Christians Under Attack

This is contained in a report by the Release International (www.releaseinternational.org) adding that Younis Masih and Jameel Masih died and two other Christians were seriously injured when a group of youths opened fire on Christians at the church on Monday.

It noted that Christians had gathered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their church and that Jameel, who was 22, had only recently married, while Younis, 47, was a father of four.

It said that the attack was apparently prompted by earlier events, when Muslim youths gathered in the square near the church and began playing loud music and verbally abusing Christian girls.

According to the report, Younis, Jameel and several other Christians remonstrated with the youths, asking them to stop – but they refused and that a scuffle between the two groups ensued.

“Shortly afterwards, a group of youths arrived at the church, armed with guns. They killed Younis and Jameel and seriously wounded two others who had challenged them earlier – Siddique Masih and a 20-year-old named Waseem” Release stated.

Quoting Compass Direct news agency it noted that Christians have been dismayed by the police's slow response to the attack. A case was not registered until local Christians set up a road block in Hyderabad – apparently with Younis and Jameel's bodies – in protest at what they perceived as police 'indifference'.

It observed that in Sindh on the Monday also, a Christian family in the Parah Ganj district of Karachi were taken hostage and photographed with a torn copy of the Koran, Islam's holy book. Christians fear that extremists may be planning to use the photographs to accuse the family of blasphemy and incite religious violence and that the Police have been informed.

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