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http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07050092.htm

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net — E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Letters threaten Pakistani Christians to convert to Islam

By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

CHARSADDA/ MARDAN, PAKISTAN (ANS) — Pakistani Christians in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan are reportedly receiving menacing letters asking them to close their churches and convert to Islam within 10 days, ANS has learnt.

“Christians in Charsadda and Mardan, in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province, have received letters threatening that they must close their churches and convert to Islam within ten days”, said Barnabas Fund in its May 14 news release.

It went on to say that although some letters did not say what the consequences would be if Christians failed to comply, others are reported to have threatened bombing or the execution of all Christians. Police have increased security at churches, it said.

The unsigned handwritten letters were delivered to churches and Christian homes in the two towns on May 7th, giving a period of ten days for compliance, it added.

It said several Christian families have already fled since the letters were distributed. The news release quoted some Christians as saying that they knew the militants could kill them but they were trusting God for His protection. It further quoted them as saying that they would not yield to threats.

“These extremists are asking us to change our religion. We will not do it, even if we have to die”, the news release quoted All Pakistan Minorities Alliance Chief Shahbaz Bhatti as saying.

It said the Christians all over Pakistan will observe a period of prayer and fasting from May 17th (the date on which the ultimatum to the Christians expires) until May 27th.

Around 500 Christians live in Charsadda, where Islamic militants are using intimidation and violence to try to enforce a strict Islamic life-style, resembling that advocated by the Taliban in nearby Afghanistan, the news release said.

The militants’ bomb music shops, put pressure on barbers not to shave beards, and are trying to have girls’ schools closed, it maintained.

It was in Charsadda that Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, narrowly escaped death in a suicide attack last month which killed 28 people, it added.

Bible Institute also threatened

The release said that Rt. Rev. Mano Rumalshah, the Church of Pakistan Bishop of Peshawar, in whose diocese lie Charsadda and Mardan, spoke to Barnabas Fund of his grave concern about the ultimatum to Christians. Furthermore, in the city of Peshawar, two Taliban-style militants visited the Pakistan Bible Institute in the same week as the threatening letters appeared, it said.

It maintained that no senior leaders were present at the time, so the militants held a gun to the head of a junior staff member and began to threaten him, saying, “We hear you are converting Muslims.” They were on the point of shooting him when a noise disturbed them and they fled, it claimed.

Apostasy Bill

Amidst much pressure for increasing Islamization in Pakistan, there is a new threat to Christians from a Muslim background. Until now such converts have not faced any legal penalty, though harassment or violence from family and community are commonplace, and sometimes other legal pretexts are used to put pressure on them, it said adding that Pakistan’s National Assembly was considering a draft Apostasy Bill, moved by the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal party. The Bill, which it said had been sent to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice for consideration, would impose a death penalty for adult men leaving Islam and imprisonment for adult women leaving Islam, in line with the dictates of Sharia (Islamic law).

Seeing a pattern?

“Shocking in themselves, these threatening letters to Pakistani Christians are even more alarming because of their similarity to what is happening in other countries at present,” the release quoted International Director of Barnabas Fund, Dr Patrick Sookhdeo as saying.

“Threats to convert to Islam, to leave or be killed are being made against Christians in Iraq, sometimes written, sometimes verbal In Egypt last Friday leaflets were apparently the trigger for violence in the village of Behma, south of Cairo. The leaflets condemned a church building project, and the result was rioting in which Christians were injured and Christian homes and businesses set on fire”.

“The incident at the Pakistan Bible Institute is reminiscent of the killing of three Christians at a Christian publishing house in Turkey last month. Their throats were slit, apparently by those who resented their outreach to Turkish Muslims. Is this simply copy-cat terrorism, or could there be an organized international strategy against Christian minorities in the Muslim world and against Christian evangelism in Muslim contexts?”

The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance has asked concerned Christians to pray for the protection of Christians in Charsadda and Mardan. Praise God that the Christians “are undefeated spiritually and continue to uphold their faith in these difficult times”. Pray also for the Pakistan Bible Institute and all other Christian ministries in the country.

Pray that the government of Pakistan, the various state governments, and the local police and judiciary in every part of the country will act with wisdom and courage to prevent violence against Christians and all other minorities.

Please continue to pray, especially as the deadline of 17th May comes on Thursday this week, after which the militants in Charsadda and Mardan have threatened to punish any Christians who have not converted to Islam. Keep praying as Christians in Pakistan pray and fast from 17th to 27th May.

Pray that the proposed apostasy bill will be rejected, and that Muslims in Pakistan will be free to choose another faith if they desire. Pray that the Lord will watch over and keep safe all those who have left another faith to follow Him.

Pray for peace and stability in Behma, Egypt, after the anti-Christian rioting there. Pray for a complete change of attitude amongst the Muslim community in Egypt so that there will be no objections to expanding church buildings or even erecting new ones from scratch.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Pakistan.
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