Bangladesh: Christians fearful following Muslim rampage against Buddhists
October 02, 2012
Following the posting on Facebook of a picture of a burnt copy of the Qur’an, a mob of more than 20,000 Muslims in Bangladesh burned 22 Buddhist temples, two Hindu temples, and over 100 homes.
“Islamic fundamentalist groups seek footholds to unleash” violence, said Bishop Moses Costa of Chittagong, who discussed “the fears of all the confreres, the religious nuns and Catholic laity, a small minority, who witnessed a blind and indiscriminate violence … We Christians could become the next targets.”
“We condemn all forms of violence and call for respect towards all religious communities in the name of harmony,” he added.
The nation of 161 million is nearly 90% Muslim, nearly 10% Hindu, 0.7% Buddhist, and 0.2% Catholic.
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Further information:
- Blasphemy on Facebook: Buddhist temples destroyed by Islamic extremists, Christians are frightened (Fides)
- Bangladesh Braces for More Muslim Attacks on Buddhist Sites (VOA)
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