Peshawar Bishop Majeed pleads for help to rebuild burnt church

Bishop Majeed holding burnt remnants of the Bible

Islamabad Pakistan, (Shamim Masih): 

Rampaging Muslims attacked an Anglican church in Mardan near Peshawar following noon prayers last Friday, during riots against the anti-Mohammed film that has stirred protests throughout Pakistan. 

Bishop Peter Mujeed said thousands of people on 21st September broke into a church compound, burnt the church, school books, Bibles and other religious books and artifacts.   The mob destroyed 27 homes in the church compound including the houses of two priests and the school head teacher, he added.

Displaced families are living with their friends and relatives now and need your help to restore them, according to Bishop Peter Majeed.

The extremists tried to set the pastor's son (Zeeshan) afire. Items of value to the militants--computers, office equipment, and chairs were stolen and the buildings were set ablaze.

Bishop Majeed said that innocent Pakistani Christians had nothing to do with the production or promotion of the anti-Mohammed film. Most know little about it, yet they are paying the price simply for being Christian in a nation dominated by Islamic extremists -a country where government officials and moderate Muslims fear to talk to protect minority’s rights on their behalf.

The Diocese of Peshawar, where the attack took place, provides education and health services to the local community – Muslim and Christian alike – and provided substantial support to victims of floods and a major earthquake in recent years, regardless of their religious affiliation.

'Where is the media outrage? When a Quran is burned or a film considered blasphemous appears on You Tube, Muslims respond with global riots and protests. But When Christian holy books are destroyed, or a church is burned, there is silence. Where is the Chief Justice of Pakistan? 

With respect to the Chief Justice, the bishop mentioned the case of Rinkal Kumari, the Hindu girl kidnapped and forced to marry, and who was brought to the top Pakistani Court. The Chief justice gave reassurances that justice would be done, but in the end the girl was handed over to her so-called husband, said the politician MLA Rameesh Lal.  

Bishop Peter Mujeed  asks Christians around the world to pray for God’s protection for Pakistani believers. He also requests help to rebuild their church building as early as possible.

Wilson Chowdhry said;

"This heinous act has been undertaken with little response from leaders in the West.  Many justifiably rushed to indicate their outrage at the hurt that the film titled "Innocence of Muslim's has caused, few have condemned this attack on a church community.  This lack of concern will only serve to continue the reckless impunity with which extremists operate in Pakistan."

In response to this request for help, the BPCA would appreciate any donations towards supporting the Families affected by the looting.  The Government has offered £3,000,000 rupees for the restoration and we hope that will come to fruition.  If you believe someone you know would be willing to contribute please send this request to them.  

If you would like to contribute to this "Mardan church fund" (Please use the fund name as a reference) you can pay in several ways;

Firstly by using the PayPal facility on the top right hand corner of our blog. Just click the yellow oval with the words donate and follow instructions. 

You can also send your contributions by cheque payable to;

British Pakistani Christian Association.
Address : British Pakistani Christian Association
57 Green Lane
Ilford
Essex
IG1 1XG 

Alternatively should you wish you can pay by BACS, direct debit or standing order by paying into the following account details: 

Sort Code: 20-67-90 
Account Number: 63468976 

For hatred of a film .... Heil Hitler?

A Pakistani response to that film

For action to take against this image on FaceBook, see the bottom of the article

Also, there is now an update on the situation here.  

Few readers will be unaware of the worldwide violent Muslim reaction to the film 'Innocence of Muslims'.  In Pakistan, this included the normal paroxysm of wild conspiracy theories, including the claim by a Muslim leader at a protest that the American establishment had backed this tatty little film - a claim about as far from the truth as it possibly could be - and that therefore not only should every single person involved in the production and release of the film be publicly hung, but then went on to demand that the US implement a law against blasphemy or else they would not allow US consulates in Pakistan to function.  (Source)

In Afghanistan, in typical Islamicist style, the terrorists chose to attack South Africans for the US 'crimes' in a suicide bomb attack that killed a dozen aviators.

