Nazeer Gill was accused of burning pages of the Quran on Saturday morning. The accusation came from his neighbor who accused him of desecrating the Quran, prompting local Muslims to torture him with bricks, stones and sticks, vandalize his home and burn his shoe factory. According to his family, Nazeer had burned waste paper and when he went inside, someone threw a copy of the Quran into the fire.
Irfan Gill, the nephew of Nazeer Gill, told the Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that two Muslims in the area had envied Nazeer Gill and his son, Sultan Gill, because they were very successful with their shoe factory. They had pressured them to give up some of their shops, which they had refused to do.
He continues, "We learned of the incident around 8am when announcements were broadcast from the mosque's loudspeakers urging people to gather at the site. Within minutes, a mob gathered outside my uncle's home and stormed inside."
Local Christians fled to churchesno
The crowd shouted slogans, causing Christians to flee to nearby churches in fear for their safety. An anonymous source tells Christian Daily International-Morning Star News, "Inside the church, we prayed for God's intervention because it seemed the mob would not stop until they had destroyed everything."
Irfan Gill is himself a member of the local Presbyterian church. At the moment, Christians are keeping a low profile and hiding.
Status on Nazeer Gill and the situation
Irfan Gill says that his uncle had been put on a ventilator, where his condition is said to be critical, and describes it this way, "He has suffered severe injuries to his head and body and we can only pray and hope that he survives. It will be nothing short of a miracle for us."
Read about the situation of the church in Pakistan here...
The Inspector General of Punjab Police, Usman Anwar, said in a press release that police had arrested 26 Muslims and were working to identify more perpetrators. He said that around 2000 policemen were in the area to calm the situation.
Punjab Home Minister Mengal said that violence against religious people will not be tolerated and therefore action will be taken against the suspects. Meanwhile, a case has been registered against the victim under Section 295-A, which carries a punishment of 10 years and Section 295-B of the Blasphemy Act, which carries life imprisonment, and Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which carries up to five years imprisonment, to appease Muslims.
Christians demand justice
The President of the National Council of the Churches in Pakistan (NCCP), Bishop Azad Marshall, said in a press release that the situation was similar to the attack on Christians in Jaranwala last August.
"We are alarmed that there were allegedly police officers present during the attack who did not intervene, suggesting a serious neglect of the duty to protect vulnerable communities. This incident highlights the critical need for decisive action to counter extremism and protect religious minorities." Marshall says. He added that if the government wants to protect religious minorities, they must ensure that blasphemy laws will not be abused and that those who incite violence will set an example for others.
Intercessory prayer
Pray for Nazeer Gill to recover and not have to fight for her life.
Pray for the members of the crowd to calm their anger.
And pray that the Christians in Pakistan will stand together, pray together and know that God is close to them in these difficult times.
