Thursday, August 06, 2009

Al Qaeda Link Suspected in Pakistan Anti-Christian Riots

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090804/al-qaeda-influence-suspected-in-pakistan-anti-christian-riots/index.html

[The Christian Post] 6 August 2009--Pakistan government officials on Tuesday said they suspect Al Qaeda and Taliban allies are behind the latest series of deadly attacks on Christians.

Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), a banned pro-Taliban Sunni Muslim extremist group, and the Al Qaeda-linked group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), are believed to have incited Saturday’s attack on Gojra town in central Pakistan, said Rana Sanaullah, Punjab Province’s law minister.

"Absolutely, these banned groups are involved in the rioting," Sanaullah, who is also responsible for security in Punjab, told Reuters by telephone from Gojra.

The Pakistani government is currently battling Taliban forces in the country’s northwest province where the terrorist group has recently established a stronghold in much of the area. Authorities fear that the Taliban and its supporters are now pushing into the central part of the country.

Hundreds of angry Muslims torched Christian homes in Gojra on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of eight believers, including two children and several women. The attack was sparked by an allegation that a Christian family had desecrated the Quran when pages of the Islamic holy book were found in front of their home after a Christian wedding.

Authorities investigating the claim have said they found no evidence supporting the accusation.

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