Friday, March 22, 2013

178 + CHRISTIAN HOUSES Burnt in Joseph Colony Lahore 9-Mar-2013


Blasphemy Report ;  Joseph Colony in Lahore 9-Mar-2013



An impressively quick relief effort has seen the rebuilding of several burned-out homes, but failed to lift the anxiety of many Christians from Joseph Colony. Now residing in relief camps, they say they are worried about further reprisals as well as shoddy construction.
A total of 178 houses and two churches were burned in attacks earlier this month, following a blasphemy allegation. 
The Punjab government has rebuilt 60 of the houses and distributed cheques amounting to more than US$5,000 to victims of the March 9 attack on the Christian slum in Lahore.
“Rehabilitation of church, a project by Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif," read plaques displayed at the entrances of the Catholic and Seventh Day Adventist churches that have been whitewashed and decorated with brown tiles. 
“The reconstruction will be completed this week. We hired 21 contractors for the project and 700 laborers, all of them Muslims, who are working here around the clock," said Senator Kamran Michael. 
“The previously built quarters for the sanitary workers of Joseph Colony were worn out. We have built stronger roofs," he said. The government has allocated US$1,363,112 in compensation funds and additional money for construction will be calculated, he added.
The Lahore district government has urged refugees not to complain about the quality of the buildings. As part of that, announcements play over loudspeakers at the temporary shelters:
"Do not interrupt the workers." “Do not be rude or your cheques will be cancelled and your house will be unfinished."
Although tired of waiting in these shelters, many families are still hesitant to return to the newly whitewashed colony. Sitting in the street in front of his house, Nattan Bernard sobs with his family, while laborers drive by with heavy vehicles and donkey carts loaded with cement bags.
“They say your house is ready after whitewashing the front portion and leaving the two rooms inside which are still covered in ash," Bernard said. "Ceilings are torn away; walls are still cracked. We do not feel secure inside.
“Most of the people who helped us were Muslims, but there are others who say we are receiving aid and have hit a jackpot," he said. "The steel factories around the colony remain closed. I know they will blame us for their loss."
Rains at night have added to the woes in the relief camps. Allah Rakhi, a woman in her 70s whose house is near completion, is worried for her five daughters after the family spent the last two nights in the dripping tent.