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A Christian pastor and three others are the latest to be accused of blasphemy in Pakistan, where the offence can carry the death sentence. The charges were laid after reports that some non-Christian local businessmen had become jealous of the business success of the accused.
Rapid intervention by the police meant that plans to set fire to homes and businesses of local Christians were thwarted.
Pastor Aftab Gill of the Biblical Church of God in Gujrat, Punjab, and three others have been accused of blasphemy because they used the Urdu word "rasool", which means apostle, in posters advertising a Christian ordination ceremony.
The word was used to describe Pastor Aftab's late father, Fazal Masih, who set up the church, according to CLAAS, a charity that supports Christians in Pakistan. The usage offended local Muslims as in Pakistan, rasool is used also to refer to the Prophet Mohammed.
Pastor Aftab's younger brother Unitan Gill, who runs a successful local grocery shop and also an English language school, was among those arrested. He was released on bail after CLAAS, the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, intervened...
...A local motorcycle shop owner told the charity Muslims were angry and planning to burn Christians alive and set their houses and church on fire but police controlled the situation. Some Christian families have fled but about 100 remain in the area...
Rapid intervention by the police meant that plans to set fire to homes and businesses of local Christians were thwarted.
Pastor Aftab Gill of the Biblical Church of God in Gujrat, Punjab, and three others have been accused of blasphemy because they used the Urdu word "rasool", which means apostle, in posters advertising a Christian ordination ceremony.
The word was used to describe Pastor Aftab's late father, Fazal Masih, who set up the church, according to CLAAS, a charity that supports Christians in Pakistan. The usage offended local Muslims as in Pakistan, rasool is used also to refer to the Prophet Mohammed.
Pastor Aftab's younger brother Unitan Gill, who runs a successful local grocery shop and also an English language school, was among those arrested. He was released on bail after CLAAS, the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, intervened...
...A local motorcycle shop owner told the charity Muslims were angry and planning to burn Christians alive and set their houses and church on fire but police controlled the situation. Some Christian families have fled but about 100 remain in the area...
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