THE BARNABAS FUND

SEVEN KILLED IN ATTACK ON CHRISTIAN CHARITY

PAKISTAN

25 September 2002

Two gunmen killed seven people in the offices of a Christian charity in Karachi on Wednesday 25 September. The victims were tied up and gagged before being shot at point blank range.

Six of the victims died instantly and the seventh died in hospital shortly afterwards. An eighth person was seriously wounded and a ninth person was severely beaten up. The gunmen fled the scene and are being hunted by the Pakistani police. It is unclear whether all the victims were Christians or if some were Muslims. The charity is run by Pakistani Christians and concentrates on social and justice issues. A recent issue of the charity’s magazine was critical of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Although not certain at this stage, it is thought likely that the attackers are linked to extremist Islamic groups. When police arrested 21 members of the Islamic militant group, Harakat ul-Mujahideen Al-Ami recently, they found plans of Christian facilities in Karachi.

This latest attack will further increase the fears of Christians in Pakistan. They believe that they are bearing the brunt of revenge attacks by Islamic militants because Christians are associated with the West. There have been a series of attacks on Christian targets in Pakistan over the last year. Five nurses were killed when a Christian hospital in Taxila was attacked in August, and six others died when Murree Christian School was the target a few days earlier. Sixteen people were killed in October 2001 when gunmen opened fire on a church congregation in Bahawalpur. In March 2002 five people were killed in a grenade attack on a church in Islamabad’s diplomatic district.

PRAY

Pray that the Lord will comfort and support those who have lost loved ones in this latest attack.

Pray for Christians in Pakistan who are extremely fearful at this time. Pray for their protection and that the Lord will help them to remain strong in their faith in these difficult circumstances.

Pray for wisdom, courage and protection for the government and security services in Pakistan, that they might continue to protect Christians and other minorities in the face of aggression from Islamic extremists.

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