regime in Afghanistan," amid reports of sectarian clashes, BosNewsLife learned Thursday, November 23.
The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) a major advocacy group, said this weeks demonstration involving hundreds of people took place near the Press Club of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) where lawmakers passed the Hasba Bill this month.
Under the controversial Hasba Bill, adopted November 13, an Islamic watchdog will monitor the observance of Islamic values in public places.
"The bill will enable the executive, police and nominated councils to force their own interpretation of Islam on people and this is repugnant to the Constitution of Pakistan," APMA said in a statement to BosNewsLife.
"SELECTIVE USE"
"Selective use of religious teachings has the potential to further paralyze the society and will open many more avenues for the exploitation of religion for victimization of non Muslims and opponents," the group added.
It comes amid a growing number of Islamic attacks against Christians in Pakistan, watchdogs say. In one of the latest attacks last week, armed and drunken Muslims reportedly struck two greeters at a Sunday evening service of a church outside the city of Lahore in Punjab province.
They and nearly a dozen suspected Muslim militants later returned to attack the building of the Talab Sarai village Nazarene church with stones and bricks on November 12, human rights activists said.
They allegedly also broke fluorescent lights and a cross on the outer gate of the congregation of roughly 40 families.
ATTACKING GREETERS
In published remarks Pastor Rafiq Masih reportedly told the Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) that the Muslim men began to hit greeters who had earlier stopped them from harassing Christian women.
The Muslim men “had every intention to use the firearms,” Christian news agency Compass quoted CLAAS coordinator Wasim Muntizar as saying. It was the eight reported attack against a church in Pakistan this year.
In February the Kawanlit village (Punjab province) Catholic Church, Kasur (Punjab province)
Catholic Church, Sukkur (Sindh province) St. Mary’s Catholic Church and St. Savior’s Church of
Pakistan Church and Sargodha (Punjab province) United Presbyterian Church at Basti Noori
Gate were attacked.
One month later, on March 30, the Mian Channu (Punjab province) Apostolic Faith Mission Church (Pentecostal) was reportedly facing violence. On August 7 the Mominpura Thaiki village (Punjab province) Awami Church was reportedly attacked followed by the November 12 violence directed against Talab Sarai village (Punjab province) Nazarene Church. (With reports from Pakistan and BosNewsLife Research).
