Two Muslim men were arrested on Christmas Day outside of St. Dominic’s Church, Bahawalpur, Pakistan, where on October 29, 2001 four gunmen entered the Church and opened fire and mercilessly killed 17 worshippers and a police guard, reports Anjum Paul and Dan Wooding, special to ASSIST News Service.
The two suspects were taken into custody by church security personnel as they tried to enter the church after the security men said they were “unknown” and “never been seen before in the church.”
A source told ANS that the men “failed to satisfy with their answers” when they were asked where they came from.
“First they said that came from Green Town Bahawalpur, but a Christian from that area said that they were not from there, and then they said that they came from Hasilpur,” said the source. “One of the suspects was holding a mobile phone and the security personnel were quite sure that the mobile phone could be used as a mean of communication with the other extremists to harm Christians being busy in their service.”
A Catechist, Sohial Nathaniel, said, “I stopped both of the Muslim suspects. I asked them to make a ‘Sign of the Cross’ and they failed to do so. They also failed to prove their residence in Bahawalpur where Christians reside. We then asked the police then to arrest them.”
Father Nadeem Joseph of St. Dominic’s Church told ANS, “The government should take strict action in this incident. This seemed to be a deliberate conspiracy. This brought to mind of when 17 Christians [and a police guard] were martyred in the same church by Muslim extremists in 2001.”
He went on to say that he was shocked when he visited the local police station on Christmas Day evening with a colleague from the church, Father Simon.
“I was astonished to hear from the Station House Officer, that both of the suspects had been released by him,” said Father Joseph.
“Due to terror by extremists, we had made all possible arrangements for the safety of the Christians. I appreciate the Christian security at the church that has really been a blessing for all of us, otherwise an incident like that that took place 2001, could have happen place.
“We are so sorry that they were released without us being told. The law and order situation here is bad and there is no improvement.
“The Christian clergy and community had already been threatened through mobile text messages when they were told that they would be targeted during Christmas. But, thanks to God, the church security and government agencies remained on high alert and no damage was caused anywhere by the extremists and terrorists at this Christmastime.”
Report from the Christian Telegraph
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