The British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA) is organizing a London protest to demand that governments around the world start protecting religious minorities.
“The horrors of the Easter massacre, deliberately targeting children enjoying the high-point of the Easter celebrations, have shocked the globe," wrote Wilson Chowdhry, BPCA chairman.
"Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb will be a focus of this event and will be prayerfully reflected upon. We will also have speakers from various religious backgrounds calling for the unity of mankind against oppressors," he added.
The protest is set for Saturday at Pakistan’s High Commission in London.
The protest comes after an Easter Sunday bomb attack in Lahore where 73 people—mostly women and children— were killed.
The Radical Islamic group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that they targeted Christians. This week, Pakistan’s army detained some 216 people in connection with the bombing.
The BPCA has set up a donation page to help the victims and families of the attack.
"Our donations will help secure medical supplies and pay for hospital treatments, pay for funeral costs and help with the long term rehabilitation and trauma counseling of victims," the BPCA said.
Meanwhile, a petition to the governments of India, Britain, the U.S., and others has been started, asking for recognition of the persecution of Christians in Pakistan.
"We call on the Pakistani Government to clamp down on extremists in their country. Those involved in this latest bomb attack must be caught and brought to justice. Moreover each family affected by this attack should be compensated that they may try to rebuild their shattered lives," the petition said.
Publication date: March 31, 2016
