ASIA/PAKISTAN - Justice for the Christian couple burned alive for blasphemy

Thursday, 10 November 2016 blasphemy   religious minorities   persecutions   education  

Cecil & Iris Chaudhry Foundation

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - Two years after the terrible murder of the Christian couple Shama and Shahzad, burned alive for alleged blasphemy on November 4, 2014 in Kot Radha Kishan, in Kasur district, the fight for justice and to punish the perpetrators of that crime continues. The Catholic, Michelle Chaudhry, president of the "Cecil Chaudhry & Iris Foundation", an organization that today deals with the legal protection and education of the three children of the couple, orphaned, tells Fides: "We are going ahead with the judiciary to ensure that those responsible for this heinous murder are brought to justice. The government of Pakistan must provide safety and security to every citizen of Pakistan regardless of faith, as enshrined in the Constitution".
The couple worked in a brick kiln. They were accused of blasphemy, were tortured and then thrown into the furnace by an angry mob. The incident created a wave of horror across Pakistan and shocked the whole world.
Commemorating the second anniversary of the tragic accident, Michelle Chaudhry told Fides: "Today we hold Shama and Shahzad deep in our hearts. They are two innocent lives lost because of extreme intolerance in our society. The horror of that unlucky day will remain in our hearts and minds for years to come. In that furnace they burned humanity, they burned the teachings of Islam, and burned the Pakistan of Ali Jinnah. No monetary compensation can atone for such an extreme act of violence".
The Cecil Chaudhry & Iris Foundation has undertaken the commitment to give an instruction to the couple’s three children, "in order to bring a change for the better in the lives of these children, with the strong conviction of the power of education", notes the woman. "after two years, it gives us immense spiritual gratification to see these children happy and safe", she concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/11/2016)


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