(June 09, 2011) All 70 people accused of anti-Christian violence two years ago in
Gojra, Pakistan, have been acquitted. The Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad Wednesday
acquitted all the Muslims said to be responsible for attacking Christians in Gojra
and a nearby village that left 10 Catholics dead. The Muslims were among a mob of
more than 800 people who raided the Christian colony in Gojra on August 1 2009 after
setting fire to Korian village on July 30. Ten Christians were killed, seven of them
burned alive, while four Churches were destroyed in the carnage following a blasphemy
allegation. Some Christians were also imprisoned for attacking “the other group” and
released after a few months. The acquittal was ordered after the continued absence
of Catholic witnesses in trials as well as due to a lack of evidence. Among the 70
people named by the complainant, 68 had already been granted bail before arrest while
the remaining two were released on bail on June 7. Father Yaqub Yousaf, parish priest
of the Sacred Heart Church in Gojra, is presently holding meetings with the leaders
of both communities for a peace accord. “It is apparent that justice was denied.
The Church was vigilant in pursuing the case but Christians were afraid to follow
up. A whole family shifted to Sri Lanka while a few left the city for good,” said
Father Yousaf. The priest also complained that reconstruction work, as promised by
government, was left unfinished. “Eight houses in Korian village remain in ruins while
a few houses in Gojra city are still incomplete,” he said.