Note: The following text is a quote:
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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Note: The following text (minus the photos) is a quote:
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07050089.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
Lawyer slams violation of Pakistani Christians’ Personal Laws
Christian rape victim is yet to get justice
By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan
FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) — A Pakistani Christian Lawyer, Khalil Tahir Sandhu, has said that some influential Muslims violate Christians’ personal laws by allegedly forcing Christian women to convert to Islam after kidnapping and raping them.
“Christian marriage is not a social contract but a sacrament, hence Christian marriage stands intact for life”, said Khalil Tahir Sandhu while talking to ANS by phone on Saturday, May 12.
He went on to say that even if a Christian woman has seven children but after forced conversion to Islam she loses her right to her religion as well as to her children. “This is blatant injustice with Christian women.”
When ANS asked an update on Catholic Christian Ribqa Masih’s case who was gang raped by some three suspects including Muhammad Kashif, Ghulam Abbas Hussain and an unidentified in September 2005 he said today, May 12 the Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Saluhuddin adjourned the court till May 30.
He told ANS that Ribqa (22) had testified before the court that Ghulam Abbas Hussain and Muhammad Kashif drugged her on September 2nd and took her to Lahore, approximately 100 km from her home in chak (village) 86 J.B.
Khalil Tahir Sandhu said her captors raped and threatened to kill her and her family if she did not convert to Islam.
Christian rape victim, Ribqa Masih
The Christian victim of gang rape however refused to convert to Islam, Sandhu informed ANS.
Ribqa was yet again raped by another unidentified accused who was supposed to take her home, he said.
Khalil said the Supreme Court granted bail to Ghulam Abbas Hussain, saying earlier the Lahore High Court had denied him bail. Hussain, he said was freed on bail after serving almost one and a half-year in jail.
“Ribqa’s family could not engage a lawyer due to their poor socio-economic situation. I wish I were a Supreme Court Lawyer.”
He maintained the other rape suspect Muhammad Kashif was granted bail by the Lahore High Court on medical grounds.
“Nobody wants to marry these girls, even though they are innocent,” said Khalil Tahir while implying to the social stigmatization they can never get rid of all their lives.
Ribqa’s Lawyer said she foiled her rapists’ designs of converting her to Islam by staying steadfast to her Christian faith.
He also made mention of a threat allegedly hurled at him while pleading Ribqa’s case.
“I am only worried about my wife and three sons. My son Arbab always asks me as to why the police come to ask about our safety.”
“I have a special request to make regarding Ribqa and her family. I want believers across the world to pray for them because the rape victim as well as her family is living in a grip of fear and insecurity. Ribqa’s mother, Parveen can neither speak nor walk. She is bed-ridden and the family does not have resources to pay for her treatment. If God moves someone’s heart to help them out I can provide the victim’s address to them for financial help”, said Khalil Tahir who took Ribqa Masih’s case pro bono.
To a question he said Ribqa’s father, Rafique Masih is a welder who he said earns Rs 150 (US$2.5) a day.
When ANS drew his attention toward two alleged Muslim rape victims including Mukhtaran Mai and Dr. Shazia whose cases received unprecedented media coverage and human rights organizations’ support, Tahir said he was unable to comprehend the “mysterious mystery of indifference” in the Christian rape victim’s case. Mukhtarian Mai he said had now established schools in her village but Ribqa was yet to get justice, he regretted.
To a question he said he thought the case would run for a couple of months. Asked what maximum sentence the accused could get Sandhu said they could get transportation for life.
When asked if the Adal Trust had plans to build Protection House for the victims of rape or other injustices the Executive Director of Adal Trust said he had plans to establish such a house under the name “Sab Ka Garh” (House for All). He said the Trust needed funds to the tune of Rs 50,00000 ($8,333 US dollars approximately) to materialize the project.
The writer is a freelance journalist based in Pakistan.
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.