12 Te People in Teir Diference Humeira Iqtidar Introduction In March 2013, a neighborhood with predominantly Christian residents in one of the older sections of Lahore was burnt by a mob. Luckily, there were no deaths. However, more than one hundred families lost their homes as well as assets such as painstakingly collected dowry furniture. More critically, in the context of increased bureaucratization of all spheres of life, the loss of paperwork such as ID cards, educational certifcates and degrees, and land ownership deeds meant that those impacted had the daunting task of investing money, time, and social capital in reconstructing their place in the world of “kaghaz raj” described so well by Matthew Hull (2012). Te burning of Joseph Colony came to international attention as part of an ongoing discussion regarding the presumed rise of intolerance in Pakistan. Te New York Times claimed that “the devastation was a testament to the intolerance sweeping across Pakistani society.” 1 Within the country commentators called for tolerance, and the incident motivated an outpouring of refection, anger, and debate, as well as aid for Joseph Colony inhabitants. Te initial narrative, and the one that dominates records of the event, was that the burning was undertaken by a mob of Muslims blinded by their anger at the alleged blasphemy committed by a Christian. 2 Te dispute between two young men, Muslim Imran and Christian Sawan, one drunken night, transformed into an inter-communal attack. However, as part of a citizen’s commission that spent time talking with residents of both the Christian and the Muslim mohallas or neighborhoods, the story that subsequently emerged raised doubts about whether there had ever been such a dispute between Imran and Sawan. Regardless of the truth of these accusations, Sawan Masih was imprisoned in March 2013, sentenced to death in 2014, and only acquitted in October 2020. He spent seven years in jail. Te 115 accused of participating in the burning were acquitted due to lack of evidence in 2017. 1 Declan Walsh and Waqas Gillani, “Attack on Christians Follows Claim of Blasphemy in Pakistan,” NY Times, March 9, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/world/asia/explosion-rips-thro ugh-mosque-in-peshawar-pakistan.html?_r=0. 2 Te legal framework for contemporary blasphemy laws in Pakistan is in large part a product of colonial statecraf. See Asad Ahmed (2009). -1 0 +1 9781350261198_pi-266.indd 201 9781350261198_pi-266.indd 201 04-Jan-23 8:07:04 PM 04-Jan-23 8:07:04 PM