three long decades, painstakingly building our houses brick by brick. Even if the government assists in rebuilding our houses, how can we ever erase the memory of our beloved homes reduced to ashes? Our lives in this area will never be the same again; the scars from this ordeal will remain with us forever.” Mahnoor recounted, “Among the individuals in the mob, a few were riding motorcycles with drums of chemicals strapped to the front. These chemicals were of such potent nature that they could be easily tossed, igniting fires almost instantly.” Amina said the mob was armed with a variety of weapons, including rods, batons, pistols, axes, and hammers. Oscar: One pastor said, “They disrespected us, the Bible, and churches which is not a good thing at all. If there was such a thing or accusation of blasphemy, that could have been solved legally. The government has to control that type of fake things; people use it against Christian like a weapon.” Families were crying, and they said that when they burnt our houses and churches no one came for our help. “We must flee for our lives when we leave our homes, our girls didn’t even have proper clothes. The government gives us relief checks, but we didn’t cash.” WHERE DID YOU SEE THE LORD WORKING; WHAT GAVE YOU HOPE? Ginger: I saw the resilience of faith when I visited the site on Sunday, the very first Sunday following the tragic incident. Despite the churches being vandalized and houses reduced to ashes, the enduring love of God remained firmly rooted in the hearts of the Christians in Jaranwala. In a remarkable display of unwavering faith, they organized a large church gathering right amidst those charred streets. There, they worshipped, prayed, and conducted their Sunday service, undeterred by fear or adversity. Oscar: When God helps you, he makes your enemy your friends. We saw there that some people from other communities were helping our Christian community, and it gave us hope that God never abandons his believer if we step forward to help them. God is with us. WHAT IS SOMETHING FROM THIS INCIDENT THAT WILL STICK WITH YOU FOR A LONG TIME? Ginger: Their resilience and unwavering faith. Despite the persecution and the fact that they continue to live amidst the very community that targeted them for their beliefs, they stand firm in their faith. Instead of succumbing to adversity, they praise their God with even greater enthusiasm. Oscar: The burning of the Churches and holy Bibles, the helpless faces of the survivors whose eyes were looking for help; and they were unable to do anything even if they wanted to. Their cries that they were crying and say no one came to help us. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE ICC’S ROLE IN THE RECOVERY; WHAT DO YOU WANT OUR SUPPORTERS TO KNOW? Ginger: We met people on a personal level and gave them words of encouragement. We also listened to the stories of how they survived, and this helps us better understand their needs. By building relationships with survivors, we effectively distributed resources where they were needed most. By connecting directly with those affected by the violent act, ICC gains deeper understanding about their individual contexts which helps inform how best to meet their needs. ICC improved and strengthened relationships with the survivors through words of encouragement and our staff together with the pastors and Catholic fathers sang psalms and prayed in front of the burnt church. Meeting as a person was also beneficial for us. We could visit those areas which were burnt, but no one had access there and this gave us the advantage that we could know all their needs in a better way, and we could channel all our resources to them. We took visited and distributed food aid to 75 families—that was what they needed at that time. IN WHAT WAYS ARE CHRISTIANS IN JARANWALA STILL UNDERGOING PERSECUTION AND HARDSHIPS? Ginger: Our supporters should know about the current situation as blasphemy is a very complicated matter in Pakistan. Following the incident of Jaranwala, there have been many occurrences of blasphemy against minorities. The Christian community is still under pressure from the majority as the Muslims have started to hold a grudge against minorities and accuse them of being involved with humiliating the Islamic religion. Our supporters should condemn the incident and request the state to take serious action. Oscar: In Jaranwala, some pastors and many people are still receiving threats. The two brothers who were accused are in police custody and their family are still facing threats from the Majority. To spread fear, some people are picked up for investigation and allegedly connected with this family without evidence. No one knows where they are kept. Some people are suffering from various diseases, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Recently some unknown persons shot and injured a pastor. Photos: Rubble and carnage in the aftermath of the mob attack in Jaranwala. 14 <strong>Persecution</strong> | OCTOBER <strong>2023</strong>
“In a remarkable display of unwavering faith, they organized a large church gathering right amidst those charred streets. There, they worshipped, prayed, and conducted their Sunday service, undeterred by fear or adversity.” - GINGER, ICC STAFF MEMBER PERSECUTION.ORG 15
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