Rather than observing August 11 as “minority day” many will be observing August 11 as “Black Day” in recognition of the systematic religious discrimination, supremacism, and bigotry in Pakistan today, as demonstrated by Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
Pakistan, a Catholic activist: petition for the abolition of blasphemy law
— Asia News reports: “The government is more ‘sensitive’ than in the past to the problems caused by the blasphemy law, but change will only be possible if ‘there is a mass movement’ behind us. That is why we decided to launch ‘a petition campaign throughout the country,’ says Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Catholic Church in Pakistan in an interview with AsiaNews.”
Pakistan Christian Post (PCP) reports: “‘Black Day’ by Pakistani Christians in America: Press Conference in Washington DC and rally in front of UNO New York”
— “New York: August 3, 2009. (PCP report) Pakistani Christians in USA have announced here today to hold Press Conference on August 10, at Washington DC and on August 12, 2009, to protest and observe ‘Black Day’ in front of United Nation UN offices in New York.”
— “President of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC, President of Pakistani Christian Association in America PCA and Editor of Pakistan Christian Post PCP shall address a Press Conference at Press Club Washington DC, on August 10, 2009, to condemn atrocities on Pakistani Christian Nation and to observe ‘Black Day’ as solidarity with August 11, 2009, Black Day in Pakistani Christians.”
— “The Pakistani Christian Association in America PCA have announced to hold protest rally in front UN Offices New York on August 12, 2009.”
— “The PCA will host a meeting to constitute an ‘Organizing Committee’ for August 12, 2009, protest in front of UNO on Saturday in which Pastors, Church elders, Bangladesh Christian Association, Indian Christian representatives, Pakistani Muslim organizations shall participate to finalize memorandum for UNO Secretary General.”
Specifics on Events:
Monday August 10, 2009 Press Club Event — 2 PM – National Press Club — Zenger Room
529 14th Street, NW 13th Floor Washington, DC 20045
Telephone: 202-662-7500 Fax: 202-662-7512
— Contact: Dr. Nazir S Bhatti, President Pakistan Christian Congress PCC and Editor, Pakistan Christian Post PCP
— Email: pakistanchristianpost@comcast.net
By Washington DC Subway
* Take Metro to Metro Center.
* Take the 13th Street Exit, take escalator to 13th Street; you should be at the corner of 13th and G Streets.
* Walk one block south to F Street.
* Turn right (West) and walk one block to 14th Street
* Turn left and walk downhill to the National Press Building lobby.
* Enter and take the elevators to the 13th Floor
Parking
* The PMI garage is located on the north side of G St between 13th and 14th Streets.
* Carr Park is located at the corner of 15th and F Streets.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 – United Nations Event — Rally “in front of UN Offices at New York, on August 12, 2009, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM”
Pakistan Daily Times reports: ‘Blasphemy’ claims three more victims
— “Factory owner killed by workers for ‘desecrating holy Quran’ in Sheikhupura”
— “A worker entered Najeebullah’s factory at around 2pm and saw that the owner had taken down an outdated calendar — which had verses from the holy Quran written on it — and put it on a table”
— “The worker then misbehaved with the owner over — what he thought — was ‘desecration’ of the holy Quran.”
— “When a guard tried to stop him, he ran out into the working area and started gathering his colleagues, claiming the owner had committed ‘blasphemy’.”
— “When an enraged mob subsequently surrounded Najeebullah, his guard tried to protect him by firing in the air, but the crowd started firing shots at the owner and his guard.”
— “The channel said a large number of workers also attacked the factory administration and beat up several employees. They also blocked the road leading to the factory for three hours and later set the unit on fire.”
— “Heavy police contingents rushed to the factory to bring the situation under control, but the angry mob seized their weapons.”
