+Pakistan: Christian Man Beaten Taking Two Extra Days Off After Easter
Written by Shaheryar Gill.
The Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), ECLJ’s affiliate in Pakistan, is demanding justice for a Christian farmhand, Saleem Masih, who was severely beaten by his Muslim employer’s sons for taking two extra days off of work after Easter. The local police have not registered the case yet, and Saleem is being pressured by the Muslims to not press charges against them.
The incident occurred the morning of April 23, 2014, when Saleem’s employer’s son, Muhammad Abbas Mayo, broke into Saleem’s house and began beating Saleem with a club while he was asleep. Abbas dragged Saleem out of the house and continued to beat him. Saleem’s wife intervened, but Abbas also beat her and tore her shirt in public.
Abbas took Saleem to his farmhouse where his brother, Muhammad Sajid Mayo, was waiting. Abbas and Sajid continued to severely beat Saleem. Saleem’s family pleaded with the brothers to spare him, but Abbas and Sajid took Saleem to their fields for forced labor. Saleem’s employer, and father of the culprits, Abdul Haq, arrived at the farmhouse and intervened and took Saleem to a doctor for treatment.
On April 24, 2014, OLA filed an application with the Saddar Police Station to press charges against Abbas and Sajid, but the police did not register the case. That same day, a medical examination was done from Kasur, District Headquarter Hospital. The Medico-Legal Certificate issued by the doctor describes Saleem’s eight injuries, including bruise and contusion injuries. Other possible injuries are to be determined after the doctor receives Saleem’s x-ray report back from the radiology department.
OLA has filed a petition under Section 22-A and 22-B of Pakistan’s Criminal Procedure Code to ensure Saleem’s case is registered. Under these sections, judges have powers to order the police to arrest the perpetrators and register formal charges against them. The hearing on the petition is set for May 24, 2014. After the judge’s orders, Abbas will be charged under Section 354-A of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for the assault of Saleem’s wife and for stripping her of her clothes. Abbas will also be charged under PPC Section 452 for house trespass after preparation for assault. Additionally, the brothers will be liable under PPC Section 337 for assaulting Saleem.
Physical torture by employers of their employees, such as Saleem experienced, is all too common in the laboring industries of Pakistan. It is often the religious minorities, who have become a social underclass in Pakistan, who must work in such conditions. Many of these workers are indebted to their employers due to historic debt and essentially become bonded laborers.
These workers are often paid well below minimum wage, and do not have any formal contract of employment. They are regularly threatened and subjected to physical abuse by their employers. Workers are often threatened and coerced from attempting legal redress or physical escape. If they try to break away from their bondage, they are beaten, killed, harassed, or implicated in fake cases by their employers.
Shaheryar Gill serves as Associate Counsel with the ECLJ and oversees the OLA’s work in Pakistan.
Publish Date: Mon, 19 May 2014 16:27:00 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+ECLJ Seeks Justice for Seven-Year-Old Christian Pakistani Rape Victim
Written by Shaheryar Gill
The Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), ECLJ’s affiliate in Pakistan, is seeking justice for a seven-year-old Christian girl, Saira Iqbal, who was raped by a local eighteen-year-old Muslim resident, Fakhar Alam, on April 20, 2014. Two days after the incident, Saira was taken to Sialkot Civil Hospital where Dr. Maria Aslam conducted her medical examination, confirming that Saira had been raped. DNA evidence has also been collected.
The incident occurred on Easter Sunday. Saira went to a nearby shop to buy “some sweets” where Fakhar abducted her, blindfolded her, tied her hands, and raped her. When Saira did not return home, her brothers, Shahbaz and Emmanuel Masih, set out to search for Saira. They heard Saira’s cries and witnessed Fakhar escaping from the scene.
Ahmed Yaar Nagra and Mohammad Zulifqar Nagra, landlords of the village, who are also Fakhar’s relatives, threatened Saira’s family, forcing them to keep the matter quiet. On April 21, 2014, the matter was taken to the arbitrary council (composed of elders of the village). Fakhar’s family attempted to misguide Saira’s family and to delay the matter when they produced Fakhar’s brother as Fakhar. Saira said that the brother was not Fakhar and he did not rape her.
