Accused Christian brothers killed outside court

Two young Christian men accused of blasphemy were shot dead by masked attackers as they left court in Faisalabad, Pakistan, prompting an outbreak of violence.

 

Brothers Rashid Emmanuel (30), a pastor, and Sajid Emmanuel (27), a graduate student, were killed at 2pm on July 19 as police were transporting them to jail. A police inspector who was escorting the brothers was injured. The gunmen fled the scene.

Local Christians took to the streets in protest over the incident, prompting calls from mosques for Muslims to come out to “fight rampaging” Christians. Shops were looted, and vehicles and homes were vandalized in the Emmanuel brothers’ native Daud Nagar, with at least ten people reported injured.    

A Barnabas Aid partner in Faisalabad said: “The Christian community is devastated by the shocking daylight murder of these two young Christian brothers. People are now living in fear about what further attacks believers may face in this latest wave of anti-Christian violence. There is no respect for the court and we feel powerless to defend ourselves.  

“The Emmanuel brothers were dearly loved and respected for their faithful work for the Lord in Faisalabad.” 

It was the brothers’ first court appearance after being detained earlier this month on blasphemy charges. They were accused of producing a handwritten pamphlet defiling Muhammad but the court heard from police that there was no evidence to support the charge. A report from a handwriting expert found that the writing on the pamphlet did not match that of either of the accused.

A mob of thousands of Muslim protestors in the majority-Christian part of Faisalabad where the brothers lived had demanded the death sentence for them on July 10 and 11, forcing many families to flee for their safety. But rumours spread on July 18 that the brothers would be found innocent and released.

Barnabas Aid supports Christians in Faisalabad through three projects: a girls' school, a boys' hostel and a Bible correspondence institute.

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