BREAKING NEWS: Murdered Christian Men Quickly Buried After Gunfire (Exclusive)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 (4:50 am)
By Xavier P. William, BosNewsLife/Worthy News Special Correspondent reporting from Pakistan
FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (Worthy News)-- Two Christian evangelists who were shot and killed by suspected Islamic militants were quickly buried around sunrise Tuesday, July 20, in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad after a night of sectarian clashes, officials told Worthy News and its news partner BosNewsLife.
Police "forcefully took the dead bodies" of Pastor Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his 30-year-old brother Sajid Masih Emmanuel just hours after they were assassinated by five masked gun men Monday, July 19, at a court building in Faisalabad in Punjab province, said Khalid Gill, a Christian legislator in the Punjab Assembly, who attended the funeral.
"They" [the police] got them buried around 6am local time", added Gill, who is also the president of the Christian Lawyers’ Foundation, in an interview with Worthy News.
Several other Christian leaders, including Pakistan's Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti, and the men's family, were also present at the funeral.
Rizwan Paul, president of advocacy group Life for All (LFA), told Worthy News and BosNewsLife that police arranged the fast funeral in Faisalabad "to avoid huge processions." Security forces imposed a curfew Monday, July 19, when after the killings gunfire broke out in a predominantly Christian neighborhood of Faisalabad between Muslim and Christian gunmen.
MASSIVE GUNFIRE
Gunfire could be heard till early Tuesday, July 20 and police said at least eight people were detained. Shots seemed to have been fired from rooftops, people in the area told Worthy News.
"The police did this funeral early morning so that few people were able to attend. They explained that it was an attempt to calm the situation and bring back law and order," added Paul, who has been trying to calm the situation overnight.
The handcuffed Emmanuel brothers of mission group United Ministries Pakistan, were killed Monday, July 19, as they were led to a court room to stand trial on charges of blasphemy against Islam, witnesses said.
Trial observers described the charges as false and linked them to the brother's activities, that included evangelism.
MEN DETAINED
Police detained the men July 2 after complaints from local residents, including a market salesman, Muhammad Khuram Shezad.
He and other Muslims accused them of writing a pamphlet with blasphemous remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. The charges were based on hand-written and photo-copied pamphlets with remarks about the prophet Muhammad that the Muslims consider offensive.
Following the arrests of the evangelists, anti-Christian protests broke out and residents said an angry crowd burned tires and shouted slogans against Christians on July 12. On July 16, some mosques provoked Muslims to protest at a rally and also to “burn the houses of Christians,” Christians said.
Muslim leaders could not be reached for comment.
BROTHERS "INNOCENT"
However Gill and Paul said the men were innocent, and handwriting experts reportedly notified police that signatures on papers denigrating Muhammad did not match those of the accused.
Gill suggested to Worthy News that the men have been pressured to admit wrongdoing. "When I saw the dead bodies I saw cuts and other signs of police torture including marks on their faces."
Police had no comment on these allegations, but Punjab’s inspector general reportedly suspended two senior officials for failing to provide security for the slain brothers.
LFA's Paul said his organization has called for nationwide protests against the killings and the police decision "not to allow a proper funeral for the deceased." A first protest was expected Tuesday, July 20, in the city of Rawalpindi near the nation's capital Islamabad. Another demonstration in Lahore was canceled due to heavy rain, Paul said.
It comes amid growing pressure on minority Christians, according to rights activists. Several Christians have been detained in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy, but critics claim the legislation has been misused to settle personal disputes, for instance over land or money.
Under blasphemy legislation of predominantly Muslim Pakistan, a man can potentially face execution if his insult to Islam amounts to apostasy, or turning away from Islam, while a woman generally faces life imprisonment. (With editing by Worthy News' Stefan J. Bos).
FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (Worthy News)-- Two Christian evangelists who were shot and killed by suspected Islamic militants were quickly buried around sunrise Tuesday, July 20, in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad after a night of sectarian clashes, officials told Worthy News and its news partner BosNewsLife.