On April 22, 2014, District Police Officer (DPO) Gohar Nafees was informed of the incident. DPO Gohar Nafees personally rushed to the village of Malleki, took Saira to Sialkot Civil Hospital, and ordered the arrest of Fakhar Alam and the landlords of the village, Ahmed Yaar and Mohammad Zulifqar, who forced Saira’s family to keep the matter quiet. They have been charged under Pakistan Penal Code Section 376 and Section 201 with rape and for causing the disappearance of evidence. On April 23, 2014, Ahmed Yaar was granted pre-arrest bail and Mohammad Zulifqar was discharged due to lack of evidence.
Saira’s family has since left their family home because they fear being harassed and threatened by Fakhar’s family. The OLA plans to use medical evidence, and Saira’s testimony, to ensure that Fakhar is convicted. Under old Pakistani law, the conviction of Fakhar would have been impossible. In order to prove rape, a rape victim had to produce four male witnesses to the crime and DNA evidence was not permissible. However, in 2006, the Women’s Protection Bill was passed in Pakistan. Under the new law, four male witnesses are no longer required for conviction. Instead, convictions may be made based on forensic and circumstantial evidence, including DNA evidence.
Shaheryar Gill servers as Associate Counsel with the ECLJ and oversees the OLA’s work in Pakistan.
Publish Date: Wed, 07 May 2014 15:23:21 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+Two Pakistani Christians Acquitted of False Murder Charges
Shaheryar Gill*
The ECLJ is pleased to inform you that our affiliate, Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), in Pakistan has successfully achieved the acquittal of two Christian Pakistanis falsely accused of murdering a Muslim. Without our OLA’s assistance over a period of about four years, the Christians would have faced jail sentences for a crime they did not commit.
David Emanuel, a Christian, began renting a house to Shaheen Kausar, a Muslim, in 1998. In 1999, Shaheen fabricated an agreement, claiming she had purchased the property from Emanuel. Emanuel won the resulting case at the trial and appellate levels, but was unable to obtain his property from Shaheen.
This was not the end of Shaheen’s lies and accusations. After Shaheen had an affair, she and her paramour murdered Shaheen’s husband in April 2009. Desiring to finally claim ownership of Emanuel’s land, Shaheen blamed Emanuel and his two sons for her husband’s murder. Nonetheless, even Shaheen’s brother-in-law (i.e., the brother of Shaheen’s deceased husband) testified that Shaheen and her lover—not Emanuel and his sons—were responsible for the murder. Additionally, the investigation officer found no evidence against Emanuel and his sons. Based on the investigation report, the judge granted Emanuel and his sons bail.
After the bail was granted, Shaheen filed a private complaint (allowed under Pakistani law) against Emanuel and his sons. Again based on the investigation report, the judge dismissed her complaint in November 2009. Following her initial defeat, Shaheen amended her complaint, and a higher court remanded the case so that it could proceed to trial. The case continued on, and in November 2011, Emanuel (who was 75 years old when he was first accused of murder) passed away.
In October 2013, however, Shaheen, anticipating her eventual defeat and losing the property as well, began to seek a compromise with Emanuel’s sons. Qisas (restitution) and Diyat (blood money) laws of Pakistan allow relatives of murder victims to settle with those who committed the murder. Under the diyat law, the victim’s family may accept compensation (or blood money) from the wrongdoer in lieu of imposing actual punishment. Though innocent, Emanuel’s sons believed it best to accept Shaheen’s offer to settle and end the years long legal battle. Accordingly, they agreed that if Shaheen would withdraw her case against them, they would sell their father’s home to Shaheen for half of its value.
In Pakistan, false criminal accusations, such as this, are commonplace and serve as a form of persecution and a tool to settle personal vendetta or property disputes. False blasphemy, murder, and theft charges are filed every day through simple accusations by private individuals. Because most Christians are poor and cannot afford to fight long legal battles, they give up their rights, properties, and even liberty, and end up in prison under false charges.
Our affiliate, the OLA, began representing Emanuel and his sons in July 2009 and continued to aid them until they were exonerated. Because of OLA’s intervention, they obtained bail and were not forced to remain in jail over the past four years. Moreover, OLA’s continued representation led Shaheen to withdraw her complaint, allowing Emanuel’s two sons to be safe from further accusations or punishment for a crime they did not commit.
