The protesters not only set the St Paul’s Lutheran Church on fire, but looted the surrounding residential quarters.
Expressing disproval of the blasphemous movie, Zardari said the film was equally condemned throughout the world by Muslims and non-Muslims.
The president, however, said that destroying public and private property particularly the places of worship of other religions was itself an un-Islamic and highly condemnable act.
“Vandalising revered places of worship and inflicting damage in retaliation amounted to playing into the hands of perpetrators of the crime who produced the anti-Islam film,” the president said in a message.
Describing the church attack as an unfortunate act, Zardari said that it was contrary to the teachings of Islam which calls for respecting places of worship of all religions.
He added that incidents like these portrayed Pakistan and Muslims negatively.
Rehman Malik orders inquiry
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has ordered inquiry into the attack and has called for patience on the part of the Christian community, Express News reported.
He also assured that security will be provided to all the churches in the country.
The interior minister claimed that around 64 suspected miscreants have been arrested and were being investigated for the attack on the church.
COMMENTS (21)
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Friday was declared a public holiday to demonstrate Ishq e Rasool. In reality it was a step to appease the intolerant, self righteous champions of the religious right. Anybody who is surprised by the events of the day is living in self delusion. We are surely sleep-walking to our destiny. I see substantial similarity in this government's declaration of Friday as Ishq e Rasool Day and the declaration of Ahmedis as non Muslims by ZAB. The act of desperation didn't save ZAB, nor will the Ishq Day save this government. Now we are at a stage where everyone is trying to climb on to a higher seat on the Ishq band-wagon. We have a cabinet minister inciting for murder, seeking assistance from those who have publicly claimed responsibility for killing thousands of innocent men, women and children, and offering reward. The mind boggles. Who needs any external enemies when we have such Aashiqs amongst us?
Anybody else see the irony in the title?
The descendants of Direct Action day are truly well and alive. Jinnah will be proud considering he called for it!
@MachineGun Preacher We need to condemn all but I hope u can distinguish between burning of hold places and those you mentioned. Burning of Bibles means a lot for the muslims as they are scared to the Christians.
We must worry about future of some grand heritage churches of Pakistan. If hateful people make insane movies and half crazy youtube staff don.t take them down then we can lose those cathedrals and gothic buildings one day and it will be an unrecoverable loss. No government can control angry mobs joined by looters and gangsters.
Whenever India talk about secularism,Pakistanis always try to remind us of Babri Masjid,Australian pastor burning and Gujarat riots
But they forget that in India,these are isolate incidents,but there is place,its 24*7 for 365 days
Unfortunate sequence of events for interfaith harmony: Rimsha Masih case and Anti-Islam film. So much for freedom of expression some vandalize, torch, ransack and run amok on streets others with carefully planned and deliberate act of provocation, rather it is expression of hate.
@MachineGun Preacher: If some thing is right altleast say it's right . Why don't condem the act of the people and there leader first
the role of a competent interior minister is to prevent violence not order investigation afterwards. the number of times he has failed and still not fired by the ppp leadership is reflective of its own incompetence
There is no use crying over the spilt milk.
its freedom of destruction.
India needs a nutter to make an obnoxious film and Pakistan will self destruct.What is the need for Agni,prithvi or Brahmos. Make a film and put it on youtube.Hordes of Pakistani will decend on Islamabad and burn it down.
hehehe!
Like this is a one off incident.
Churches and temples and even mosques (of minority sects) are constantly and frequently under attack in Pakistan.
Neways, for peace in Pakistan, we just have to wait till the break up.
Zardari should get kudos for condemning the burning of a Church - be even nicer if they punished those who committed the crime.
Great and brave of him to say this
why urdu media not reporting this?
Neutral work by Tribune
Hail O Prez.. you are awake!!!
Another inquiry
what about the KFC ransacked, cinemas burnt, banks looted? Those are not worth condeming?
eye-wash.