Jaranwala mosque opens its doors to Christians to pray

Mashooq Masish, says mosque administration opened doors of its building for Christian community to offer their prayers

By News Desk
August 22, 2023
Police and local residents stand amid debris beside Saint John’s church in Jaranwala, outskirts of Faisalabad, Pakistan, Aug. 17, 2023. — AFP
Police and local residents stand amid debris beside Saint John’s church in Jaranwala, outskirts of Faisalabad, Pakistan, Aug. 17, 2023. — AFP 

KARACHI: In a gesture of solidarity, a mosque administration in Jaranwala has reportedly invited the Christian community to offer their prayers in the mosque after the torching of several churches in the Punjab town last week.

In an interview with BBC News, the incharge of one of the affected churches, Mashooq Masish, said a mosque administration had opened the doors of its building for Christian community to offer their prayers.

He said a delegation from the nearby mosque met him and others twice and asked them not to worship in the damaged church and to come to the mosque after 9am to pray.On August 16, an unruly mob had set on fire 19 churches and more than 80 houses of the Christian community over blasphemy allegations.