Source:  www.persecution.org

Date:  June 27, 2022

Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – Earlier this year, a mob of Muslims attacked a Christian family. The incident was the culmination of escalating events. Initially, because of constant discrimination and harassment suffered while working, the father and son of the Christian family decided to leave their Muslim landowner’s employ, much to the owner’s displeasure. After failing to entice them back, the Muslim man instead falsely accused them of stealing a prized chicken worth around $1000. Based on this accusation, police elected to arrest the Christian father and son, only to release them soon after for lack of evidence.

Absurdly enough, even after discovering no new evidence a month later, the police succumbed to religious and political pressure to re-arrest the son. At this point, the mother and father visited the Muslim landowner to plead their innocence and request their son’s freedom; they were met by a group of Muslim employees who violently attacked them. Armed with guns, knives, and sticks, the Muslim mob badly injured the mother in particular. The mother received a knife wound to her right arm and had her earrings forcefully ripped off. After the two fled from their attackers, the mother was admitted to the hospital and the father immediately filed a complaint with the police. The police took no action.

As a last recourse, the Christian father requested the aid of the advocacy group Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP). HRFP took it upon themselves to help the Christian family, and thanks to their efforts, the son was released from prison. Unfortunately, the Christian family’s troubles did not end there as they have begun receiving death threats. HRFP will now take this case into the courts to push for condemnation against police bias and against workplace discrimination. We pray that this case would serve to advance the interest of minority workers so often abused and mistreated in Pakistan.

HOW TO PRAY: Pray for fair legal treatment for this family. Pray for protection for this family from future attacks. Pray for peace between differing religious groups in this community.