Pakistan (MNN) — A mob in Pakistan burned a police station and four police posts over the weekend. The police were holding a man accused of blasphemy for burning a Quran, and refused to turn him over to the mob.
Nehemiah with FMI says the crowd wanted to burn the man alive. “I want to tell you that he did not burn the Quran. There was a page with a verse from the Quran inscribed in it, and he burned that piece of paper.”
The man has a mental illness, and he didn’t realize what he was doing would offend the mob. Religious violence in Pakistan often targets religious minorities, the poor, or other outcasts.
TLP movement
It’s part of a larger mob mentality in Pakistan, says Nehemiah. Any perceived slight against Islam has the potential to draw violence. Most of those involved in this incident belong to the TLP, a violent religious organization and strong political force in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s government had imprisoned the TLP leader. But they released him last week.
Nehemiah says, “This is a mindset that has grown in Pakistan. It’s a very bad situation. Cases of blasphemy, killing people, and mob culture has grown in Pakistan. We have many partners in the same area who are serving in this city and in this district.”
Pakistan’s government
Ask God to give Christians courage as they face such a hostile and violent society. Nehemiah says the government of Pakistan doesn’t officially support the violence, but many officials do in secret. “And this is the reason why you see every day a new story of blasphemy charges, or a new story or forced conversion.”
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently labeled Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern. Pakistani officials criticized the move, claiming the country has positively handled religious freedom.
Photo courtesy of David_Peterson from Pixabay.
