According to authorities, thousands of Muslims in Pakistan have destroyed Christian homes and set fire to churches over the notion that two males had profaned the Quran. The eastern Punjabi province's Jaranwala is where the attacks took place.
Up to a dozen structures related to churches were reportedly destroyed, according to neighbors, while police said that at least four churches had been set on fire.
Following the incident, police detained over 100 protesters and started an inquiry into the violence.
However, authorities said that despite no reports of deaths, the situation remains tight.
Additionally, the police have reported two local Christians for breaking the death-sentence-carrying blasphemy statute. Pakistan hasn't executed anybody for blasphemy yet, but even a single accusation may spark large-scale protests that result in lynchings and murders.
The issue started when ripped pages of the Quran—the Muslim religion's sacred book—were found beside the Christian settlement with what were thought to be blasphemous writings. A local religious figure was shown the pages, and he allegedly urged Muslims to protest and demand that the offenders be put behind bars.
The enraged crowd, according to Akmal Bhatti, head of Minorities Alliance Pakistan, utilized the blasphemy laws to justify setting innocent people's private residences on fire. More than 150 people lived in the Christian community next to the torched Churches, according to lawyer Bhatti, and when the situation deteriorated, women and children were evacuated.
In Pakistan, blasphemy is a contentious subject since even the most minor charges may spark massive violence.
Up to a dozen structures related to churches were reportedly destroyed, according to neighbors, while police said that at least four churches had been set on fire.
Following the incident, police detained over 100 protesters and started an inquiry into the violence.
However, authorities said that despite no reports of deaths, the situation remains tight.
Additionally, the police have reported two local Christians for breaking the death-sentence-carrying blasphemy statute. Pakistan hasn't executed anybody for blasphemy yet, but even a single accusation may spark large-scale protests that result in lynchings and murders.
The issue started when ripped pages of the Quran—the Muslim religion's sacred book—were found beside the Christian settlement with what were thought to be blasphemous writings. A local religious figure was shown the pages, and he allegedly urged Muslims to protest and demand that the offenders be put behind bars.
The enraged crowd, according to Akmal Bhatti, head of Minorities Alliance Pakistan, utilized the blasphemy laws to justify setting innocent people's private residences on fire. More than 150 people lived in the Christian community next to the torched Churches, according to lawyer Bhatti, and when the situation deteriorated, women and children were evacuated.
In Pakistan, blasphemy is a contentious subject since even the most minor charges may spark massive violence.
