Pakistani authorities reported that they had arrested more than 100 people in relation to attacks on churches following a rumor that spread, claiming that Christians burned Quran pages.
Following the rumors, law enforcement personnel were forced to respond to an angry Muslim mob that attacked at least five churches and many homes in the eastern parts of the country. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries or deaths despite the large-scale rampages in the region.
Pakistan Arrests More Than 100 Among Angry Muslim Mob
However, the chaos on Wednesday marked some of the most serious outbreaks of sectarian violence in Pakistan in the last few years. Officials noted that accusations of blasphemy frequently result in unpredictable riots that lasted several hours before authorities intervened.
This time, law enforcement personnel acted slowly after the mob violence on Wednesday that occurred in Jaranwala. The situation questioned whether Pakistani officials are willing to dedicate enough resources to protect the nation's religious minorities, as per the Washington Post.
But the large number of people arrested following the attack on the churches shows a more vigorous response compared to what has been done before. Christians in the region comprise about 2% of the population as it is dominated by Sunni Muslims, who are roughly 248 million. They are among the groups in the nation that are the most frequent targets of acts of sectarian violence.
In a statement, the State Department said that it was "deeply concerned" about the violence that occurred on Wednesday. On the other hand, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the chaos "disturbing" and added that these actions cannot be allowed.
The caretaker prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq, who took over from Sharif last, also committed to "stern action" following the attacks. The spokesman for the police in Faisalabad district, Naveed Ahmed, said that police raids were ongoing on Thursday afternoon.
A day after the mob's riot, the historic Salvation Army Church was still burning, and the ruins of the destroyed buildings were surrounded with barbed wire. According to BBC, officials also restricted public gatherings for seven days in the Faisalabad district while the situation is still being addressed.
Alleged Religious Blasphemy
The rumors that sparked the chaos claim that two men damaged the Quran, the Muslim holy book, and they have been charged with blasphemy, which in Pakistan is punishable by death. While officials in the country have yet to sentence anyone to death for the crime, the mere fact that they were accused can prompt widespread riots and sometimes result in lynchings and killings.
The EU ambassador to Pakistan, Riina Kionka, said that the reports of the chaos were deeply disturbing. She noted that the matter in which society's minorities can feel safe and not in danger in Pakistan, the EU, and other parts of the world, is a measure of the people's respect for the rule of law, tolerance, and diversity.
In 2013, Pakistani officials reported that angry Muslims in Lahore's Badami Bagh community burned more than 100 homes of Christians after police arrested a 20-year-old man who was accused of speaking against the Prophet Mohammed, said CNN.
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