On Sunday, an explosion outside a Christian church in Pakistan killed 15 individuals and was met with violence. Suicide bombers activated the explosions in one of the largest Christian communities in the city of Lahore, Pakistan.
Two blasts occurred at two different churches in the area during Sunday services at the churches. One of the suicide bombers, an alleged member of the Pakistani Taliban, set off the bomb in front of St. John's Catholic Church. The bomber was stopped at the gates and prevented from entering before the explosion occurred. About half a mile away, another Taliban suicide bomber detonated an explosive inside Christ Church, a Protestant church. The explosions took the lives of 15 Christians who attended the church services and injured dozens more.
Twisted metal and piles of broken cement littered the churches as Christians scrambled in confusion. Relatives wept for loved ones while others took the streets in protest. Christians flooded the streets and demanded justice. The crowd allegedly lynched two individuals suspected of being accomplice to the bombings. Protesters would not allow police to stop the lynching and even took one of the victims from police custody.
Christians are a minority in Pakistan, making up about 1.6 percent of the population. They are often the target of religious intolerance and face persecution on various levels. Back in 2013 a suicide bombing killed more than 120 Pakistani Christians. Christians in Pakistan complain that the Pakistani government does not protect the minority from acts of violence and hate.
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the Interior Minister, asked for peace from the Christian protesters who blocked roads and streets in the protest. The protest against the violence towards Pakistani Christians was initially calm, but grew out of hand as individuals threw rocks and damaged vehicles out of rage. Christians in other cities in Eastern Pakistan protested as well after news of Sunday's attack spread. Christian schools are closed on Monday for a day of mourning.
