Attack on Christians a further crisis for Pakistan

A Christian woman walks through a burned-out home in Gojra, a city in Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab.

A mob in the city of Gojra, angered by rumors that the Koran had been desecrated, set fire to Christian homes. Seven Christians died, and Pakistani officials are pledging protection.

By Alex Rodriguez

August 6, 2009

Reporting from Gojra, Pakistan — Ethel Khurshid Gil gingerly held out the charred Bible she pulled from the rubble of her home, using a swatch of cellophane to keep the scorched pages from scattering in the hot wind. "Look how they've destroyed our Bibles!" the 47-year-old Christian Pakistani cried out.

Not far away, charred wood and broken dishes crunched underfoot as Umair Akhlas stepped through his house to point out the blackened bedroom where he and his relatives hid from the mob that firebombed the building, shouting "Burn them alive!"

Akhlas and several relatives escaped. But six, including two children, couldn't breach the flames and died in that room.

"They were screaming Christians are dogs, that we're American agents," Akhlas said. "They look for any reason to do something against Christians."

(More here.)