This was apparently revenge for Quran desecrations in Sweden and Denmark, although the Christians in Pakistan had nothing whatsoever to do with them.
“And we prescribed for them in it, Life for life, and eye for eye, and nose for nose, and ear for ear, and tooth for tooth, and retaliation for injuries. But whoever forgoes it, this will be expiation for him. Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such people are wrongdoers.” (Qur’an 5:45)
“’They piled up Bibles and hymn books and set them on fire’ – three stories from Pakistan attacks,” Open Doors, September 6, 2023:
Last month, thousands of Muslim extremists brought devastation to Christians in Jaranwala, Pakistan, by attacking more than 20 churches and almost a hundred homes in response to allegations that two believers had desecrated the Quran. The three stories below highlight the horror experienced by some of the victims. The awful incident has affected more than 1,600 people – thank you for your continued prayers and support for them….
For 50-year-old Asad*, church was not just part of his weekly routine, but also his daily routine – that was until the devastating events of 16 August.On that day, just like any other day, he had flatbread, curry and tea, before taking his daughter to the bus stop where he made the sign of the cross on her forehead before she headed to college. On his way back, he stopped by his church, a 1,500-square-foot space on which a tent stood that was owned by a cluster of families. He swept the tent, spent time in prayer and returned to his nearby home.
It was then that he heard loud angry screams. “The mob is coming, and they are angry!” said locals as they fled the area, but not Asad. “My daughter will come home from college,” he said. “If she doesn’t know and she comes home, I want to be here for her. I can’t leave my home.”
Asad ran up to the roof and hid behind a derelict wall. From there, he could see his church as well as another nearby church. “I saw them immediately target the church in the next street,” he recalls. “They took anything that could be sold and loaded it onto trucks. They then poured acid over the items. I saw them trample the crosses and Bibles. I saw them throw the Bibles out onto the street and jump on them. It looked like they had no sense at all – just blind hate. They poured fuel from their petrol bombs, lit the Bibles on fire, and watched them burn, only walking away when satisfied.”
Asad was grateful that his church remained untouched. “They did not recognise it as a Christian space,” he says. But then he saw one of his Muslim neighbours call the mob back. “They came back, pulled down our beautiful precious tent of prayer and worship, and threw it all to the fire.”
Asad stayed hidden behind the wall for the entire day. Fear grew when his daughter didn’t return when she normally did. “Where is she? Why is she so late? Did something happen to her?” He eventually heard her voice call out to him. She had come from her auntie’s home, which is where she went after hearing about the attacks.
“Today, I have nothing,” Asad continues. “I saw my house and my place of worship burn in front of my eyes. I was helpless. I saw my neighbours betray us. We have never done them any harm; we always respected them. Then why? Why did they become part of an agenda that was so anti-Christian? What about my daughter? What will become of her?”…
somehistory says
If he still had a Bible, he could read the answer to “why” they did this, when he had done nothing to them.
Jesus said that His disciple would be “hated” and persecuted, even to their death. And Jesus said this is because the “world has hated Me.” “You will be objects of hatred on account of my Name.”
If they have read and studied the Bible, whatever they have committed to their memory and whatever is in their hearts, no one can take away. Prayer is needed to remain strong in faith and no one can keep them from praying for strength, direction and Holy Spirit, along with giving thanks.
Goofy says
Amen!
Ray Jarman says
The truly sad thing is that so very few people will be apprised of this tragedy. I sent an email to a news host that claims the e-mails are read seems to want nothing to do with real news. It does not matter which news channel, each seems to repeat the same news that purports to their own agenda vice really reporting news that doesn’t reflect their own agenda. The left has its news stations release news it wishes the public to view and the right is very similar but is more honest.
When news channels report on someone burning a quaran (not capitalized intentionally), seldom is the after effects such as riots and even murder ever shown and when a church or its members are destroyed, the public is left without the knowledge. It appears that the so-called news goes only one way; the way that favors the savages. Were it not for the websites such as Jihad Watch, BNI and a few others, Americans would be in total darkness. Burn one quaran and the world is upset but kill Christians and Hindus and it is performed in a vacuum.
Fitna says
There’s a lot can be said that’s bad about religions, but one of the worst is the “us vs them” mentality.
Rather than realize and accept that we’re all flawed humans, thrown into this world and we’re just trying to make our way through life, religions tell some people, they are “good” and the non-group members are “evil.”
That already sets the stage for hatred, distrust, division and eventually warfare…esp in the more extreme ideologies like Islam.
At least some religions teach the ‘golden rule’ love for one’s fellow humans. Ofc that can sometimes be contradicted by other teachings, like it’s ok to keep slaves or slaughter groups of people.
But to contrast Christianity today, which is overall a decent, civilized religion which (in general) does teach Christians to be kind to others….with Islam that incites hate and violence.
There is no compassion, no actual mercy, no forgiveness in Islam which makes it all the more evil, hateful and sociopathic.
These idiots think by attacking other religions, they’re somehow pleasing their own demonic god and proving their religion’s superiority over others.
Frankly Islam just proves over and over through Muslims barbaric behavior that it doesn’t belong amongst humanity, because it is the rotten, diseased ideology and needs to be discarded.
Goofy says
The monumental difference between Christianity and Islam is that Christians live in the knowledge that before God they have been made righteous in the blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whilst the Muslims’ god Allah is so weak that he needs the believers to physically defend him and his eternal, uncreated book (which is currently sold in more than 30 versions of the original Arabic). That is the ultimate in self-righteousness!
Having said that it takes a solid amount of ignorance for Muslims to attack the Bible, as the Messenger of Allah himself swore on its veracity and commanded the believers to consult with the Christians if they needed clarification.
Then again the Qur’an is very inconsistent and confusing as it also says that Muslims cannot be friends with Jews and Christians, and should seek to humiliate them or worse whenever they get the chance.
On top of that comes that in Islam Allah has predestined everything which logically leaves no room to distinguish between doing good and sinning as Muslims have no free will.
Logically the only space left for sinning in Islam is to prevent the will of Allah from playing out! That means that the only sinful part of Muslim society is the work of moral police, which obstructs the preordained sinfulness of Muslims from being realised.
abu taleb says
> This was apparently revenge for Quran desecrations in Sweden and Denmark, although the Christians in Pakistan had nothing whatsoever to do with them.
No, it is just an excuse for muslims to do that. Even without Quran burning any where else, muslims will burn the Bible whenever they have a chance because that is what Islam commands.
OLD GUY says
You are so correct, Islam will destroy anything that represents another religion with Christians, Hindu and Jews at the top of the list.
Helaine Burch says
Not only will they burn the Bible, they will burn the Christians, as well, since both are in opposition to Islam…which demands that infidels be destroyed wherever they are “found.”
Henry A Crawford says
The “religion” of total hate and ignorance
Jacksonberry says
Truth! Well said.