Pakistani authorities raid slum after dispute between Christian and Muslim workers
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 7, 2009) - International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on June 4th, local police entered a Christian village in Pakistan, arrested several men, and dragged women out of their homes and through the streets by their hair.
The village of Ali Nagar is a suburb of Wazirabad, in northern Pakistan, and contains a slum populated by around 100 Christian families - nearly all of whom are sanitation workers.
Several days before the raid, Muslim sanitation workers accused the Christians of not keeping the sewage lines clean enough. After the Christians protested the accusation, the Muslims filed a complaint against the Christian workers living in Ali Nagar.
Stephen Gill, a local Christian leader, contends that the Muslims' accusations were unfounded, and recounts how police immediately acted on the complaint and raided the slum with an elite unit: "The police raided and ransacked Christian homes and stole our valuables, including cell phones, cash, jewelry, and other expensive household items."
Police beat 11 Christian men who protested the raid and then threw them into police vans. They were all taken to the police station and later thrown into jail.
The police also grabbed the women by their hair and dragged them out of their homes and into the street, where they "ripped apart" their clothes as they mocked them, calling them "choohra" (a derogative word for "Christian"). They arrested at least six women.
When ICC contacted the police, they claimed that the purpose of the raid was "to arrest men involved in bootlegging." The government has ignored the incident.
Jeremy Sewall, ICC's Advocacy Director, said, "This shameful violation of justice and Christians' human rights illustrates how the Pakistani government sanctions and participates in the regular persecution of Christians. When the government who is supposed to protect you turns against you and robs your house and abuses your family, where are you supposed to turn? Please pray for the speedy release of those wrongfully held and that justice would be served."
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ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.
