The struggles and resilience of a faithful community of christians injured, facing unjust treatment and violence.
Christian Pastor Injured.
On 3rd September 2023, a christian pastor was shot and injured in Jaranwala, Pakistan, just a week after unidentified individuals inscribed Islamic slogans on the walls of his church, highlighting the ongoing plight of persecuted Christians in the region.
Reverend Eleazar Sidhu, the pastor in charge of the Presbyterian church in Kukranwala village, Jaranwala tehsil, Faisalabad district, shared his harrowing experience through a video circulating on social media. He recounted:
“I was returning to my home in Rehmat Town with my assistant John Masih when the assailants stopped us. One of the attackers pulled out a pistol and demanded that I recite the Kalima (declaration of Islamic faith). When I refused and instead began to recite the Apostles’ Creed, the man shouted ‘Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (Islamic slogan praising Prophet Muhammad)’ and opened fire, resulting in a bullet wound on the upper half of my chest. The assailants fled after the attack.”
The incident starkly underscores the increasingly dangerous and hostile environment for persecuted Christians in Pakistan. Christian Pastor Injured Eleazar provided a detailed account of the events and mounting tensions leading up to the brutal attack, highlighting the ongoing threats faced by the Christian community:
“On 28th August 2023, I was conducting early morning prayers in the church when a female congregant informed me of graffiti on the walls, including a slogan associated with the hard-line religious party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. I immediately called the police, who oversaw the whitewashing of the walls. I also filed a case against the unknown vandals.”
Christian Pastors Injured, a growing violence
Unfortunately, the number of Christian pastors injured or killed has increased significantly. These attacks are often perpetrated by extremist groups that oppose any form of religious conversion or challenge to Islamic dominance in these regions. The risk of violence extends beyond pastors, impacting congregations and Christian communities at large.