— Pakistan Daily Times reports: “An angry mob attacked the house of a 60-year-old woman in Sanghar district in Sindh in another alleged incident of desecration of the holy Quran, a private TV channel reported late on Wednesday. Following the attack, the police shifted the woman, Akhtari Malkani, to the police station from a katchi abadi area in the district. The District Bar Association officials assured the mob that a case would be registered against the woman if she was found guilty. Despite assurance from the lawyers and police, the people demanded that the woman should be handed over to them and pelted stones at the police station building and burned tyres on road.”
ICC Reports: “Pakistan Muslim Groups Threaten More Violence”
— “Threaten to Hang Christian, Demand Release of Clerics Arrested for Inciting Violence”
— “Several Muslim groups met in Gojra, Pakistan, today to hold a press conference call on the government to exonerate religious leaders accused of inciting the anti-Christian attacks that occurred this past weekend. In addition, they threatened to hang the Christian whose alleged blasphemy sparked the violence.”
— “Muslim groups Jamiyat Islami Gojra (a religious group) and Anjam-e-Tajran (a trade union) initially condemned last weekend’s violence in their statements.”
— “However, they quickly reversed course by calling for the release of Ulma and the other clerics named in the official police report.”
— “They further contradicted their initial statement by threatening to hang Talib Masih and others accused of blasphemy in the Gojra bazaar if the government had not arrested him by August 10.”
— “This press conference is a sign that the government has not restored the rule of law in this area and is risking another outbreak of violence by its delay in responding adequately to the situation.”
Pakistan: Christians protest against deadly violence — UCAN News Reports: “On August 2, Churches in Pakistan praryed for the ‘Christian martyrs’ during Sunday Masses and services.”
— “On the same day around 600 Christians staged a protest against the Punjab provincial government in front of the Quetta Press Club in the capital of the southwestern province of Baluchistan.”
— “They carried banners which read, “Stop violence against minorities” and “Arrest Gojra murderers.” The protesters included Caritas workers from Quetta, members of the Catholic bishops’ Justice and Peace Office, and several pastors and politicians.”
— “Jafar George, the Catholic provincial minister of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, said in his address at the gathering: ‘The Punjab provincial government has failed to stop violence in Gojra or act against the attackers. If it cannot provide security to the minorities, it must resign.'”
— “Similarly the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance staged protest rallies in Lahore and Sargodha on Aug. 2 to condemn the Gojra rioting.”
Compass reports: “Pakistan – Christians Burned to Death in Islamist Attacks”
— “14 believers reportedly killed; more than 100 homes burned in Gojra town, Korian village”
— “extremists today set ablaze more than 50 houses and a church in this town in northeastern Pakistan following an accusation of ‘blasphemy’ of the Quran, leaving at least 14 Christians dead, sources said.”
— “The dead include women and children, with several other burn victims unable to reach hospitals for medical care, according to the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement.”
— “The attack came amid a protest by thousands of Muslim Islamists — including members of banned militant groups — that resulted in another six people dying when participants shot at police and officers responded with tear gas and gunfire.”
— “The same rumor of desecration of the Quran that led to today’s massive protest and attack in Gojra, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Faisalabad, also prompted an arson assault on Thursday (July 30) by extremists on the village of Korian, seven miles from Gojra, that gutted 60 houses.”
— “Punjab Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah reportedly said an initial investigation of allegations of the Quran being blasphemed indicated ‘there has not been any incident of desecration.'”
Daily Telegraph reports: “Pakistan faces Christian protest after eight people ‘burned alive'”
— “Missionary schools across Pakistan closed on Monday in a three day protest against the deaths of up to seven Christians who were burned alive in clashes with Muslims”
— “Two children – a brother and sister aged six and 13 – their parents and 75-year-old grandfather were among those killed in violence that broke out in Gojra in Punjab province on Saturday”
— “One report said that six Christians died in flames, while two were killed by gunshots”
— “Muslims torched Christians’ homes following unsubstantiated allegations some of them had desecrated the Koran. Some 40 homes were burned down.”
