In Pakistan, a mob burns a house and beats a Christian for alleged desecration of the Quran

LAHORE, Pakistan — Hundreds of Muslims in eastern Pakistan went on a rampage following allegations that a Christian desecrated the pages of Islam's holy book, ransacking and burning his house and beating him before police rescued the man and his father, officials said. .

The incident took place on Saturday in the residential area of ​​Mujahid Colony in Sargodha, a town in Punjab province, district police chief Ijaz Malhi said. He said police responded quickly and saved the lives of both men.

Malhi said the situation was under control and officers were investigating the allegations.

The incident recalled one of the worst attacks on Christians in Pakistan in August 2023, when angry mobs burned churches and attacked dozens of people in Jaranwala, a district in Punjab province. Muslim residents said they saw a Christian and his friend tearing out pages of a Quran and throwing them on the ground. No one was killed. In 2009, six Christians were killed and around 60 houses burned in Gojra district, Punjab, following allegations of insults to Islam.

Malhi said police dispersed the crowd on Saturday and were also seeking help from religious scholars to defuse tensions. The Punjab government condemned the attack.

The man's small shoe factory was also set on fire, Malhi said.

Accusations of blasphemy are common in Pakistan.

Under the country's blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic religious figures can be sentenced to death. Although no one has been executed for blasphemy, a simple accusation can often cause riots and incite crowds to violence, lynching and murder.