Following Duel Bomb Blasts That Killed 17 Worshippers

Following Duel Bomb Blasts That Killed 17 Worshippers and Injured 82, A Petition Has Been Launched To ‘Protect Lahore Christians’
By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST and the ASSIST News Service
LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS – March 20, 2015) -- In Lahore, on Sunday, March 15, 2015, two suicide bombers devastated the lives of two Church congregations of the Pakistani city, killing 17 worshippers and injuring 82.
According to media reports, a man rigged with explosives blew himself up outside the main gate of St. John’s Catholic Church after being prevented from entering by a security guard, said Haider Ashraf, a senior police officer.
A second blast went off minutes later in the compound of the Protestant Christ Church, about a half-mile away.
A large crowd gathered at the scene of the blasts, protesting about the lack of security.
Pope Francis said that he feels “great pain” over the church attacks.
“These are Christian churches. Christians are persecuted, our brothers spill their blood simply because they are Christians,” the pontiff said, as quoted by Reuters.
Pakistan's Christian community has often been targeted by militants.
An offshoot of the Pakistan Taliban, calling itself Jamatul Ahrar, has said it carried out the attack.
“Their crimes? Simply being Christian and attending church,” said Wilson Chowdhry, head of the British Pakistan Christian Association (BPCA). “Police did not provide adequate cover for the churches or attend the bombings quickly enough because they were watching Pakistan play Ireland at cricket.
“Christians rioted in the aftermath of the bombing and a group of young men killed two Muslims believed to be gunmen. The images of these men burning alive has created great anger and resentment amongst the Muslim Community and fears of retaliation have been followed by some threats. The BPCA does not condone any type of violence and is calling for calm amongst Christians.”
He went on to say, “Christians in the community of Lahore are fleeing their homes for fear of reprisals.
“In Pakistan millions of Christians are routinely persecuted, tortured, raped and murdered by a society that does not tolerate them. At least 3 Pakistani Christian girls are kidnapped every week, forced into marriage and converted to Islam, and that figure is rising. The men who are responsible believe they are doing a service to God.
“Young Pakistani Christian men such as Zubair Rashid Masih are brutally killed in police custody and no one is ever brought to justice. Innocent Christians like Asia Bibi are detained falsely under the Blasphemy Laws which are often used to settle personal vendettas. Whole families are killed and maimed by bomb attacks when they attend church services as we saw in Lahore and last year in Peshawar.
“The situation in Lahore highlights the hatred and intolerance of Christians in Pakistan and how worthless Christian lives are deemed to be both by the Muslim clerics, and the authorities who are supposed to offer protection to Pakistan's minorities.”
Chowdhry said that an extended cousin of his was seriously injured in one of the bomb blasts.
“He was behind the security officer Akash who died,” he explained. “He was holding up the arms of the suicide bomber while Akash bear-hugged the bomber. When the bomb exploded he was buffered by Akash's body.
“He has broken all the bones on his body and is covered in burns; his eyes have been burnt off and he is in a coma. He was originally pronounced dead and is not expected to come out of the coma.”
Now Wilson Chowdhry and his organization had launched a petition to protect Lahore’s Christians.
“Please sign this petition to condemn the actions of the security forces in failing to provide protection to the vulnerable Christians of Lahore. We call upon the government of Pakistan to bring an end to the persecution and demonization of Pakistani Christians and to stop Muslim clerics preaching hatred from mosques,” he says.
To sign this petition, please go to http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/protect-lahore-christians
Photo captions: 1) Family mourn the killing of a child in the bomb blast. 2) A woman mourns after the deadly bomb blast. 3) Wilson Chowdhry being interviewed by the BBC about the Pakistan bomb attack.
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