Only 4 months ago in Jaranwala in Pakistan more than 900 Christian families were forced to flee and hide in the fields with women, elderly people and children to save their lives from the fury and burning of Islamic fundamentalists.
The toll was hundreds of Christian homes burned and 21 churches attacked, of which 3 belonging to the Catholic community. The rebirth of this wounded Christian community comes from Advent: it is in this period that the Cecil&Iris Chaudhry Foundation (CICF) organized a Christmas Fair to restore dignity, hope and trust to the Christians of Jaranwala, victims of the events that occurred on 16 August. This is also why the event kicked off on December 16th. The Christian community has rallied around this ordeal and has risen with the aim of celebrating the birth of Jesus together.
The inauguration of the fair was attended by several representatives of the local administration, social and religious leaders, including Father Khalid Mukhtar, Catholic priest of the diocese of Faisalabad in Punjab, the Rev. Aleem Anwer bishop of the Anglican Church of the Diocese of Faisalabad, Major Arshad Nizam, division commander of the Salvation Army Church and Mrs. Michelle Chaudhry, president of the CICF.