For information about the Orthodox Mission in Pakistan, see here.
“Mob Tries to Kill Christian Mother Accused of Blasphemy in Pakistan,” Morning Star News, August 8, 2024:
LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – A Muslim mob in Pakistan on Wednesday (Aug. 7) attacked and tried to kill a Christian mother accused of blasphemy, sources said. The mob in Kathore village, in Gojra tehsil of Faisalabad District, Punjab Province tried to kill Saima Masih, a 32-year-old mother of two children, after Muhammad Haider accused her of hurting Islamic religious sentiments by desecrating pages of the Quran, said attorney Akmal Bhatti, chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan (MAP). “The mob would have lynched Saima if the police had not reached there on time and rescued her,” Bhatti told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “The mob also reportedly attacked some other Christian residents of the village, forcing them to flee their homes and hide in the fields to save their lives.” The attorney and political leader said he and his team tried to reach the village as soon as they received information about the incident. There are 30 to 35 Christian families in the village. When news of the alleged desecration spread, a crowd of nearly 250-300 Muslims blocked the main highway in protest, refusing to let anyone pass, Bhatti said. “We contacted our sources in the village, and they informed us that the Muslims had beaten up some Christians, raising fears of violence against the community,” he said. Tensions were high due to the involvement of extremist Islamist groups, he said, adding that the Catholic mother has been arrested and charged, and her family has gone into hiding due to security fears. “Our sources in the village have told us that Saima denied desecrating the Quran,” Bhatti said. “She reportedly said that her neighbor, Haider, had asked her for an empty sack, which she gave him. However, after some time Haider returned with some other Muslims and accused her of placing defiled pages of the Quran in the sack, which she repeatedly denied.” He added that the allegation against the Christian woman could be rooted in a personal vendetta of her Muslim neighbors….