Police "forcefully took the dead bodies" of Pastor Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his 30-year-old brother Sajid Masih Emmanuel just hours after they were assassinated by five masked gun men Monday, July 19, at a court building in Faisalabad in Punjab province, said Khalid Gill, a Christian legislator in the Punjab Assembly, who attended the funeral.
"They" [the police] got them buried around 6am local time", added Gill, who is also the president of the Christian Lawyers’ Foundation, in an interview with Worthy News.
Several other Christian leaders, including Pakistan's Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti, and the men's family, were also present at the funeral.
Rizwan Paul, president of advocacy group Life for All (LFA), told Worthy News and BosNewsLife that police arranged the fast funeral in Faisalabad "to avoid huge processions." Security forces imposed a curfew Monday, July 19, when after the killings gunfire broke out in a predominantly Christian neighborhood of Faisalabad between Muslim and Christian gunmen.
MASSIVE GUNFIRE
Gunfire could be heard till early Tuesday, July 20 and police said at least eight people were detained. Shots seemed to have been fired from rooftops, people in the area told Worthy News.
"The police did this funeral early morning so that few people were able to attend. They explained that it was an attempt to calm the situation and bring back law and order," added Paul, who has been trying to calm the situation overnight.
The handcuffed Emmanuel brothers of mission group United Ministries Pakistan, were killed Monday, July 19, as they were led to a court room to stand trial on charges of blasphemy against Islam, witnesses said.
Trial observers described the charges as false and linked them to the brother's activities, that included evangelism.
MEN DETAINED
Police detained the men July 2 after complaints from local residents, including a market salesman, Muhammad Khuram Shezad.
He and other Muslims accused them of writing a pamphlet with blasphemous remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. The charges were based on hand-written and photo-copied pamphlets with remarks about the prophet Muhammad that the Muslims consider offensive.
Following the arrests of the evangelists, anti-Christian protests broke out and residents said an angry crowd burned tires and shouted slogans against Christians on July 12. On July 16, some mosques provoked Muslims to protest at a rally and also to “burn the houses of Christians,” Christians said.
Muslim leaders could not be reached for comment.
BROTHERS "INNOCENT"
However Gill and Paul said the men were innocent, and handwriting experts reportedly notified police that signatures on papers denigrating Muhammad did not match those of the accused.
Gill suggested to Worthy News that the men have been pressured to admit wrongdoing. "When I saw the dead bodies I saw cuts and other signs of police torture including marks on their faces."
Police had no comment on these allegations, but Punjab’s inspector general reportedly suspended two senior officials for failing to provide security for the slain brothers.
LFA's Paul said his organization has called for nationwide protests against the killings and the police decision "not to allow a proper funeral for the deceased." A first protest was expected Tuesday, July 20, in the city of Rawalpindi near the nation's capital Islamabad. Another demonstration in Lahore was canceled due to heavy rain, Paul said.
It comes amid growing pressure on minority Christians, according to rights activists. Several Christians have been detained in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy, but critics claim the legislation has been misused to settle personal disputes, for instance over land or money.
Under blasphemy legislation of predominantly Muslim Pakistan, a man can potentially face execution if his insult to Islam amounts to apostasy, or turning away from Islam, while a woman generally faces life imprisonment. (With editing by Worthy News' Stefan J. Bos).
Related News Stories:
- BREAKING NEWS: Gun Battles Rock Pakistan City After Militants Kill Christians (Exclusive)
- BREAKING NEWS: Pakistan Christians Shot Dead By Pakistan Militants (Exclusive)
- BREAKING NEWS: Anti-Christian Violence Ends After Pakistan Minister Negotiates Truce (Worthy News Exclusive)
- BREAKING NEWS: Pakistan Court Hears Case About Murdered Christian Servant
- Christian Family Under Islamic Gunfire
- Pakistan Christian Killed For Refusing To Convert To Islam
- Pakistan: Christian Allegedly Murdered
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Praying!
They Will Be Back!
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Because They First Believed
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” John 11:25-26
And Not Even The Grave
“And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:27-29
Can Save Those
“And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6:14-17
Who Won’t
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Believe
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." John 6:47
And Be Blessed Beloved Muslim
"Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:7-10
Love, Joe
"And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Luke 16:24-31