On Sunday 15 March, two churches in Lahore, Pakistan, were bombed, leaving at least 14 dead and 68 wounded.
Initial reports indicate that at least 14 people were killed and 68 wounded after two churches were bombed today in Youhanabad, a Christian neighbourhood in Lahore, Pakistan.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is calling for the perpetrators to be apprehended and held to account, and for the Pakistani government to learn the lessons from the 2013 twin suicide attacks on All Saints Church in Peshawar, that killed 180 people. The government has yet to fulfill its pledge to bring justice to the victims, including delivering on its pledge of compensation.
Violence triggered by hate speech
The attacks in Lahore draw attention to concerns about the security of churches and Christian institutions in the country. Religious minorities in Pakistan face pervasive societal and institutional discrimination and the threat of violence, fuelled in part by expressions of religious hatred, or hate speech. Influential leaders, from grassroots religious clerics to MPs and federal ministers, have been known openly to incite violence against non-Muslim minorities or minority Muslim sects. This situation is exacerbated by a culture of impunity and the unchecked influence of extremist groups. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) splinter group Jamatul Ahrar has claimed responsibility for today’s church bombings.
CSW and partners call for prayer and solidarity
In a statement, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Yousaf Mani, National Director of The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), and Executive Director Cecil Shane Chaudhry, noted that TTP has killed many Christians, adding: “We as a nation need to stand with the families of the victims and stop extremism jointly; this misuse of religion as an excuse to kill minority should be stopped. We demand that provincial and federal government take serious and effective measure to protect minority community of Pakistan.”
CSW is urging the global Church to unite in prayer for the victims, their loved ones and the entire Christian community in this difficult and tense time.