Christians'
houses were attacked in Gojra, Pakistan, on 1 August 2009. FORUM-ASIA
member Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported that local
administration had planned not to intervene, while people were gathered
on the day before to "make mincemeat of the Christians".
Christians'
houses were attacked in Gojra, Pakistan, on 1 August 2009. FORUM-ASIA
member Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported that local
administration had planned not to intervene, while people were gathered
on the day before to "make mincemeat of the Christians".
Lahore, August 4: Last
week's attacks targeting the Christian community in Gojra were not a
spontaneous reaction to allegations of blasphemy but were planned in advance, a
fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has
found.
The
mission's report, released on Tuesday, said announcements made from mosques in
Gojra on July 31 urged the Muslims to gather and "make mincemeat of the
Christians". Witnesses told HRCP that when they informed the police about the
announcements, the police officials had also confirmed hearing the
announcements.
On the
following day, August 1, around 1,000 people gathered in the town and marched
towards Christian Colony. A police contingent present in the neighbourhood did
not try to stop the mob, which included a number of masked men.
Witnesses
said the attackers went about destroying Christians' houses in a very
professional manner, and seemed to be trained for carrying out such activities.
They had brought along petrol and other inflammable substances and torched over
40 houses of Christian families in less than half an hour. Many of these houses
were looted before being torched. Muslims' houses adjacent to the Christians'
houses were spared.
Witnesses
said a number of attackers were from the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and
other militant organisations. The Regional Police Officer (RPO) told HRCP that
many of the attackers had come from outside the district, possibly from Jhang.
Amid the
brutal killings and destruction in Gojra, the Commission also noted that some
Muslims in the neighbourhood provided shelter to Christian women fleeing the
violence.
The
barbaric attacks are an embarrassment for any society or people who call
themselves civilised.
HRCP
believes that the local administration's inaction ahead of the riots was
intriguing.
HRCP said
the tragic incidents of Gojra are a comprehensive failure by the government to
protect minorities either through administrative measures or legislative ones.
The culprits, including the local administration, must be brought to justice in
an expeditious and transparent manner, HRCP said.
The
government must act to prevent any attacked based on a person's faith, instead
of belatedly reacting through award of compensation. It must also ensure that
its vows of ensuring interfaith harmony move beyond rhetoric, the HRCP report
concluded.
