Many Christians are reportedly burnt to death when a Muslim mob sets on fire dozens of Christian homes on Thursday night for harbouring a Christian boy whom they accused had torn down pages of Quran, the Muslim Holy Book. “Muslim attackers set on fire about 40 Christian homes in Korian village, Toba Tek district in Punjab Province on Thursday night, many including Christian children and women are feared burnt to death,” Pakistan Christian Post reported.
Sources in Toba Tek district, which is also the district headquarter told Pakistan Christian Post (PCP) that on Sunday night Muslims were searching for one boy in a a large gathering of a Christian wedding ceremony; they accused that the boy accused had burnt down pages of the Koran (Quran) – the Holy Book of Muslims.
Though the Christian and Muslim elders in the village defused the tension on clarification of the Christian youth that he had not burnt pages of the Quran, the Muslim mob came back on Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. calling upon the Korian Muslims from Mosque’s loudspeakers asking them to gather and teach a lesson to “infidel Christians” who they said are protecting a boy accused of blasphemy on burning the holy pages of Quran.
The sources said the nearby villages also made same announcements from mosques and Muslims gathered before homes of Christians in large numbers.
Shouting “Allah Oh Akbar,” – Allah is great - “Kill infidels” and the Muslim mob started setting on fire homes of Christians. As it was night, the Christian children, women and men with fear locked their doors to hide inside and many are feared death inside their homes, sourced told PCP.
PCP said when news of attack on Christians came to the District Police Officer in Toba Tek, he ordered deployment of police and Fire Brigade but Muslim mob blocked roads by lying on road.
It is second incident of burning homes of Christian in Punjab province when Muslim mob on accusation of blasphemy attacked village Bahamin Wala in district Kasur on July 1, 2009;, at that time no lost of lives was reported unlike this time.
According to Pakistan electronic media, Chief Minister of Punjab has ordered District Police Officer of Toba Tek to reach to village Korian and take control of situation but still Faisalabad-Gojra Road is blocked by Muslim mob who are lying on road to block any help to reach village Korian where homes of Christians are burning.
The teams of Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), and Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP), Christian advocacy groups have left Lahore for Toba Tek after call from Christians in Gojra who are also hiding in homes on fear of attack by Muslims, the report said.
CLAAS Director Joseph Francis and SLMP Chief Sohail Johnson told PCP that they are on the way to Gojra to reach Village Korian and it will take 4 hours because of bad weather.
PCP reported that there is widespread fear among Christians in Punjab province on their safety and security from an attacks of extremist Muslims and misuse of blasphemy laws.
PCP said the details are awaited of this barbaric incident of burning of children, women and men in homes by Muslims as the teams of SLMP and CLASS approach the scene of the incident. The two teams are expected to give more detail on the incident.
