found mutilated on a road in Peshawar, Pakistan, amid an alleged new wave of Islamic attacks against evangelical Christians in the Asian nation, BosNewsLife learned Tuesday, April 12.
Human rights watchdog Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) cited sources as saying that the human remains of Pastor Shamoun Babar, 37, and his driver and evangelist Daniel Emanuel, 36, were found last week April 7, two days after they were kidnapped by Islamic militants.
"According to the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance , their bodies were badly mutilated with bullets, and their noses and ears had been cut off," in an apparent retribution for evangelizing among Muslims, CSW said in a statement to BosNewsLife News Center.
KIDNAPPED
Babar and Emanuel were reportedly kidnapped on April 5, from the University Town area of Peshawar, about 170 kilometers (106 miles) northwest of the capital Islamabad. "Their families had informed the police and government authorities about the kidnapping of Pastor Babar, and his brother had registered a complaint with the district police station," CSW said.
"Two days later their bodies were found dumped on a road near Mulazai village in Nasirbagh [which is part of] Peshawar…with their hands tied with chains and a lock. Pastor Babar’s nose and ears had been cut off, there was evidence he had been badly tortured and several bullets had pierced his body," the human rights watchdog claimed.
Despite the "the horrifying condition" of the bodies, police officers handling the case took the pastor’s wife and young children to identify the deceased. "This was a traumatic experience for them," a local source told Compass Direct, a Christian news agency investigating the plight of persecuted. Christians “Needless to say, the police were anxious to bury them without any post mortem," the source said, apparently on condition of anonymity.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack, but family members have been quoted as saying that Pastor Babar had been receiving threats and was asked to stop his church activities. He was reportedly a well-known preacher and evangelist at Peshawar and established the "Ilam Dost Foundation" in Peshawar.
PERSECUTION
Human rights workers say persecution of Christians intensified since the United States-led war on terrorism began in 2001. Pakistani Christians apparently fear the murders were part of a wave of targeted killings and hate crimes committed by extremists.
"The news of this brutal killing has spread a wave of shock, grief, sadness and anger among the Christians throughout the country…" said Shahbaz Bhatti, Chairman of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, in a statement released by CSW. "Such growing horrifying incidents of terrorism against the Christians of Pakistan have terrorized them [as] the barbaric killing of the pastor created a sense of insecurity and fear among Christians."
The attack against the two Christian leaders came less than two weeks after gunmen opened fire during a service of an Apostolic Church on Easter Sunday, March 27, near Lahore, killing one worshipper Arshad Masih and severely injuring seven worshippers, human rights watchdogs say.
PROTESTS
Hundreds of Christians have marched in protest in Peshawar calling for those responsible to be
brought to justice, news reports said.
"We are appalled by the violence and barbarity of this attack on two Christians going about their ministry in Pakistan. We stand with our partners in calling for practical steps to protect Christians and other minorities in Pakistan from this sort of extremist violence," said CSW Advocacy Director, Alexa Papadouris.
An estimated crowd of 1,500 mourners attended funeral services for the two men Sunday, April 10, in Peshawar, led by the Church of Pakistan’s Bishop of Peshawar, Rt. Rev. Mano Rumal Shah, and other local clergy, the Christian news agency Compass Direct reported.
"We do not know the actual facts and reasons of their kidnapping and killing," one of the pastors who participated in the funeral was quoted as saying by Compass Direct. "Today many newspapers gave different news. But one thing I know very well, that we lost two men of God in Peshawar," the unidentified pastor reportedly added. Christians account for about one percent of Pakistan’s total population of nearly 150 million, according to estimates.
(With BosNewsLife News Center, reports from Pakistan, BosNewsLife Research).