As the BPCA reported, it didn't matter that Christians went to protests against the film.  Nuns returning from a protest against the film were fired upon, a typical Islamicist tactic whereby Christians in your own part of the world are to be slaughtered for the alleged crimes (even if they turn out to be a false rumour) committed against Muslims in another area.  For instance, the slaughter of Catholic worshippers at a Baghdad cathedral the other year were in 'revenge' for the totally false claim that Orthodox Copts had kidnapped the wife of a priest who had allegedly converted to Islam.

Reports that the producer of the film was allegedly a US Israeli Jew have given another excuse (if any were needed) to unleash good old fashioned vicious anti-semitism, as the picture above shows. (This appears to be false, it seems the claim was a cover for the real producer, a fraudulent and convicted criminal Copt who has lived in the US for a long time - God help the Copts of Egypt in an already terrible situation.  This is the last thing they need.)  The BPCA were alerted to this image by a supporter.  It was posted by the owner of a Facebook page called 'My Ideology is Islam, my Identity is Pakistan'. The page's about section makes it quite clear that the writer has no place for other religions in Pakistan, and that it's only ideology and identity should be Islamic.  The page typically also spouts viciously anti-Indian racist views.

The discussion under the particular image has many Muslims quite rightly protesting about it's use, but many also calling for the killing of Jews and people associated with the film.  (By the way, the producers deceived the actors involved,  with them thinking it was just an Aladdin type film, and no mention was made of Muhammed.  These were dubbed on later, so most of those involved had no idea what the film was going to be about - for more, see here.  But somehow we doubt that those pouring death threats on the actress featured don't really give two hoots about the facts, or justice).

A later post on the page makes this call : 'What ever religion you are , Lets come and Joint hand (sic) together in these Hard Moments With All Muslims'.  Hard times?  What a laugh.  Hard times is the Christians of the Muslim world who are murdered, kidnapped, tortured and raped on a daily basis, including in this posters beloved Pakistan, but funnily enough this hate-monger never mentions the suffering of Christians in Pakistan.

Take action

The supporter who reported this to us said they had used the 'Report this photo' option using the 'Hate speech or symbol' selection.

The BPCA encourages it's readers who are on Facebook to follow their lead.  To find the post with the image on,
1) type 'My Ideology is Islam, My identity is Pakistan' in the search box at the top of your Facebook page
2) Scroll down to find this post.  The owner of this page posts a huge amount so you will have to scroll down a long way to find it.  It was posted (in Grenwich Mean Time) at about 3pm on Wednesday 19th September
3) Look for the 'Report this photo' option.  In some cases you may have to click the image so it pops up as an image on a black background - in which case, click on 'Options' at the bottom of the photo.  In other cases it will be below and to the right of the photo.
4) Select the second option from the bottom and hit select.
5)  Encourage your friends to do the same

Additional information

Jews in Pakistan were driven out in the late 40's and early 50's and later by violent acts of vicious anti-semitism, and anti-Semitism remains a virulently cancerous part of Pakistani society.   (Source)

The only remaining synagogue was destroyed in the 1980's to make way for a shopping centre, on the orders of General Zia-ul Haq, the same one who also introduced the iniquitous blasphemy laws that are being used to commit religious cleansing on Christians, just as was done to the Jews before them.  The General spitefully ordered this sacrilege just because the Pakistani Jews who fled to Israel called for the synagogues preservation, and as the recent Rimsha case has shown, such spite against other religions is still dominant in Pakistani society today.  (Source)

Gunmen open fire on bus of nuns and Cathedral - one dead

The Catholic and Protestant dioceses in Hyderabad organized a joint protest against the 'Innocence of Muslims' film on 16th September.  While they were driving back from this protest is support of their Muslim countrymen, unknown gunman opened fire on a van in which nuns and other women were travelling, injuring the driver, Imran Masih.  In addition, unknown gunmen opened fire on the St Xavier church in Hyderabad, according to a source, killing a man known only as Mangi.

Vinny Masih of the BPCA said;

"This incident illustrates the level of hatred that is meted out on Christians.  Christians in Pakistan protested on behalf of Muslim's, in a show of solidarity,  yet became targets for another sickening attack. Our defenceless minority living there have become anathema to many despite so much positive contribution."

Source