- Global Voices - https://globalvoices.org -

Amidst the Advent Season, Church Blast Leaves Nine Dead and Several Injured in Quetta, Pakistan

Categories: South Asia, Pakistan, Human Rights, Religion, War & Conflict

Pakistan's Christian minority protest against an attack on their community members in Lahore in 2013. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copyright Demotix (10/3/2013)

On Sunday, December 17, 2017, a bomb went off [1] at the gates of the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in Quetta, Pakistan. The bombing occurred while worshippers were attending service, leaving nine dead and more than 50 injured.

According to media reports [2], one of the two attackers attempting to go in the front entrance was shot dead by the police force before he could enter the church's premises. Two other attackers who attempted to enter through the back gates are still missing as the police continue the search operation. The attack occurred nearly a week before Christmas and has shaken the minority Christian community in Pakistan. ISIS has claimed [3] responsibility for the attack.

People took to social media, condemning the attack and showing solidarity with the families of the deceased and injured. Netizen Dua Fatima Khan condemned the attack on Twitter:

Journalist Mehr Tarar tweeted:

In response to these terrorist attacks, people once again began voicing their support for the implementation of the National Action Plan(NAP) [8], a plan put forward to combat terrorism in 2015. This plan was put into action after the tragic incident which occurred at the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, that led to the death [9] of 149 people, most of whom were children.

Also Read: One Month on, Pakistanis Pledge to ‪#‎NeverForget ‪the Horrific Peshawar School Massacre [10]

Filmmaker Rehan Khan took to Twitter to criticise the government:

Actor Hamza Ali Abbassi called on the government to take action:

Freelance journalist Syed Hussain tweeted a photo of clerics of all faiths showed solidarity to the Christian community:

Protection of minorities in Pakistan

Christians make up approximately [3] 1.6 percent of Pakistan's 200 million and have faced discrimination for the past several years. One of Punjab's deadliest attacks occurred in Lahore during Easter [17] in 2016 and resulted in the deaths of over 70 people, including several children.

Religious cleric Imam Tawhidi tweeted:

Journalist and activist Musharraf Zaidi tweeted:

The persecution of religious minorities [21] is not new to Pakistan; since 2015, more than 200 people have been killed and more than 300 have been injured in such attacks.

Most recently, discrimination against minorities has also cropped up in government. Retired military captain Muhammad Safdar Awan [22], who is a current member of the National Assembly, demanded that the Physics Department at Quaid-e-Azam University, which was named after Nobel Laureate Dr. Adbus Salam [23], change its name. As Salam belongs to the Muslim minority Ahmadiyya [24] community, the requested name change appeared to some as an act of discrimination against the group.

For minorities in Pakistan, the Quetta attack is another reminder that — until hatred and religious intolerance are tackled — they will not be able to practice their basic right to worship freely, without the fear of being killed.