— “Paramilitary troops and other security forces were patrolling the city Monday.”
— “Gojra is in Pakistan’s Faisalabad region, which is dotted with hard-line Islamist schools.”
— “Government officials have said preliminary investigations showed there was no desecration of the Koran and that a ‘rumour’ was being exploited by anti-state elements to create chaos.”
— “‘Christian schools will remain closed for three days from today to mourn the death of innocent people in Gojra,’ said Bishop Sadiq Daniel, head of the Church of Pakistan diocese in Karachi and southwestern Baluchistan province. ‘There is no proof of blasphemy, but if someone has done that he, and not the entire community, should be punished.'”
— “Desecration of the Koran is punishable by death in Pakistan.”
— “While Christian schools and colleges in Punjab are largely closed for summer vacation, they were set to reopen in Pakistan’s biggest city of Karachi on Monday.”
— “Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim country and religious minorities, including Christians, account for roughly 4 percent of the 170 million population.”
Dawn reports: Negligence of officials blamed for Gojra riots
— “They protested against attacks on their houses and burning alive of seven members of their community by a mob”
— “Violence had broken out in a Gojra village on Thursday after an alleged incident of desecration of the Holy Quran during a wedding ceremony”
— “The arrested men include Qari Abdul Khaliq Kashmiri, a leader of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan”
Pakistan Daily Times reports: Sipah Sahaba “used acid and petrol bombs to destroy property and kill Christian women and children, while the local government and police simply did nothing”
—- but Pakistan Daily Times does not condemn blasphemy law
Times of India reports: 9 killed in communal violence in Pakistan’s Punjab province
— “Hundreds of Muslims gathered this morning and marched towards Christian homes at Azafi Abadi village, 160 km from Lahore. Witnesses said at least three persons were killed and some others injured when police fired at a mob that was trying to forcibly enter the homes of Christians”
— “A mob had on Friday burnt over 70 houses of Christians at Azafi Abadi over an alleged incident of desecration of the Quran. Muslims set on fire another 15 houses of Christians on Saturday.”
(Pakistan) Hate Engulfs Christians in Pakistan — NYT reports: “Typical of such attacks, the police, overwhelmed by the mob, did little to stand in its way.”
— “The blistered black walls of the Hameed family’s bedroom tell of an unspeakable crime. Seven family members died here on Saturday, six of them burned to death by a mob that had broken into their house and shot the grandfather dead, just because they were Christian”
— “The family had huddled in the bedroom, talking in whispers with their backs pressed against the door, as the mob taunted them.”
— “‘They said, ‘If you come out, we’ll kill you,’ ‘ said Ikhlaq Hameed, 22, who escaped. Among the dead were two children, Musa, 6, and Umaya, 13.”
— “More than 100 Christian houses were burned and looted on Saturday in a rampage that lasted about eight hours by a crowd the authorities estimate was as large as 20,000 strong. In addition to the seven members of the Hameed family who were killed, about 20 people were wounded.”
— “The authorities, who said the Koran accusation was spurious, filed criminal charges in the case late Sunday and apprehended at least 12 people. Officials said a banned Sunni militant group, Sipah-e-Sohaba, was among those responsible for the attacks, the third convulsion of anti-Christian mob violence in the region in the past four weeks.”
— “Christians, who make up less than 5 percent of the entire population, are often treated as second-class citizens in Pakistan, where Islam is the official religion. Non-Muslims are constitutionally barred from becoming president or prime minister.”
— “The Hameeds were having breakfast when the mob descended, wielding guns, hurling stones and shouting insults (‘Dogs!’ ‘American agents!’) through their window. The Hameeds did not appear to have been singled out but had the misfortune of living where the mob entered the neighborhood and happened to be home at the time.”
— “‘We were afraid because the clerics had been railing against us in the mosques,’ said Riaz Masih, a Christian and retired math teacher whose house was gutted. ‘They said, ‘Let’s teach them a lesson.'”
