SW News: The Archdiocese of Karachi in Pakistan denounced recent attacks on Christian houses and churches. Benny Travas, the Archbishop of Karachi said the Christian community has again faced open hatred and uncontrollable anger in a statement that was carried out by Good News Catholic TV of Pakistan. The Prelate said the alleged desecration of the Koran which sparked violent acts against the entire Christian community of Jaranwala in Faisalabad needs to be investigated since, in his opinion, previous incidents have shown that there are other motives behind these accusations.

The statement ends by urging the Pakistani administration to show solidarity with the Christian community in this hour of pain by taking resolute action against those who took the law into their own hands and destroyed and desecrated churches, the Holy Scriptures, and the homes of so many people.

In Pakistan, where about 90% of the population practices Islam, religious intolerance has surged. Because of this reality, Christians, who make up barely 1.27% of the population (2.6 million), frequently encounter difficult circumstances, including these most recent attacks.

Meanwhile, Pakistan authorities have agreed to compensate nearly 100 Christians after blasphemy riots. Christians who had their homes destroyed last week by Muslim rioters outraged by the alleged desecration of a Quran by a Christian man and his friend will be compensated to the tune of 2 million rupees (€6,236; $6,800), Pakistani officials said on Monday.

In the incident last Wednesday, a crowd ransacked Christian neighborhoods, setting fire to at least 16 churches and inflicting property damage on homes.

The two men accused of the desecration, which allegedly involved ripping pages out of the Quran and throwing them on the ground while writing insulting remarks on other pages, have been arrested, along with 160 suspected rioters so far.