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Disrupting church service: Ex-lawmakers’ nephew accused of defiling Bible
Apologises to the Christian community, locals say.
Apologises to the Christian community, locals say.
LAHORE:
The nephew of a former PML-Q provincial lawmaker, accompanied by three other armed men, is said to have forcibly entered a church, disrupted the Sunday service and allegedly desecrated a copy of the Bible besides manhandling the people attending the church service.
Eyewitnesses told The Express Tribune that the incident occurred in Lakhoki village in Kahna. Witnesses said Muhammad Shoaib alias Mota, the nephew of former MPA Mansha Sindhu, entered the church accompanied by Iqbal Kumhar, Ashiq Machhi and another man, shouted at the congregation to turn off the loudspeakers and pushed down the dais.
Liaquat Masih, a witness said that Shoaib “threw the Bible towards the wall, and desecrated the Cross.”
The men, people said, were armed with a 44-bore gun and a 30-bore pistol.
Witnesses said all of the attackers appeared to be drunk. The people also accused the police of “avoiding registering an FIR”. Sohail Johnson, another person from the village, said that the PML-Q MPA, Mansha Sindhu, belonged to the village.
Liaqat Masih said that when they warned the local SP that they would stage a protest, he sent Mansha Sindhu for reconciliation, adding that Sindhu pacified the community. He said that Sindhu also made his nephew publicly apologise, adding that Shoaib admitted he was drunk at that time.
Superintendent of Police (Operation) Malik Awais told The Express Tribune that he avoided a communal clash and tried to settle the matter amicably.
The SP denied that the accused were drunk or carrying any weapon and said that loudspeakers were “not even allowed in mosques,” adding that no Bible was desecrated.
He said the Christians were making false allegations and exaggerating the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2011.
Reader Comments (16)
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and no coverage of this incident by the news channels? if a christian or hindu had gone into a mosque & defiled the quran all the news channels,bloggers,tweeps would have been up in arms,baying for the blood of the ‘blasphemer’ but since the victims are non-muslims in this case,our media conveniently chooses to remain silent.
in pakistan a crime is only a crime when the victim is a muslim.Recommend
If instead of muhammad shoaib the perpetrator would have been rakesh or john he would have been beaten to a pulp with the full approval of all the public & the anchors & political parties would have celebrated the death of an ifidel.But since the perpetrator in this case is a muslim,the public,the media, the police choose to ignore this crime.Recommend
This Land of the Pure becomes disgusting with each passing day!Recommend
why hasn’t this story been given more prominent placement on your website,why is it tucked away in the bottom corner from where it will be quickly bumped off?Recommend
Since Islam teaches us to respect all the Holy Books and the True Religions before Islam, and since we’re so fond of going above and beyond the call of duty to “punish” blasphemers – true or alleged alike – when’s the lynching? Oh that’s right…we’re a hypocritical society…we only attack the non-muslims.
Convenient isn’t it that the police have declared that the politician’s nephew “Mota” was not drunk, nor was he armed, contrary to several eye witnesses and a public apology? Bravo.Recommend
Bravo to these brave Muslims! Our visionary leadership and judiciary should take note of how tolerant and peace loving our minorities are treated, and award the gang who did this with medals for upholding the concept of blasphemy applies only to too-sensitive Muslim souls.Recommend
Relax guys….he was drunk. No need to bring Islam in thisRecommend
@Who cares:
What if a drunk christian do the same thing in Mosque, would you stand at your justification?Recommend
Belief in Holy Books(Torah, Bible, Quran etc) is one of the Articles of faith of Islam.
Would the high and mighty Superintendent Malik Awais had tried to settle the matter amicably had a non muslim (read sub human) desecrated Quran instead?Recommend
Take a Suo Moto action Mr Chief Justice or is it not worth it !Recommend
welcome to Pakistan. where minorities are always the enemy in the eyes of the majority!Recommend
@New Delhi_India: Spot on. WHO CARES, would probably be the first one to attack if the guy had been a non muslim. And a drunk muslim is not an issue for him anyway.Recommend
@abdul jabbar: Media likes to air news which is sensational or can be made one. This news item may not be so otherwise our media would have made something out of it.Recommend
Mota should be whacked across the face and put to trial and the corrupt police officer(s) should (disbadged… Sickening news as almost all the news from are country is. Very saddening too.Recommend
Why the hell Church was using loudspeakers? Not even mosques use it now. If someone has has desecrated the Bible, then blasphemy charges should be brought against him (no need to do another crime to stop one) and charges regarding use of loudspeakers against Church administration should be filled.Recommend
The Christians are the victims here, let’s hope that they aren’t falsely alleged of something to hush the matter…Recommend