by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Residents of Punjab Province, Pakistan have reported that a mob of Muslims attacked and tried to kill a young Christian mother-of-two whom they accused of harming Islamic sentiments earlier this month, Morning Star News reports.
A resident of Kathore village in Gojra tehsil of Faisalabad District, Punjab Province, 32-year-old Christian mother Saima Masih was accused by local Muslim Muhammad Haider of desecrating pages of the Quran on August 7, MSN reports. Inciting a mob of fellow Muslims in outrage, Haider alleged Masih had put pages of the Islamic book out in the garbage.
“The mob would have lynched Saima if the police had not reached there on time and rescued her,” Masih’s attorney Akmal Bhatti, chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan told MSN. “The mob also reportedly attacked some other Christian residents of the village, forcing them to flee their homes and hide in the fields to save their lives.”
The police arrived in time to rescue Masih from the hands of the Muslims, but nevertheless proceeded to press Haider’s charges against her, MSN reports.
“The police saved Saima’s life but registered a blasphemy case against her under the pressure of the mob, which is very unfair,” Bhatti said. “The poor woman will now have to suffer in prison for years while her two children will be deprived of her love and care.”
“Christians in Punjab are increasingly being targeted through blasphemy accusations, yet our state is not bothered at all,” Bhatti added.
With extremely harsh anti-blasphemy laws that are regularly abused, Pakistan ranks 7 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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