It's to get even with the drone strikes, right?
"The incident had more to do with personal enmity between two men — one Christian and one Muslim — than blasphemy. The men got into a brawl after drinking"
"Pakistani mob torches dozens of Christian homes; Families flee neighborhood by the hundreds" by Zaheer Babar | Associated Press, March 10, 2013
LAHORE, Pakistan — A large crowd of people in eastern Pakistan rampaged through a Christian neighborhood Saturday, torching dozens of homes after hearing reports that a Christian man had committed blasphemy against Islam’s prophet.
Blasphemy is a major crime in Pakistan that can carry the death penalty but sometimes outraged residents exact retribution for perceived insults of Islam’s prophet Mohammed. Pakistan is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim and people of other faiths, including the nation’s small Christian community, are often viewed with suspicion.
The incident started Friday when a young Muslim man accused a Christian man of committing blasphemy by making offensive comments about the prophet, said Multan Khan, a senior police officer in Lahore.
A crowd from a nearby mosque went to the Christian man’s home Friday night, said Khan. Police registered a blasphemy case against the man after the crowd gathered and demanded action, he said.
Fearing for their safety, hundreds of Christian families fled the area overnight.
Khan said the mob returned Saturday and ransacked Christian homes, setting them ablaze. He said no one in the Christian community was hurt, but some police officers were injured when they were hit with stones.
But Akram Gill, a local bishop in the Lahore Christian community said the incident had more to do with personal enmity between two men — one Christian and one Muslim — than blasphemy. He said the men got into a brawl after drinking, and the Muslim man made up the blasphemy story as payback.
He said the Christian community handed over to police the accused man, identified by police and Gill as Sawan Masih, when police came to the neighborhood to investigate. Then the Christians all locked their houses and went to relatives in other areas. He said the mob was armed with hammers and steel rods and broke into houses, ransacked two churches, and burned Bibles and crosses.
‘‘Poor people were living here. They have lost all of their belongings,’’ he said. ‘‘Where can they go now?’’
The scene was chaotic. A reporter said about 150 homes were torched. One Christian couple from the neighborhood said they went to their Muslim neighbors’ house Friday night after people came looking for the Christian man accused of blasphemy. Ishaq Masih said the Muslim neighbors sheltered the couple for the night and then gave them money to leave the area in the morning.
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Related:
"Christian protesters, police clash in Pakistan" Associated Press, March 11, 2013
LAHORE, Pakistan — Hundreds of Christians clashed with police across Pakistan on Sunday, a day after a Muslim mob burned dozens of homes owned by members of the minority religious group in retaliation for alleged insults against Islam’s prophet Mohammed.
The largest demonstrations on Sunday were in Lahore and the southern city of Karachi. About 1,000 people protested in both places, and smaller demonstrations were held in the capital, Islamabad, and the adjoining city of Rawalpindi.
Christians are often the target of Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws, which rights activists say are frequently used to persecute religious minorities or settle personal disputes. Politicians have been reluctant to reform the laws for fear of being attacked by religious radicals, as has happened in the past.
The plight of Pakistan’s other religious minorities, such as Shi’ite Muslims, Hindus, and Ahmadis, has also deepened in recent years as hard-line interpretations of Islam have gained ground. Most Pakistanis are Sunni Muslims.
The latest incident began Friday after a Muslim in the eastern city of Lahore accused a Christian man of blasphemy, an offense punishable by life in prison or even death. A day later, hundreds of angry Muslims rampaged through the Christian neighborhood, burning about 170 houses.
Authorities have arrested 160 suspected members of the mob, many of whom were identified through TV footage and photos published in newspapers, said police officer Abdur Rehman.
But it remains to be seen whether anyone will be held to account. Mob violence is not uncommon following blasphemy allegations, and police often round up large numbers of suspects. However, these arrests rarely result in actual convictions.
There have been no convictions related to a deadly attack on Christians in 2009 in the eastern city of Gojra that was also sparked by blasphemy allegations. Angry Muslims burned dozens of houses in Gojra, killing eight Christians.
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Related: Sectarian Split in Pakistan
That ought to cover my views on the matter of sectarianism wherever it is to be found. It's always a cui bono -- especially when dealing with people who have intermingled and intermarried for hundreds of years without these things happening (until we get there).
Sorry, dear readers, but I'm tired, exhausted, and overdosed on Jewish war propaganda, whatever wedge is used as a front to advance the agenda.
Thi is only here to show you, the outside world, what I am getting as a curious, conscientious, caring individual from the flagship newspaper of New England.
