Christian Shopkeeper Beaten for Blasphemy

8/21/2009

On a normal workday, a young Christian shopkeeper took the garbage out to be burned on the sidewalk—a common practice in Pakistan.  A Muslim neighbor saw him and reported to other Muslims that the Christian had burned a Koran.    

A crowd of Muslims gathered immediately.  They attacked the Christian and beat him severely: the police arrived, broke up the mob, and arrested the Christian. 

Imams announced through the mosques that a Christian had blasphemed.  Hundreds of Muslims gathered; they blocked roads, burned tires, and demanded that the Christian be killed.  The Church is requesting calm and asking the Muslims to allow the police to investigate the incident.  So far, the police have taken no action and are holding the Christian with no proof. 

Christians are shocked.  They say, “We have lived in the area peacefully with Muslims for decades and nothing like this has ever happened here. There must be a conspiracy behind this."

~adapted from International Christian Concern