Al-Ahram Weekly | International | A persecuted minority

		3 - 9 October 2002 Issue No. 606 International	Current issue Previous issue Site map
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A persecuted minority
Pakistan's Christian minority was again targeted in recent violence in Pakistan reports Iffat Malik from Islamabad

On Wednesday, 25 September, two gunmen entered the offices of Christian charity Idara-e-Amn-o-Insaf (Institute for Peace and Justice) in Karachi. They gathered the staff together in the Institute's library, tied them to chairs, taped their mouths, and shot each of them in the head at point- blank range. Six people died on the spot, a seventh in the hospital, while the eighth survived but is now paralysed. A local messenger, who showed up at the scene later, was severely beaten by the gunmen before they left the scene.
The Karachi killings are the latest in a series of attacks against Christians that have taken place since President Pervez Musharraf lent Pakistani support to the US-led war against terror. After Mussharaf pledged Pakistan's support and promised to rid his country of Islamists, many feared that Christians and foreigners would pay the price. Tragically, those fears have been proved correct.
This is only the latest in a string of attacks that have taken place since Pakistan became embroiled in the war on terror. Churches, schools, and hospitals that are associated with Christian or foreign organisations have all been targeted. Security at foreign organisations has been beefed up in response to the attacks and many foreigners have decide to leave the country. The remaining targets are the native Christian population. The deaths from last Wednesday's attacks bring the death toll of those killed by terrorist violence in Pakistan after 11 September to 36.
The Idara-e-Amn-o-Insaf is a Christian charity that has been operating for more than 30 years. It focuses on working with poor people, irrespective of their religion. Many suggest the charity was chosen by terrorists because its newspaper recently ran an article condemning Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws. In the past these laws have been used to take property from Christian individuals and organisations.
In May the group's chairperson, Edwin Moon, was found gagged and bound -- he had been injected with poison. This event led many to speculate that someone had a personal grudge against the charity. However, the size and brutality of Wednesday's events point to anti-government and anti-Western terrorists.
This latest Christian massacre comes just a few days after the government appeared to be making progress in the fight against terrorists. On the one-year anniversary of 11 September, Karachi police had a massive coup when an operation against suspected Al-Qa'eda terrorists led to the capture of Ramzi bin al-Shabih -- the self-confessed coordinator of the 11 September hijackings, and someone the Americans and Germans had been desperate to find.
Last week police announced another big success: the capture of 23 members of a militant group called Harkat- ul-Mujahedin Al-Almi. Police claim that among those arrested were the people responsible for a bomb blast outside of Karachi's Sheraton Hotel in May that killed 11 French naval engineers and a later blast outside the American Consulate. One of the captured suspects is Sharib Ahmed, a key leader of Al-Almi. According to American officials Sharib and his men had planned to kill Musharraf while he visited a Defence Exhibition in the city two weeks ago.
The recent arrests were great successes for law enforcement in Pakistan. The country has come under attack from the US and India among others for being relaxed in its pursuit of terrorists. Tariq Jamil, head of operations for the Karachi police department, proclaimed, "We were sure that the recent raids that resulted in the arrests of star terrorists such as Ramzi and Sharib would give us some respite and put the militants on a running track."
That optimism was short-lived. Christians are now openly questioning the government's commitment to protecting them. Thursday saw a huge demonstration in Karachi, to protest against Wednesday's brutal killings and the government's failure to prevent them. Christian groups throughout the country announced a three- day closure of their offices to mourn those killed and to highlight their plight in the country.
"This incident shows that the government has failed to protect us," said Bishop Victor Mall of the Church of Pakistan. "People in our community now feel more insecure." Shahbaz Bhatti, head of the All Pakistan Minority Alliance, an umbrella group of minority political parties, appealed to the international community for help. "We have become increasingly victimised since the launch of the US- led war on terror. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the international community to ensure that the government protects us."
The Pakistan government made a half-hearted attempt to pin the blame for the killings on Indian intelligence operatives. But they, and Pakistan's Christians, know that the perpetrators were most likely Pakistani Muslims, venting their anger at Musharraf's pro-West policies. The fact that they are fellow Pakistanis rather than foreigners makes finding them that much harder for the authorities, and makes the Christian community that much more vulnerable.

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