Shaheryar Gill is Associate Counsel with the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) and oversees ECLJ’s affiliate in Pakistan.
Publish Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2014 20:22:00 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+Victory: Christians Saved from Muslim Attack in Pakistan
By Shaheryar Gill*
All too often in Pakistan, Muslims accuse Christians of blaspheming against Islam, with deadly consequences. On September 3, 2013, Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), the European Centre for Law and Justice’s (ECLJ) affiliate in Pakistan, successfully protected 150 Christian families from an imminent attack in a majority-Muslim community.
The crisis arose after Waseem Masih and Ali Raza, two men from the area, discussed the Bible and Quran. Waseem is Christian and Ali is Muslim. During the discussion, Ali grew agitated and accused Waseem and his pastor, Sattar Masih, of insulting Islam. Ali informed Waseem that he was going to publicize Waseem’s blasphemy.
Concerned, Waseem informed his family of Ali’s threats. Waseem’s cousin and uncle visited Ali’s house. They tried to reason with Ali’s family, but the family refused to listen and instead stated that they would indeed publicize Waseem’s blasphemy and gather other Muslims against Waseem.
After that meeting, Waseem and Pastor Sattar went into hiding. Tension between area Muslims and Christians escalated, and on September 3, 2013, teachers at the area schools refused to teach the Christian students and instead sent them home. Terrified that they would soon be attacked by the Muslims, Christians in Pastor Sattar’s village began to flee their homes.
The OLA staff was notified of the situation on the evening of September 2, 2013. On September 3, a legal team from the OLA visited with some of the Christians who live near Waseem’s home. The Christians confirmed that Muslim teachers were sending the Christian children home from school, and that many Christians had fled the village.
Remembering how false accusations of blasphemy had escalated in the past into mob violence, the OLA team visited Waseem’s house and convinced his family that for their safety they should take the matter to the police. Waseem’s family agreed, and the OLA team took the family to a local police station. At the police station the family met with the Station House Officer and informed him of the situation. The Officer assured Waseem’s family that he would deal with the situation and prevent any violence from occurring.
After the OLA team left the village, about thirty area Muslims decided to hold a meeting at a local school; however, the Station House Officer was alerted to the meeting and arrived at the school with police officers before the meeting could start. The Officer warned the Muslims that he would not tolerate any violence in his jurisdiction, and that he would punish anyone who committed violence. He further informed the Muslims that the Christians would not present Waseem and Pastor Sattar to the Muslims.
Waseem and Sattar remain in hiding, but, due to the early intervention, the threat of violence was thwarted.
In the past few years, hundreds of Christian homes have been burned to ashes and innocent Christians have been killed after mob violence resulting from false accusations of blasphemy in Gojra, Korian village, and most recently in Joseph colony. However, this time a brewing attack was thwarted by timely intervention by the OLA team and the local law enforcement.
This is work for the persecuted Church at its most grassroots level, intervening to prevent mob violence in one of the world’s most hostile environments for religious liberty. The OLA team deserves great credit for its courage and perseverance.
*Shaheryar Gill is an attorney with the ACLJ and ECLJ and oversees ECLJ’s affiliate in Pakistan.
Publish Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 17:23:00 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+Jordan Sekulow on Fox News: Violence Against Christians
Jordan Sekulow joined Shannon Bream on Fox News to discuss the violent attacks recently committed against Christians around the globe.
Publish Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 12:23:47 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+ECLJ Provides Expert Analysis On Religious Persecution in the Middle East
(Strasbourg, France) -The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) in conjunction with Peter van Dalen, A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) hosted a joint symposium at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on July 3, 2013. The symposium entitled “Briefing, Discussion and Legal Implications of Religious Persecution” focused on the legal status of and reality for minority religious groups in the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Peter van Dalen, member of the Christian Union Party in Holland, Member of European Parliament in the European Conservative Reformists Group as well as co-chair of the European Parliament Working Group on Religious Freedom presided over symposium which was attended by MEP’s from across the political divide, various human rights organizations, clergy and members of the general public.
