from the church administration and laymen. These complainants face threats from opposing groups, outnumbered and influenced socially, compelling them to withdraw their complaints. Additionally, the reluctance of non-Christian lawyers to take up these cases and financial constraints further contribute to the delayed justice for the victims.
Commending the role of the police, Rev. Mashoor acknowledges their positive efforts post-attacks, consistently providing security to Jaranwala churches. But he wishes that, this maintained peace may also sustains in the absence of police as well.
Akmal Bhatti, the Chairman of the Faisalabad-based Minority Rights Alliance, laments that despite 22 FIRs being registered, the release of a significant number of accused during the initial investigation, and the subsequent release of more, signals a religious bias among investigation officers. Presently, only around 60 accused remain behind bars, leaving a sobering realization of the challenges in achieving justice in this troubling situation. It merits a mention here that a total of 1,900 people were nominated in the FIRs.
However, 700 of them were released during initial investigation, followed by the release of another 450 accused while 185 succeeded to secure bail.
Akmal underscores the plight of local Christians, primarily daily-wage workers in agricultural lands, who were abruptly halted from their livelihoods following the attacks. Moreover, female domestic workers faced dismissals from employers who unjustly labelled the entire community as blasphemers.
He points to Article 25 of the Constitution, emphasizing the fundamental principle that all citizens are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection of the law.
The Jaranwala tragedy served as a catalyst for an alarming trend of escalating blasphemy allegations across the country, further unsettling and traumatizing the vulnerable Christian community. Within just seven days of the incident, three additional cases of alleged blasphemy surfaced, exacerbating distress and raising concerns about the safety of Christians in Pakistan. The surge in blasphemy allegations against religious minorities has been on the rise since the Sweden desecration incident of the holy Quran.
In Sahiwal on August 20, Ehsaan Shan Masih, a 27-year-old Christian, faced allegations of posting blasphemous images on social media. Tensions escalated further in Madina Town, Faisalabad, on August 21 when pages of the Holy Quran were found near a Christian residence.
Simultaneously, in Sargodha’s Chak-238 on the same day, burnt pages of the holy Quran near a mosque ignited community outrage. On August 25, Sargodha’s Chak-37 witnessed another FIR regarding burning the pages of the Holy Quran.
In Rawalpindi’s Dhok Saidan area on August 24, persistent blasphemy rumors triggered collective panic and evacuation, echoing the traumatic memories of Jaranwala. On August 25 in Kasur’s Mochipura, false allegations against a Christian sanitation worker’s family led to an alarming situation defused by police intervention.
The recent incident in Lahore involved the arrest and charging of a Christian couple, Shaukat Masih and his wife Kiran Shaukat, under Section 295-B on September 8. They were accused by a local Muslim of throwing torn pages of the Quran from the roof of their house.
Peshawar-based human rights defender Augustine Jacob believes that global incidents impact internal social peace in Pakistan, fostering extremist narratives among a particular section of society, mainly comprising youth and middle-aged individuals grappling with challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and mental stress. He highlights the Charter of Privileges to Christians issued in 628 AD, underscoring the protection and respect afforded to the houses and worship places of Christians by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also expressed suspicion that the Jaranwala rioters were not a “spontaneous or random crowd” but rather part of a “larger campaign of hatred against local Christians.” In its fact-finding report released on August 25, the HRCP revealed that police officers in Jaranwala confirmed the involvement of “particular groups” that had raised communal tension in the recent past.
The HRCP report further disclosed that videos circulated during the attacks depicted members of a specific religious political party inciting violence. The commission raised concerns about potential larger political and social motives behind the attack on the Christian community.
Executive Director of the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), Peter Jacob, highlighted that out of the 21 FIRs registered following the Jaranwala incident, only one pertained to the desecration of the holy Quran. The remaining FIRs addressed acts of vandalism and attacks carried out by Muslim mobs on Christian settlements and churches.
Addressing rumors of a foreign conspiracy, Jacob, who was also a member of the HRCP fact-finding mission, states: “If this was a foreign conspiracy with no local involvement, then the police must apologize to the Christian community for their inability to thwart it.”
Jacob strongly condemns the incident in Sweden, deeming it both unfortunate and outrageous. He emphasizes the united denouncement of this heinous act by Muslims, Christians, and religious minorities globally, including Pope Francis.
Reportedly, Pakistan registered at least 57 blasphemy cases from January to May 2023. The highest number, totaling 28 cases, was reported in the province of Punjab, followed by Sindh with 16 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with eight, and Azad Jammu Kashmir with five cases.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) report from January 2022, 89 citizens were killed in 1,415 blasphemy accusations and cases in the country since independence. The report highlighted that from 1947 to 2021, 18 women and 71 men were extra-judicially killed over blasphemy accusations, with allegations made against 107 women and 1,308 men. From 2011-21, a total of 1,287 citizens were accused of committing blasphemy.