According to local sources in Pakistan, several Christians in Lahore were injured in an attack instigated by Mobs harassing Christian girls on Christmas day.
A crowd of 30-35 Muslims intervened violently, even entering the homes of Christians to beat women and children. In the clashes, seven Christians were wounded, hit by stones; one was wounded with a knife.
On December 25, Christians from Khadim colony, a neighborhood of Lahore, gathered at a local church to celebrate Christmas. Near the church, a play area for Christian children and youths was set up for the celebrations.
According to Faisal Masih, around 15 Muslim men came onto the church’s premises and began harassing the Christian girls. The men took photos of the Christian girls and asked the girls for their phone numbers.
When Masih was informed about the situation, he rushed to the play area to confront the men. However, when Masih asked the men not to harass the Christian girls, they reportedly laughed and chanted insulting slogans against the Christians.
Eventually, the men became angry with Masih and attacked him. As a result of the attack, Masih’s hand was fractured along with several other minor injuries.
“The Muslims warned me never to stop them from doing whatever they wanted to do with Christian girls,” Masih reported.
One of the attackers was handed over to the police, but they did not take any action. Instead they immediately released him.”
Some of the Christian kids tried to get them to stop and a fight ensued. At that point, 30-35 Muslim men intervened throwing stones and beating the Christians, trying to damage their homes as well. In the clash, seven Christians were wounded, hit by stones; one was wounded by a knife.
Rasheed Masih, the security guard of the Evangelical Church says that it is the first time that this type of incident has occurred in their area, even if several times there have been fights between young Christians and Muslims. But this time the attack came from a crowd.
Masih says that young Muslims began to call Christian girls, elegantly dressed up, “choorian” and proposed to take them and spend the whole day with them. “Choori” is a very offensive Urdu term that is used for “untouchable” (pariah) scavengers and slaves. Often the term is used in a derogatory way by Muslims to refer to Christians.
The Christians of Khadim colony registered a First Information Report (FIR # 3072/20) against the attackers, but police have made no arrests. Many in the neighborhood feel very insecure and are afraid they will be attacked again.
“We are afraid of sending our children to the nearest markets to purchase daily kitchen stuff. We are under threat and urge the authorities to take serious action and protect us.
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