On the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, Spotlight on Violence in Pakistan

WASHINGTON, DC (22 August 2023) On the occasion of the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, ADF International condemns the violence that has erupted in Pakistan. On August 16th, a mob of hundreds of Islamic extremists began rioting, destroying at least 19 churches and many homes in Christian communities in eastern Pakistan. The attacks, which were in retaliation against an alleged crime of “blasphemy” by two Christians, have garnered international attention and widespread condemnation from religious freedom advocates. 

“The scale and severity of the attacks against Christians in Pakistan is unconscionable,” said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom for ADF International. “Nobody should be persecuted for living out their faith, and all who are able need to speak out and condemn these targeted attacks on the minority Christian community. Our hope is that Pakistani authorities will be able to quell the violence and pursue justice for the victims. We are praying for all affected and remain committed to defending the right of every person to worship without fear of persecution”. 

Mob violence in Pakistan 

“What is happening in Pakistan is a tragic example of the correlation between blasphemy laws and mob violence. Where these repressive laws exist, they create a climate of hostility against religious minorities, and fertile ground for radicals to wreak havoc against those whom they perceive as blasphemers,” stated Tehmina Arora, Director of Advocacy, Asia, for ADF International. 

On August 16th, violence broke out in the small town of Jaranwala, outside Faisalabad in eastern Pakistan. A mob of radical Muslims, many of whom were mobilized and directed by local mosques, descended upon the town, which is a largely Christian community, and began destroying homes, in addition to burning down and desecrating churches. Some reports put the number of destroyed Christian churches at 19.  

The mob violence was in response to alleged blasphemy by two young Christians who were accused of ripping pages out of the Quran and writing insults in red ink on the removed pages. 

Background on Blasphemy 

Pakistan is one of seven countries in the world where blasphemy is punishable by death. This year alone, there have been over 60 reported cases of alleged blasphemy in Pakistan. Though no one has been formally executed for alleged blasphemy in the country, dozens have been killed or injured by mobs after being accused of the crime.  

Pakistani couple Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel recently faced death-by-hanging in Lahore as a consequence of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Shafqat was pressured into a false confession, following beatings from radicals and threats towards his wife, Shagufta. The Catholic couple, alongside their four children, were assisted by ADF International to reach safety in Europe after a court in Lahore acquitted them of their charges in June 2021, under pressure from the European Union and other international entities. The family continued to face death threats by extremists despite being fully acquitted.  

Freedom of Religion or Belief 

Blasphemy laws plague and threaten the lives of religious minorities across the globe. In northern Nigeria, where blasphemy is also punishable by death, a young Sufi Muslim named Yahaya Sharif-Aminu received the death penalty for sending WhatsApp messages that were deemed “blasphemous”. A mob burned down his family home, and he was sentenced to death by hanging in a Sharia court, despite not having a lawyer. With the support of ADF International, Yahaya is currently challenging the constitutionality of the blasphemy law before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.