Pakistan: Interfaith action averts violence against Christian family

By Francesca Merlo and Linda Bordoni

Swift intervention by local authorities, Muslim religious leaders, students from Islamic seminaries and members of the community helped prevent violence against a Christian family in Karachi after unproven allegations of Quran desecration sparked tensions.

Speaking to Vatican News, Naeem Yousaf Gill, Executive Director of the Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice in Pakistan, said the response in Baldia Town on 9 July demonstrated how timely action and interreligious cooperation can help prevent tragedy, while cautioning that Christians in Pakistan continue to feel vulnerable whenever accusations of blasphemy emerge.

According to Gill, reports indicate that "someone had mailed a desecrated page of the Holy Quran to a local shopkeeper." The page allegedly contained photographs of a Christian man, Azeem Javed, and his mother, residents of Qazafi Colony in Baldia Town. Soon afterwards, "a violent mob besieged the home of accused Azeem."

Gill explained that the situation was brought under control because "the government and administration timely took action and assured the protesters that police would conduct a thorough investigation and trace out the culprits." As a result, "the protest was called off."

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The intervention by Muslim religious leaders, students from Islamic seminaries and local politicians to protect Christian families was, Gill admitted, unexpected.

"It was welcomed and appreciated with great surprise," he said, expressing hope that the episode "would gradually pave the way to build good relationships among communities."

For Gill, the events in Baldia Town underline the importance of decisive leadership at moments of crisis.

"It is learnt that if the administration and religious leadership takes tamely and wise action, incidents such as Jaranwala, Gojra can be avoided," he said, referring to previous episodes of anti-Christian violence in Pakistan.

A cautious assessment

Despite the peaceful outcome, Gill warned against interpreting the incident as evidence of a broader shift in attitudes toward the rule of law.

"With a single incident, we cannot claim that respect for the law is becoming stronger. It's too early," he said.

He stressed that Christian communities remain deeply anxious whenever blasphemy allegations arise.

"The Christian community feels unprotected and vulnerable in Pakistan due to repeated incidents," he said. "The allegation is levelled against one person; however, if the accused is Christian, the whole community pays the price."

"It will take time to restore the confidence of the community," he added.

The value of relationships

Gill explained that the Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice was able to respond quickly because of long-established relationships within the local community.

He recounted that a former staff member living in the same street alerted the Commission's coordinator, who immediately contacted local authorities, including Deputy Speaker Naveed, as well as "other authorities and like-minded clerics."

He added that the Commission had "conducted seminars on interfaith harmony in that area" over many years and had "developed good networking with majority communities."

"That initiative played a good role in activating a number of good people to protect the Christian community," he said.

For Gill, the episode offers a concrete example of the importance of dialogue between faith communities.

"Interreligious dialogue has great significance. It should be continued. It will break the barriers," he said.

Preventing future violence

Looking ahead, Gill called for greater public awareness to help prevent accusations of blasphemy from escalating into violence.

"The government should start an awareness campaign through all means," he said, noting that "such a campaign has never been initiated."

He suggested that "through textbooks, TV dramas, and social media and short messages, people should be prepared to act wisely in such situations."

While welcoming the peaceful resolution in Karachi, Gill reminded the international community that many Christians in Pakistan continue to endure discrimination.

"The Catholics in Pakistan are living a hard life," he said. "They are facing discrimination, humiliation and hatred in all spheres of their lives. Still struggling to live with dignity."

Reflecting on whether the incident offered grounds for hope, Gill noted an important regional distinction.

"This particular incident happened in Sindh province," he said. "Sindh is a comparatively more tolerant society than Punjab. Almost all violent attacks against Christians take place in Punjab."