Friday, September 28, 2012

Protesters set fire to Anglican Church in Pakistan

Pakistan - The church altar was destroyed in the fireA crowd of Islamic demonstrators set fire to St. Paul’s in northern Pakistan. Christian schools, libraries and homes were also attacked

St. Paul’s Church in Mardan, in Pakistan's Northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was torched yesterday by a crowd of Muslim demonstrators, destroying a 19th century church. 

The rally was in protest against the US-made anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims.
  
Some demonstrators entered the Church, vandalised it and the set it alight using kerosene, guns and clubs. The altars and various copies of the Bible were also destroyed. 

Demonstrators also targeted a school, a library, a computer laboratory, an orphanage and some houses in the Christian neighbourhood.  
 
In a statement to Vatican Insider, Rev. Binyameen Barkat (50), treasurer of the Northern Diocese of the (Anglican) Church of Pakistan said: “We received threats last week and asked the local police force to protect church property: they acted on this but it wasn’t enough to stem the demonstrators’ violence.”