Angry Mob in Islamabad Try to Burn Christian Family in their Home.

On 10th September, Boota Masih, a 38 year old Pakistani Christian, heard loud banging on his front door. An angry mob had gathered outside his Islamabad home, accusing Boota of being a trespasser in his own home and demanding that he leave his house.

“I was terror stricken,” said Boota. “The mob was threatening to kill me and my family. They had weapons in their hands and started to brandish them before me. I thought they would kill all of us. I refused to leave my home – I had paid for it fairly and they had no right to ask me to leave.”

Boota Masih and his wife and their six children had moved into this house only a few months earlier, having bought it  for 1 million rupees (£6,200; €8,500; US$9,500). The sale was witnessed by two people with an oral agreement of sale.

When Boota refused to leave his home, the crowd began to hit him with iron rods and wooden sticks. Then they locked the family inside a room in their house and set it on fire.

“I broke down the door using all my strength, desperate to live and to save my family,” he said. Christian neighbours saw the fire and came to rescue the family. “They put out the flames and called the fire brigade,” said Boota.

Boota Masih suspects the mob was incited by the wife of Ghulam Ali, the man from whom he purchased the house. He believes they were attempting to seize his property and his land.

Although eye witnesses have reported the incident, police are so far refusing to file an incident report (FIR). Christians living in the community are fearful of further attack.

• Pray for Christians in Pakistan as they come under growing and frequent attacks and oppression. Pray for their protection, and for perseverance of faith.
• Pray that Pakistani authorities will take reports of abuse and attacks against Christians seriously, and look to protect the Christian minority groups across the country.
• Pray for the spread of the Gospel in Pakistan, especially with the growth of fundamental Islam there. Pray that many will encounter the living Christ and come to know the truth of His gospel for them.

Nehemiah 4 vs 9: “So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.”

Source: https://www.barnabasfund.org/news