Many people around the world had the chance to follow the TV news coverage about the terrorist attack on Christian churches and families that took place in Pakistan on 16 August 2023, when two young Christians were falsely accused of blasphemy by Islamic extremists.
In the very harsh and aggressive attack, 21 Christian churches were burned and the homes of 300 families were vandalized.
In response to so much destruction, which deepened the fears and wounds of the tiny Christian community in Pakistan, everyone mobilized to express solidarity and bring comfort, headed by the Bishop of Faisalabad (the worst-hit city) and Caritas International.
In keeping with our specific vocation, the Daughters of St. Paul of Pakistan participated in a peaceful demonstration in Karachi, where Sr. Ghazia spoke and also posted a short speech on Youtube, emphasizing the Christian contribution to the good of the country, particularly in the fields of culture, education and medicine. She reaffirmed the Pakistani Christians’ love for their homeland and their undisputed contribution to its development. As a concrete response of love to the affected families, which are being helped by many food and financial aid donations, our five FSP communities pledged to donate 300 Bibles to these suffering families, because all copies of this text were burned by the aggressors.
On 28 August, a representative from each Pauline community went to the site to comfort the victims and personally present the Bibles to these distraught families, who continue to experience the trauma of the many injustices Pakistani Christians have suffered at the hands of extremists over the years.
