On Wednesday, a Christian community in Pakistan was attacked by a Muslim mob who reportedly burned Bibles, vandalized homes and torched churches after two Christians had been accused of blasphemy.

According to the Associated Press, at least two churches have been vandalized, and one has been burned, in Jaranwala. This is a largely Christian district in eastern Pakistan. The mob, armed with sticks and rocks, also destroyed at least one house, while vandalizing several others. Some reports claim that more churches were damaged. Many Christians fled their homes to safety.

Bishop Azad Marsh, moderator of the Church of Pakistan and the bishop of Faisalabad, posted on X, Wednesday, “We are deeply hurt and distressed by the Jaranwala Incident in the Faisalabad district in Pakistan.” As I type this, a church is burning. Christians and Bibles were desecrated, and Christians tortured for falsely accusing them of violating Holy Quran.

Marshall continued, “We call for immediate action and justice from the law enforcement agencies and those responsible for administering justice to ensure that all citizens are safe and that their lives matter in our homeland which has just celebrated its independence and freedom.”

According to AP, two Christian members of a community were accused of blasphemy by a mob. They claimed that they had desecrated a Quran, tearing pages out and writing insulting words in other pages. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are notoriously strict, and anyone convicted can be put to death.

According to the AP, a simple accusation is enough for a crowd to lynch or kill a person who has been accused of blasphemy. These people are usually Christians. Open Doors, an organization dedicated to helping persecuted Christians around the world, reports that about 25% of all blasphemy allegations are made against Christians in Pakistan, who only make up 2% of the population.

Social media has been flooded with videos of the scenes in Pakistan. The mob threw furniture out the windows and hurled crosses off the tops.

France24 reported that videos of mosque loudspeakers encouraging their followers to demonstrate were shown. All clerics and all Muslims should gather together in front of the Mosque. A Muslim cleric said, “It’s better to die than not care about Islam.”

They piled up fridges, couches, chairs, and other household goods in front of the church to be burned. “They also burned and desecrated the Bibles. They were ruthless,” a Christian who fled from his home told AFP.

Anwaar ul-Haq, interim prime minister of Pakistan – a country that is 97% Muslim – posted on X: “Stern actions will be taken against those violating law and targeting minorities.” All law enforcement agencies have been instructed to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice. However, the AP notes that earlier videos show police officers failing quickly to intervene in order to stop the attacks.

Police fired into the air to disperse the crowd, and aided by clerics from Islam and Pakistani troops. They also promised to arrest those Christians who were accused. Rizwan Khan, the police chief, said that everyone involved in this mob will be prosecuted.

Open Doors claims that the Pakistani police are more concerned with appeasing local powerful men than protecting minorities and implementing the laws. The organization also notes that Christians in Pakistan often spend years in prison before the courts decide their fate.

According to the Open Doors World Watch List 2023, Pakistan is ranked 7th among the 50 countries which most frequently and severely persecute Christians. The most common types of persecution are Islamic oppression and ethno-religious hatred, dictatorial paranoia and organized crime.