A Muslim mob in Pakistan on Wednesday attacked and tried to kill a Christian mother accused of blasphemy, sources said.
The mob in Kathore village, in Gojra tehsil of Faisalabad District, Punjab province tried to kill Saima Masih, a 32-year-old mother of two children, after Muhammad Haider accused her of hurting Islamic religious sentiments by desecrating pages of the Quran, said attorney Akmal Bhatti, chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan (MAP).
“The mob would have lynched Saima if the police had not reached there on time and rescued her,” Bhatti told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “The mob also reportedly attacked some other Christian residents of the village, forcing them to flee their homes and hide in the fields to save their lives.”
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The attorney and political leader said he and his team tried to reach the village as soon as they received information about the incident. There are 30 to 35 Christian families in the village.
When news of the alleged desecration spread, a crowd of nearly 250-300 Muslims blocked the main highway in protest, refusing to let anyone pass, Bhatti said.
“We contacted our sources in the village, and they informed us that the Muslims had beaten up some Christians, raising fears of violence against the community,” he said.
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Pakistan is ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.
This article was originally published by Christian Daily International–Morning Star News.
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