A crowd of Muslim women and a few men attacked a Catholic church in Pakistan's Punjab province recently, injuring two Christian women - one 70 years old - and vandalizing the building.
At least three men and 20 women attacked the Kawanlit village chapel on February 3, leaving 70-year-old Veero Mehnga Masih with broken legs and also injuring Saleema Mazir Masih, 50. The mob broke windows, smashed the altar and burned Bibles.
Despite prompt condemnation of the violence from church leaders across Punjab, police refused to file an official complaint. Kawanlit's Christians told Compass today that they are powerless to pursue a court case and plan to seek extra-legal reconciliation.
On February 6, wealthy village landowner Mohammad Iqbal opened a case against eight of Kawanlit's Christian's for starting a fight that led to the church destruction. But according to Franciscan parish priest Bernard Bhatti, the eight accused "were not even there" at the time of the church attack. He said the incident stemmed from a property dispute with Iqbal, whose relatives were involved in the attack.
Catholic Archbishop of Lahore Lawrence John Saldanha and Hindu National Assembly Member M.P. Bhandara condemned the attacks in statements on February 3 and 4. Bhandara called on the government to investigate the incident, saying it was a matter of "urgent public importance" that was causing "great concern in the Christian community."
But speaking from a meeting today with Punjab Provincial Assembly Member Joseph Hakim Din, representatives of Kawanlit's Christian community of 14 families said that they plan to seek extra-legal reconciliation with Iqbal and the village's 200 Muslim families. The day after the church attack, Din agreed to form a committee of Christians and Muslims to help the two sides find a peaceful solution.
