Faisalabad August 16, 2023

Yesterday we received a shocking call from Lahore. Our colleague, Mr. Anthony Javed, told us about the severe attacks by Muslim extremists about 2.5 hours from Lahore. A horde of marauding men armed with batons entered the Christian residential area of Jaranwala and looted a total of over 50 houses there. The riots also spread to other areas, rendering a total of 127 houses uninhabitable, many of them severely damaged by fire. These attacks were preceded by Koran burnings in Sweden in mid-July. These are used now, in order to make in the one already unstable countries such as Pakistan, the tendency against the Christian minority (3% of the total population) further negatively loaded and Christians for it responsible, which had nothing at all to do with this surely illegal Koran burning. Below is the short report from our contributor Anthony Javed, he is a lawyer and works for a Christian law firm in Lahore:

Letter 1

Dear friends, brothers and sisters !
We hope that you are all well, the Anthony Foundation team is safe here in Pakistan by the grace of God. It is with heavy heart that we would like to inform you about the situation in Jaranwala Faisalabad, the scenario here is really bad, about 50 houses and the Catholic Church of Esa Nagri Jaranwala Faisalabad have been burnt and demolished and a total of 127 houses in the nearby area including 3 big churches have been burnt and demolished. By the grace of God there are no casualties but the injured people are in hospital who became victims of bullets and batons others were burnt by the heavy fire. Yesterday when we visited the place everything was in flames, we attach the photos and videos with a clear view, but during our visit today we could go near the church, even inside the church and the people in the colony were crying, not only their houses are broken but also their hearts and souls, just because of all this religious discrimination, their whole world is destroyed, nothing is left behind, not even in their pockets and nothing is left behind in their houses. The electricity, gas and water supply has been cut off because of the severe fire. We need your prayers and help for the reconstruction and of course to provide them with the basic necessities (food, water, dishes, kitchen utensils, etc.).
 

Faisalabad August 20, 2023

Letter 2

Dear brothers and sisters, I am deeply shocked and dismayed by the incident in Jaranwala in Faisalabad district of Pakistan !

Several churches, about 26, were burnt down and more than 200 houses of our Christian brothers and sisters were set on fire and burnt completely. The mob looted valuable items from the houses. I was there to see this and to spend some time with my brothers and sisters. It was so hard for me to stay there and see them crying.  
The pictures shown here show how they burned everything down and how our people had to spend the night in the open field.  

I ask all our friends to come forward and help our community. We want to help them with beds to sleep on, because they have nothing left, not even a single thing in their houses.

We need the money for about 400 beds. I ask all our friends in Germany and Austria and Switzerland who are privileged and have been blessed by God to donate whatever they are willing to do.
God bless you
With heavy heart

Mrs. Sajal & Anthony Javed