wfn.org | Pakistani church leader appeals for support, citing “grave situation” for Christians in Korian

["Kristine Greenaway" <Kristine.Greenaway@warc.ch>]

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>World Alliance of Reformed Churches
>News Backgrounder
>31 July 2009

Pakistani church leader appeals for support, citing â??grave
situationâ?? for Christians in Korian

The World Alliance for Reformed Churches (WARC) has released the
text of an appeal by a Christian church leader from Pakistan
pleading for assistance in response to violence against
Christians in that country.

The church leader whose identity is being withheld for security
concerns wrote in the early morning hours of 31 July:

â??I am writing these words very late at night. It is 2 a.m. and I
am watching the live coverage of 45-50 Christian homes burning in
the village of Korian some 18 miles from Faisalabad. It is being
reported on the Express news on television that 25 Christian
homes with all their belongings are completely burned while
another 20-25 are partially burned. It is being reported that a
mob of armed Muslim men attacked the village of Korian and set
the houses on fire. Even the animals belonging to Christians are
roasted in fire. There are reports of injuries, and deaths are
feared, but no causalities reported as yet. 

Persecution of the Christian community is growing by the day in
Pakistan. On July 5th, 117 Christian families were attacked in
the village of Bahamaniwala. Their houses were also destroyed and
belongings were looted while women and children trying to escape
were attacked with acid. The situation is grave in Korian. The
Christian community has lost everything. They are desperate for
help. As usual police and authorities have not acted in time. 

Please pray for the people in Korian. Along with other pastors,
I am leaving at 5 a.m. to see the situation with my own eyes.
Please prepare for immediate help for the affected. They need
shelter, food, clothing and everything needed for living. Right
now television is reporting that 45 homes are completely
destroyed. We need your maximum support.â??

In releasing the message to WARC member churches, the
organizationâ??s general secretary, Setri Nyomi, writes:  â??I deem
it important to bring this to your attention and to call on all
to pray along with those affected by this tragedy and all who
continue to suffer.â??

>Contact:
>Kristine Greenaway 
>Executive Secretary, Communications
>World Alliance of Reformed Churches
>150 Route de Ferney
>P.O. Box 2100
>1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
>tel.  +41.22 791 62 43 
>fax: +41.22 791 65 05
>web: www.warc.ch ( http://www.warc.ch/ ) 
>e-mail: kgr@warc.ch

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