IMAGINE THE SCENE: one summer’s evening, a young mother’s peace is shattered when her brother bursts in, pursued by an angry mob. Accusing him of a crime he has not committed, the militants tell the family that if they don’t leave the house they will be burnt alive.
The young mother, Saima Sahill, is roughly forced outside, protesting that her eight-month-old baby is still inside; only at the last minute is her husband able to persuade the militants to let him extract the infant.
On that day – 16 August 2023 – 26 churches and chapels were torched in Pakistan, as were more than 80 homes belonging to Christians. The atrocity in Jaranwala is highlighted in a report by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) which shows that, over the past two years, there has been yet another surge in violence and oppression against Christians around the world.
