Happy Independence Day.
A man watches a display of fireworks to celebrate Pakistan’s independence day in Multan Augast 14, 2006. (REUTERS/Asim Tanveer)
Christians in Mominpura Thaiki village in Paksitan celebrated Independence Day this year by watching their church get bombed and torched:
More than 30 armed men attacked a church and Christian houses in Mominpura Thaiki village near Sharaqpur, 35 kilometres from here, late on Saturday. A decades-old land dispute between Christians and a Muslim landlord from a nearby village is said to be the cause of the incident.
Eyewitnesses said that the attackers from a nearby village had thrown hand grenades into the church, demolished a part of it, set ablaze two houses adjacent to the church, desecrated holy books, beaten up Christian men, children and women and torn off their clothes. They also took valuables from the church.
Witnesses said that a number of Christian women fled the village while others took shelter in Muslims’ houses. Later, local Muslims came to rescue their Christian neighbours. The Muslims, who own about 10 houses in the 65-house Christian village, took their weapons out to rescue the Christian women and children. They opened fire at the attackers and made them flee. But the attackers took one Bashir Masih and his 25 cattle heads with them before leaving the village.
On August 7, three Christians were severely beaten in the town. After their attacker was bailed out on the 12th the man and fellow attackers came back to torch and bomb the church hours later.
The Pakistani Christian has more on the attacks.
