The BPCA condemns the violent attack on the army-run school in Peshawar Pakistan today (16th December 2014) The fatal attack has resulted in over 130 deaths, of which in excess of 80 have been reported as children. The attackers are said to have been dressed like military soldiers in an attempt to subvert security protocols.
Victims were killed in classrooms, corridors and whilst hiding in the bushes of the play area. Some survivors spoke of how they played dead to avoid being shot, terrified that they would never see the light of day again.
On a Radio Five Live interview today Wilson Chowdhry Chairman of the BPCA said; “The impact of this attack will be felt for many years.” He raised hopes that the incident will finally place a ‘nail in the coffin’ of any vestiges of support for the Taliban.
The BPCA have sent an officer based in Peshawar to the incident site, to assess how we can help victims of the awful attack. Wilson Chowdhry said; “Although we do not expect many Christians to have been affected by this attack, we want to show solidarity with our Muslim brothers, we remember the impact of the twin bomb attack on a church in Peshawar last year, which killed a similar number of victims. The pain families went through required counselling and moral support and we want to be part of that process for these latest victims.”
This incident hammers home a message that the Taliban are a group that are morally reprehensible and simply cannot be engaged with diplomatically. The group needs to be stopped and a more concerted effort to stop their terror must be made a priority.
Hear Wilson’s interview on Radio Five lIve; http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04v4w62 (go to 2 hours 13 minutes).
The BPCA have now initiated a fund for the victims and will be providing support both financial and emotional to help get families over this terrible incident.
If you would like to contribute to our appeal our bank details are as follows:
Sort Code: 20-67-90 Account number: 63468976 Bank: Barclays
Ref: Love for Peshawar
Alternatively if you would like to send an on-line donation please use the pay-pal facility on the top right hand corner of our blog, or simply send a cheque made payable to the BPCA to our address; 57 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1XG.