Gojra Martyrs remembered

Nine Christians, including four women and a child, were murdered a year ago

By Ashfaq Fateh

08/01/2010 Pakistan (ANS)-Thousands of Christians from Gojra and across Pakistan have marked first anniversary of Gojra violence when many Christians were burned alive by Muslim radicals.

The 2009 Gojra riots were a series of attacks targeting Christians in Gojra town in the Punjab province of Pakistan . These resulted in the deaths of nine Christians, including four women and a child.

The anniversary event took place today (Sunday, August 1, 2010, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Gojra, Toba Tek Singh, when the Most Rev. Bishop Joseph Coutts, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad, offered a Eucharistic Mass.

A heavy contingent of police was deployed and they cordoned off all the routes to church and the Gojra Christian Colony.

The Bishop and people of from various sections of the community, lit candles in front of the pictures of the “Gojra martyrs” and also of the Emmanuel brothers — Rashid Emmanuel, 30, and his brother Sajid, 27 — who were murdered as they were leaving the court in Faisalabad on July 19, 2010, on blasphemy charges, which they both denied.

Fr. Khalid Rasheed Asi, Vicar General of the Faisalabad Diocese, gave the sermon in which he, “Today, we are not here to protest or agitate against anybody, but to recall and pay tribute to the martyrs of violence against Christians in Gojra on August 1, 2009.

“The sacrifice of the nine Christians and the Emanuel brothers has strengthened the faith of the followers.”

He appealed Christians to “remain peaceful and to serve Pakistan .”

After the service, speeches were made by members of the district administration, Muslim clerics and Christian leaders.

Abid Mukhtar, a former Christian Councilor from Gojra Christian Colony, said, “It’s unfortunate that one year has past, and still the government has not done any advancement to start phase two; the rebuilding work of the victims in there.”

He demanded that the government “pay the promised compensation to victims.”

Main Khalid, secretary of the Gojra Traders Association Gojra, told the crowd, “This tragedy has shaken the Gojra community and the traders have decided to respond in a way that Muslims could love. They have been providing food to the victims now for months. The local church and the district administration has supported our traders and other citizens to restore peace.”

Advocate Sheikh Javed, President Tehsil [administration division] Bar Council said, “All Pakistanis are equal. There is no distinction on the basis of religion. Pakistan is for each one of us.

“The violence against the Christians on August 1, 2009, was horrible and the culprits must not be spared. However, for the last past couple of years terrorists have been targeting peace loving Pakistanis.”

Joel Amir Sahotra, a member of the Punjab Assembly, in his speech, condemned the Divisional Commissioner of Faisalabad and District Coordination Officer for Toba Tek Singh, for not reporting the remaining work and compensation issue of the victims to the Chief Minster.

He alleged that his party, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, had not given a “due share of jobs for Christians” and also said that they not been “paying serious attention to resolve the issues of religious minorities in the Province of Punjab .”

He warned his party that if their reservations were not addressed, there will be “no votes” for them in the “coming elections.”

Aasia Nasir, a Christian woman member of the National Assembly addressed the Christians about a program held in the Gojra Christian Colony.

“It’s unfortunate that most of the blasphemy cases that are reported and also the violence against Christians, are taking place in central Punjab . There is not a single case of use of the blasphemy law in Balochistan Province .”

She went on to say, “Following the example of Jesus Christ, Gojra Christians should forgive the culprits for the sake of peace and harmony in the city. I know it’s not a popular suggestion, however, our Christian values teach us forgiveness.”

Pir Israr Bahar Shah, a Muslim cleric expressed solidarity with local Christians and said, “The Gojra violence by the terrorists has created a bad name for Islam and Pakistan around the world.

“The incident has not given any service to Islam. The people of Pakistan are indiscriminately targeted by the non state actors. The terrorists are attacking shrines, mosques, churches, temples, hospitals, and security personnel.”

He stressed the urgent need for “interfaith harmony and peace.”

Mullana Abdul Haye, another Muslim cleric, recited his poem on Christian Muslim peace and friendship.

Bishop Joseph Coutts thanked all those who had helped in the situation in Gojra and expressed solidarity to support victims in the shape of rebuilding of houses, compensation and providing security aftermath the violence. He praised law enforcement agencies for their security arrangements.

Fr. Yaqub Yousaf, parish priest for Gojra and also the local Christian community, organized the program after which thousands of guests were provided with lunch.

Rev. Fr. Bonnie Mendes, currently working as Regional Coordinator, with Caritas, in Thailand , is among the pioneers in Pakistan to lead movements for equal citizenship rights for minorities and human rights issues in Pakistan . [Caritas works for the eradication of poverty and social inequality. Caritas provides assistance to the most vulnerable on behalf of Catholics around the world.]

ANS talked exclusively with him on the occasion of first anniversary of Gojra violence.

He said, “Just as the Christian community all over the country, especially in the diocese of Faisalabad, was feeling the pain of the wounds of the tragedy of Gojra of August 1, 2009, and on the occasion of the first anniversary (after an accusation of blasphemy miles away from Gojra – no relatives of the Gojra Christian community) — two Christians, Sajid Emmanuel and Rashid Emmanuel, were gunned down in broad daylight, right in the premises of the court in the city of Faisalabad, where they were declared innocent by the judge of the accusation of blasphemy. To make matters worse, the [alleged] murderers were able to escape from the premises of the court.

“In Gojra last year, the police were warned to give the Christian community protection, but they allowed a mob to torch the houses of the Christian community there and some were burned to death, while many others were injured. All this took place not far from a police station in the city of Gojra .

“No doubt the government tried to help the community by rebuilding the houses of the Christian community, but no amount of help can erase the horrid memories and the inability of the police to track the real culprits and bring them to justice.

“All the government can now do is to bend backwards to do justice and listen to the innumerable complaints of the Christian community. Those complaints have to be addressed immediately — be it the curriculum of the schools or repeal of discriminatory laws. Things have to change radically if the community is live in peace and with full protection.”

Following the anniversary event, local Christians strongly condemned the Federal and Provincial Ministers of Minorities’ Affairs for their alleged “lack of interest in the first anniversary.”