When the mosque issued the false accusation that the Christian had mocked Islam, Muslim followers stormed through Bahmaniwala village in Kasur district, breaking gates, destroying and looting houses and in some cases beating Christian women.
They set fire to various items, including vehicles, but Compass news agency found that the fire damage to the Christians' houses was minimal. "We don't even have drinking water as they destroyed the turbine," Compass was told by Zareena Bibi, one of the village residents. "We knew about the incident, but we had no imagination that they would take revenge by causing so much destruction. They have not let a single house here go." Deeply offended that the lower class Christian farm worker on his tractor had asked Muslim Muhammad Hussein to move aside so that he could pass, 15-20 Muslims had earlier staged an axe attack on 37-year-old farm worker Sardar Masih's family, wounding his brother in the head, family members told Compass Direct News
Samuel Nymann Eriksen, Communications Officer and MSc in Political Science at the Danish European Mission, says: "This is one of the major attacks the Christian minority in Pakistan has been exposed to. The Christian families in the area are often rich in children and we estimate that around 1300 people are affected by the attacks. Their homes were set on fire and their furniture and kitchen equipment damaged. There are also examples of their money and valuables being stolen during the attacks. The Danish European Mission is currently planning a relief operation in the area so that those affected can get help and return to a normal life as soon as possible.
The Danish European Mission has also received information about a 19-year-old girl who had acid thrown on her during the attacks. It is shocking that it is so easy for extremists in a country like Pakistan to carry out attacks on Christians. Christians in Pakistan are more or less surrounded by religious extremists who can all too easily incite hatred against poor Christians.
