Note from the article below that although “the priests have reported the incident to local police who have registered the case (FIR 355/19) and are now investigating,” there have been no arrests. While it is possible that the perpetrators will eventually be arrested, in many cases like this one the authorities are more sympathetic to the perpetrators than to the victims, and nothing is done.
In Pakistan there are over two million Christians, including a small and courageous community of Orthodox Christians, but this is only a tiny percentage of the nation’s total population of 212 million people. The existence of the Christians, whatever their faith tradition, is precarious and difficult. Unfortunately, the persecution of Christians is increasing in Pakistan.
Please pray that in Pakistan as elsewhere, this era of persecution would finally end, and that the beloved Orthodox community there, along with all the Christians of Pakistan, would experience a period of peace and security. May their persecutors turn in repentance and become followers of the One whose Church they are trying to harm now.
“Extremists Attack Parish House in Southern Pakistan and Demand Priests Vacate Muslim Neighborhood,” International Christian Concern, August 14, 2019:
08/14/2019 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – On August 2, two young priests, named Fr. Anthony Abraz and Fr. Shahid Boota, were attacked, beaten, and robbed by a group of seven Muslim extremists in Karachi, located in Pakistan’s Sindh province. After the attack, the extremists demanded that the priests vacate the parish house, which constitutes the only Christian home in the Korangi neighborhood of Karachi.
Speaking to International Christian Concern (ICC), Fr. Abraz, explained that the seven armed men forcefully entered the parish house around 4:00 in the morning. They damaged the main door, widows, bookshelves, and cupboards in the house. They also desecrated Bibles, Christian literature, as well as icons of saints.
The extremists tied up the two priests and beat them. They also humiliated and abused them for preaching the Gospel in a Muslim-majority neighborhood.
“We were told we will have to face consequences if this house is not vacated,” Fr. Abraz reported. “They said, ‘We don’t want a Christian center near the mosque’.”…
The priests have reported the incident to local police who have registered the case (FIR 355/19) and are now investigating. However, no arrests have been made as a result of the investigation.
