They fled the locality during the riots after the police assured them that they would protect properties. PHOTO: ABID NAWAZ / EXPRESS
LAHORE:
While most of the two hundred houses set on fire in Joseph Colony have been rebuilt, the shattered confidence of the residents will take more time to be picked up.
Nevy Samuel, 28, was one of the inhabitants who saw her house attacked by angry mob over an alleged act of blasphemy committed by Sawan Masih.
“It’s not easy being a Christian. All my life, I have heard remarks like ‘woh dekho, eesai guzar rahi hai’ (look, that’s a Christian passing by),” she says. “But this incident has brought the (level of) discrimination to a peak.”
In the aftermath, the fear is now even more deeply embedded into the community’s psyche.
“Though everything is normal now, I feel that simply being a Christian is an invitation to danger,” says Samuel. “When I pass through the lanes without my husband, my heart keeps pounding because of fear.”
Samuel is a mother to a four-month-old daughter – a normal, contributing member to society. Yet, now she feels like a second-class citizen.
“We were told by some Muslim neighbours that our house had burnt to the ground. They advised us not to come back. When we finally did, all we found were ashes,” she recalls. “This happened just because I am a Christian. Being a Christian isn’t a crime, is it?”
According to Samuel, they fled the locality during the riots after the police assured them that they would protect properties.
The chants and loud proclamations they were subjected to while escaping – we will get rid of Christians, we will teach them a lesson – still ring in her ears.
Sixteen-year-old Junaid Patras also belongs to the Badami Bagh area, home to a generally lower income group.
“I saw people burning our house before my very own eyes,” said Patras. “They wanted to burn us in the house but some Muslim friends managed to get us out in time. My father suffered a mental shock and, since then, hasn’t regained his senses.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2013.
COMMENTS (16)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Cacha: Stop worrying about Burma. there's a fire in your house and your worry bout Burma.
@Cacha: Is that a justification for burning some one houses?
@Sharp eye:
This is exactly the attitude that I tried to explain. It is not the responsibility of the Constitution of Pakistan to decide who is a Muslim or whether your wife is really your wife or whether you are a man or a woman. When a country, out of hatred for a difference in theology with a section of society, promulgates discriminatory laws, violence and persecution soon follows. Thats why Pakistan is in the current state it finds itself. Nothing will change for the better in this country until it rewrites its constitution.
@Ahmadi Muslim: One thing is Clear that Ahamadi is also a Non muslim clear by Constitution of Islamic republic of Pakistan but the same time Thay have a rights to live in Pakistan.
@Cacha: Do you imply that what happens in Burma somehow makes this acceptable?
@Cacha:
Ever heard the phrase "chip on the shoulder"? It's generally indicative of inferiority complex.
@Cacha: The ones burning the houses of Muslims in Myanamar , are buddhists not Christians. Now going by your logic, should Christians in Europe and US burn Muslims houses there since Muslims burnt Christian houses?
@Farhan Rizvi The only reason no one died is because the local people, police knew the mob was coming the next day and fled. Unfortunately I think kay agli dafa wo bata kar nahi aayingei. And we will have repeat's of Gojra over and over again. I'm not Indian but what I find amusing is that Pakistani's still use incidents like Gujrat to taunt Indians. When we ourselves have Badai Bagh, Gojra, Abbas town, Hazara killings everyday.
@Cahcha So due to what happens in another country it's okay to harm your own Pakistani brothers. This is the mentality which actually starts incidents like this.
The problem is not just the inhuman blasphemy law. The real problem is the hate and intolerance that have been nurtured in the hearts of the "certified Muslims" of Pakistan against those who do not share their ideology. Let's be honest, Pakistani Certified Muslims in general hate non-muslims so much that they are fond of calling muslims as non-muslims for that very reason.
It is naive to have a law that discriminate among the same citizens of a country and expect that this will not be followed by violence and persecution.
Laws will have to change for sure, but more pressingly people in Pakistan will have to change first and become more human and less evil. Then only you can start reaping the benefit of "love for all"
@chacha Regardless of the incidents in Burma i think that these houses should not have been burnt. I think you are also one of the extremist muslim who wants to tak revenge by burning others' home.
@Cacha: I dont mean to offend you in anyway! But we need to treat others right before we can expect anyone to do the same for us! Thats what islam teaches is! So instead of talking about burma we need to fix pakistan first!
Express Tribune has run many stories recently about the plight of Rohingya Muslim refugess in Bangladesh. This should not be done to anyone @Cacha:
It is indeed sad. The religious discrimination existing society has really made lives difficult for people with different religious beliefs. We need to understand that they are human beings and Pakistanis like us and they have all the right to live freely as we do as Muslims.
However this line : Patras. “They wanted to burn us in the house but some Muslim friends managed to get us out in time.
It proves that not all Muslims are religious fanatics.
What about the burning houses of Muslims in Burma???
It is so so sad to hear this.. Btw my question, if some one attacks you or your property , is it legal to beat someone in defense? If yes, than from no onward any one who attacks us/ our property we should beat them and teach them that property is earned by working very hard and no one has the right to destroy it.