Pakistan: Muslim Women Vandalize Catholic Church

Pray for the Christians in these countries. They need our prayers so much. They know what real persecution is all about.
As a side thought...
With all the destruction and violence going on in the world about the mohammed cartoons and previously about the supposed koran desecration that was later found out to be false, why are we not seeing widespread violence and destruction from the Christians about the desecration of a church and the burning of Bibles? Oh yeah, Christians don't do that. We matured past the three year old, temper-tantrum stage several hundred years ago. I wonder when the muslims are going to catch up? Probably never.

A crowd of Muslim women and a few men attacked a Catholic church in Pakistan's Punjab province recently, injuring two Christian women - one 70 years old - and vandalizing the building.
At least three men and 20 women attacked the Kawanlit village chapel on February 3, leaving 70-year-old Veero Mehnga Masih with broken legs and also injuring Saleema Mazir Masih, 50. The mob broke windows, smashed the altar and burned Bibles.
Despite prompt condemnation of the violence from church leaders across Punjab, police refused to file an official complaint. Kawanlit's Christians told Compass today that they are powerless to pursue a court case and plan to seek extra-legal reconciliation.
On February 6, wealthy village landowner Mohammad Iqbal opened a case against eight of Kawanlit's Christian's for starting a fight that led to the church destruction. But according to Franciscan parish priest Bernard Bhatti, the eight accused "were not even there" at the time of the church attack. He said the incident stemmed from a property dispute with Iqbal, whose relatives were involved in the attack.
Catholic Archbishop of Lahore Lawrence John Saldanha and Hindu National Assembly Member M.P. Bhandara condemned the attacks in statements on February 3 and 4. Bhandara called on the government to investigate the incident, saying it was a matter of "urgent public importance" that was causing "great concern in the Christian community."
But speaking from a meeting today with Punjab Provincial Assembly Member Joseph Hakim Din, representatives of Kawanlit's Christian community of 14 families said that they plan to seek extra-legal reconciliation with Iqbal and the village's 200 Muslim families. The day after the church attack, Din agreed to form a committee of Christians and Muslims to help the two sides find a peaceful solution.
"I want to emphasize that we are slowly coming to a consensus [with the Muslims]," Fr. Bhatti told Compass from Lahore. He said that there had been problems but that the Christians had no choice but to "struggle for reconciliation."
Kawanlit's Christians decided to pursue reconciliation after police refused to register a First Information Report about the church attacks. The report is standard procedure in Pakistan for any criminal complaint lodged with police.
Approached by Fr. Bhatti and members of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) the day after the attacks, district police officer Tariq Khokhar claimed that the incident had only been "a scuffle between women." A February 4 statement from Lahore-based NCJP reported that the police were "ignoring that the outcome of the incident warranted a criminal proceeding."
According to Fr. Bhatti, officer Khokar argued that opening a case would be a waste of time and money because the Muslims would file a counter-case. "He said, 'It will take a very long time in the court, maybe two, three, or even five years - who will spend the money?'" Fr. Bhatti told Compass from Lahore.

Read the rest here.