130 Christians face Pakistani blasphemy charges

The priest who directs the Dominican order’s peace centre in Lahore said that 130 Christians are now facing blasphemy charges in Pakistan.

“According to my estimate, there are 130 Christians whose trials are proceeding,” Fr James Channan told Aid to the Church in Need. “But people will be surprised to learn that there are about 950 Muslims currently held under the law. But there is a big difference between accusations of Muslims and Christians: if one Muslim is accused, just one Muslim is accused,” he continued. 

“But in the case of a Christian being accused, an entire community, an entire neighbourhood is accused. And in several cases the entire Christian village or a Christian neighbourhood has been burned to ashes.”