Christians accused of blasphemy in Pakistan; store destroyed

Two Christians who own a fireworks store in a village near the northeastern Pakistani city of Wazirabad were accused of blasphemy after wedding guests discovered that their fireworks were wrapped in pages of the Qur’an, according to an AsiaNews report. The guests immediately destroyed the store. “We do not manufacture fireworks, we buy them from a factory near Gujranwala and we do not know what materials they use,” said Tariq Masih, one of the owners. “Moreover, these factories are owned by Muslims and no Christian works inside there.” “We have not even touched the pages of the Qur’an,” he added. “The idea of using these pages for fireworks is beyond all imagination because we are well aware of the consequences.” UCA News reported that police have arrested the other store owner, Arif Masih, and have detained another brother of Tariq Masih until he turns himself in.