Church set on fire in Pakistan's Faisalabad over blasphemy allegations

In yet another crime against minorities in Pakistan, a church has been vandalised and set ablaze in Faisalabad, after a Christian man was accused of blasphemy.

According to media reports, homes of Christians have also been vandalised in the surrounding area of the church.

The visuals of the incident have now gone viral.

Watch:

This is the real face of Islamic Republic of #Pakistan, a country of extremists and terrorists.

A local #Christian family in Jaranwala, Faisalabad, Punjab has been accused of #blasphemy by local Muslims. Now local Muslims have attacked a #church and are destroying it. pic.twitter.com/DxEamRiVhC

— Faraz Pervaiz (@FarazPervaiz3) August 16, 2023

BREAKING: This morning there was A Radical Islamic mob attack on a Christian neighborhood in #Faisalabad, #Pakistan, after local Muslims accused a Christian of burning the Qur’an. #blasphemy

The mob burned houses and churches in Issa Nagri quarter of Jaranwala, and most of the… pic.twitter.com/9yv0WnOLtK

— Faraz Pervaiz (@FarazPervaiz3) August 16, 2023

After the incident, President Bishop of the Church of Pakistan Azad Marshall said, “Words fail me as I write this. We, Bishops, Priests and lay people are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan. A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been tortured and harrased having been falsely accused of violating the Holy Quran. We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland that has just celebrated independence and freedom. #CryWithUs #PrayWithUs”

Words fail me as I write this. We, Bishops, Priests and lay people are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan. A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been… pic.twitter.com/xruE83NPXL

— Bishop Azad Marshall (@BishopAzadM) August 16, 2023

With inputs from agencies