ICC Note:
A Christian school in Banu, a city located in Pakistan’s KPK province, was reportedly stormed by hundreds of students protesting against the Charlie Hebdo magazine. Pakistani Christians are often marginalized and blamed for any incident that is seen as “anti-Islam” in the West. Four Christian students were injured in the attack and the protesters demanded that the Christian school be closed down permanently.
1/30/2015 Pakistan (Christian Today) – A Christian school in Pakistan has been stormed by hundreds of students protesting against the Charlie Hebdo magazine, which published an image of the prophet Mohammed on its front page following the attack which claimed 12 lives.
Four people were injured when around 300 student protesters, some of them reportedly carrying guns, forced their way into the Panel High School for Boys in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The intruders vandalized the school and demanded its closure. However, it is to re-open following discussions with police and the provincial governor.
The Charlie Hebdo caricatures triggered massive protests in Pakistan, with up to 30,000 marching in Karachi earlier this week and a large demonstration in Lahore.
Nasir Saeed, director of Pakistani human rights organization CLAAS-UK, said: “It is very sad because Pakistani Christians are equally angry about Charlie Hebdo, and many Christians have been participating in the protests against the magazine.
“It is very unfortunate that even after 67 years Christians are not considered Pakistani citizens but they are considered allies of the west and therefore whenever such incidents happen in western countries Christians come under attack.
“Their churches are attacked and their properties are set on fire, and such incidents make Christians, who are already living under constant fear for their lives, become more vulnerable.”
…
