2009 Gojra riots

Gojra, is located in the Toba Tek Singh District of Pakistan's Punjab province, has a relatively high number of Christians. District Police Officer Inkisar Khan said a case had been registered under section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code against Mukhtar Maseeh, Talib Maseeh and Imran Maseeh without any arrest. Most of the houses were burnt by youths who had their faces covered with veils. 18 others were injured. Televised footage showed burning houses and streets strewn with blackened furniture and people firing at each other from their rooftops. The dead were identified as Hameed Maseeh, 50, Asia Bibi, 20, Asifa Bibi, 19, Imamia Bibi, 22, Musa, 7, Akhlas Maseeh, 40, and Parveen, 50. According to Pakistan government they had received information that a group of armed ‘miscreants’, with masked faces had come from Jhang. Pakistani minorities also face intimidation at the hands of discriminatory laws, including a blasphemy law that carries the death penalty for using derogatory language against Islam, the Qur'an and Muhammad. These attacks came less than a month after a mob attacked 100 houses belonging to Christians in Kasur District of Pakistan, destroying many of them and injuring many people after a blasphemy charge. According to Nadeem Anthony, a member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, there is a link between violence against Christians and the US-led war in Afghanistan. Joseph Francis of the Christian Nationalist Part stated that the Muslim mob in Gojra had been incited with hate-speech that called Christians "America's dogs", he added since "9/11, we've felt a lot more at risk. ==Aftermath==

Law minister Rana Sanaullah, who was also responsible for security matters of Punjab at that time, condemned the attack and ordered an inquiry. A contingent of Pakistan Rangers was sent to the city on orders of federal government. Police lodged cases against 17 known and 783 unknown suspects following these attacks. Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif announced US$ 6,000 for each bereaved family. According to Shahbaz Bhatti, the federal minister for minorities, the attackers belonged to Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, a banned militant group which has carried out attacks against security forces and bombings in recent years. This group was originally an anti-Shiite organization and was funded in the past by Pakistan's intelligence services to wage war in Kashmir. The arrested men include Qari Abdul Khaliq Kashmiri, a leader of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan. The blockade of the railway only ended when provincial minister Kamran Michael showed the protesters a copy of a First Information Report (FIR) apportioning blame onto the District Coordination Officer and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for negligence. ==Reaction==

Domestic • : On August 4, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif visited the city, speaking to the media from a church in the city he strongly condemned the acts of violence and promised that members of the Muslim League will stay in the area for rehabilitation. Altaf Hussain of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement strongly condemned the attacks and called upon the government to quickly arrest the culprits. Sherry Rehman of Pakistan Peoples Party calling for repeal of the blasphemy laws stated “Pakistan Peoples Party has always sought to protect the minorities, but it is General Zia’s black laws that are used to target innocent civilians on trumped-up ruses. Nobody should demonize what is sacred to another, and Islam is clear on this issue, but nobody must be allowed to exploit and misuse laws, such as the Blasphemy Law, which were ordered into law by a dictator, who politicized religion to make up for his own lack of legitimacy.” International reaction • : Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini condemned the violence against Christians as "a very grave and unjustifiable attack against human rights and in particular against the inalienable right to religious freedom." ==See also==