Christmas threats worry Christians in Pakistan

(December 24, 2011) Fears of possible Christmas violence in Karachi, Pakistan, are mounting after vandals attacked a Nativity scene on Thursday, on a street corner of the port city. Three assailants pelted the Nativity scene with stones and set fire to a manger that had been built as part of a manger-making competition in Bhittaiabad, a slum area. Police arrested one of the vandals who was later released on bail. Father Saleh Diego, diocesan director of the Catholic Bishop’s National Commission for Justice and Peace condemned the attack and said heightened security measures will be put in place for the festive period. “We are talking to police, rangers and town administrators about added security for churches. Catechists, scouts, Church committee members and volunteers will also be deployed at the entrances of Church premises,” he said. Concerns have grown following reports warning of possible terrorist attacks on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Lahore in Punjab province. Police plan to divert traffic from outside 433 churches across the country, install security gates and assign seven policemen and a sniper to each church. The reports cited eight Catholic Churches being among “the sites at most risk.”