Christians demand justice for Raped Nurse

(July 17, 2010) Angry Christians and medical staff in Karachi are demanding swift justice against a Muslim doctor for the alleged rape and attempted murder of a Catholic student nurse. Magdalene Ashraf, 22, is in critical condition after being discovered on July 13 with head injuries outside a doctor’s hostel at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi. The student nurse jumped from the second-floor window of a room belonging to Jabbar Memon, a Muslim doctor, hospital security guards said. Ashraff has undergone brain surgery and doctors plan to conduct a DNA test to find out if she was gang-raped. Police have arrested Doctor Memon for attempted murder. The accused also received hospital treatment for broken bones after jumping from a hospital building while fleeing an angry mob. He has denied the charges and accused the nurse of conspiring against him. Following the incident, nurses, paramedics and students at the hospital mounted a three-day protest over the attack. Members of the Major Religious Superiors’ Justice and Peace Commission joined the protest on July 15 wearing black armbands. The demonstration later moved to the Karachi press club and ended with prayers for the victim’s speedy recovery. Rashid Gill from the Animator Church Commission said such violence against women belonging to the minority Religious community is not new. “We demand the government and chief justice take notice and provide proper care and security for the victim,” he said.