Shafique Khokhar

The terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi announces that "no church will be safe" in Pakistan, while in Bangladesh Muslim groups call for the boycott of Swedish products. According to the Catholic National Commission for Justice and Peace in Pakistan, the “This declaration should not be ignored”. Pakistani and Bangladeshi Catholics condemn the act in Stockholm.

Shazia Imran, a 40-year-old Christian widow, was killed by four men in murky circumstances because she did not want to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim man, Mani Gujjar. For activist Nadia Stephen, minority women and girls should not be subjected to abduction, rape, and murder simply because they refuse to abandon their religion.

The victim was just eight years old when she was beaten and raped by a neighbour. Human rights activists hope this decision “sends a strong message against child abuse” in Pakistan.

The first stone was laid in 2007 by the then local parish priest and Card Joseph Coutts, then bishop of the diocese. Thousands of faithful were present at the ceremony, which was also attended by children from local Catholic schools. For Bishop Indrias Rehmat, God “has granted us courage and resources so that we could complete His house as David and Samuel did".

Titled "Hum Saya," it tells the stories of three girls who were kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam in order to marry their captors. Director Dawood Murad wanted to emphasize the importance of solidarity among those experiencing the same marginalization. The director of the Centre for Social Justice, which produced the film, "I hope it will contribute to positive change in the world."

Three schools for the children of poor and exploited brick kiln workers inaugurated by Bishop Msgr. Rehmat in Bonnieabad, the city being created for them in Punjab thanks to Fr. Bonnie Mendes' Society for Human Development. A mother of three tells AsiaNews, "To see that our children will be able to study for us is a dream come true."

Lawyer's protest: contents found on phone, in four years failed to prove crime. False accusations of blasphemy against religious minorities in Pakistan are often made to settle personal vendettas, property disputes, religious prejudices or commercial rivalries.

On the Solemnity of Pentecost, the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee began. The archbishop's warning: 'We have always worked not for our own profit, but for the development and progress of the entire country. Let us not look outside to condemn and belittle others, but let us renew ourselves by putting Jesus at the centre'.

The St Dominic Institute in Khushpur, active since 1975, accommodates 170 students from first to tenth grade, of whom 15 are Muslim. The centre is located in the village that was the birthplace of Shahbaz Bhatti and Bishop John Jospeh. The aim is to provide 'quality' education to ensure a 'better' future for the whole society.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court is accused of favouritism vis-à-vis the former prime minister, who, released on bail, urged his supporters to continue protesting. The country's institutions are now against each other. Some hope that an agreement on the election date might be possible. The “situation does not benefit democracy, nor can it solve economic instability.” Fr Khalid Rashid Asi told AsiaNews. Yesterday Catholics in Faisalabad prayed for the country.

While the country is in an uproar over the former prime minister’s legal problems, another girl is kidnapped from her home in Faisalabad and raped for seven days by men known in the community. Local Muslim notables are pressing for the family to drop their complaint. For NGO Voice Pakistan, “The protection of underage Christian girls has become the main problem of religious minorities.”

Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf set fire to several army properties. The military has been deployed in two provinces. At least a thousand people have been arrested. Several observers warn that the crackdown could make things worse amid widespread economic and political instability.