Distinguished panelists included:
Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran
David Schenker,Director, Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute
Salih Efe, Human Rights Attorney, Globus Law Office, Ankara, Turkey
Robert Ash, Senior Counsel, European Centre for Law and Justice
Sam Yeghnazar, Director and CEO of ELAM Ministries
Marc Fromager, Director of Aid to the Church in Need, France
Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran, delivered a detailed presentation on freedom of religion and belief in Iranian law, the current situation of religious freedom in Iran as well an overview of those groups, in Iran, facing the harshest persecution for their faith. As regards the Baha’is, Dr. Shaheed detailed the extreme difficulties they face:
“Baha’is are arguably the most persecuted religious group in the country. In addition to exclusion from constitutional recognition and legal limitations on their religious practices, members of the Baha’i community continue to face arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment, restrictions to higher education, employment discrimination, destruction of property, and more. Many Iranian religious and governmental leaders view the faith as antithetical to the particular religious doctrines adopted by the leadership of the Islamic Republic.”
Regarding Christians, Dr. Shaheed noted the particular difficulties facing converts from Islam:
“Christians and those that convert to Christianity in Iran are also subjected to a wide range of human rights violations, including threats to life, ill-treatment, restrictions of assembly and association, arbitrary arrests, and violations of due process rights. It has been reported that Christians have been singled out by Iranian authorities either because they were converts from Islam, because they proselytized, or as a result of participation in informal “house-churches” with congregations consisting of mostly converts. In Iran, conversion is seemingly criminalized. While “apostasy” is not specifically criminalized under Iranian law, Iran’s new penal code allows for judges to rely on Islamic jurisprudence in the absence of written law. In doing so, Iranian judges frequently seek the opinions of clerics which often view apostasy as a capital offence.”
The ECLJ, along with its U.S. affiliate, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), are working to secure the freedom of Christian Pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been imprisoned in Iran simply because of his religious beliefs. The ACLJ has launched an international campaign of support (www.savesaeed.org) to free Pastor Saeed, a U.S. citizen.
David Schenker, Director, Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute, addressed the situation in Egypt, and the removal of that country’s first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi. In his presentation, Mr. Schenker discussed the effects of having a democratically elected president while at the same time having the government pass undemocratically a new Constitution:
“Both politically and in terms of religious freedoms, Egypt has yet to realize gains from the 2011 popular revolt. There is little doubt that the political discourse has changed and that there is an unprecedented exercise of freedom of expression today in Egypt. But at the same time, with the election of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi, these freedoms are in the process of being rolled back. In addition, as part of the Governmental assault on this new freedom of speech—i.e., the arrest of regime critics and the impending passage of an extremely restrictive NGO law—the Morsi regime has passed (undemocratically) a new Constitution that curtails religious freedom in Egypt. This trend has many Egyptians saying that the revolution merely succeeded in - replacing an autocrat with a theocrat -.”
Salih Efe, Globus Law Office, Ankara, Turkey, provided a historical and contextual view of religious freedom on Turkey from the final stage of the Ottoman Empire through the current day and in context of Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union. In conclusion, Mr. Efe summarized the current situation of religious freedom in Turkey as:
“With Turkey’s vigorous efforts to join the European Union and fulfill the requirements necessary to qualify for membership, debates over minority rights have become central to the nation’s agenda. In expressing a strong and persistent aspiration to become an EU member, Turkey has committed itself to meeting the political criteria for membership, including respecting and protecting its minorities. Towards that end, the Turkish Government has undertaken fundamental constitutional and legal reforms in an unprecedented demonstration of political will and efficiency, starting with constitutional amendments in 2001 and forging ahead with many subsequent “reform packages” the Parliament has passed. Although they are positive measures and are headed in the right direction, close scrutiny of the new laws and their implementation to this date reveals that they are far from guaranteeing the constitutional protection of minorities which the EU requires and to which the Turkish Government has committed itself. Instead, they constitute much belated—if nevertheless welcome—steps toward granting some fundamental rights to members of some minority groups, leaving, despite such progress, much more that needs to be done to achieve respect for, and protection of, all minorities(23).”
Robert Ash, Senior Counsel with the ECLJ, described the current situation in Pakistan regarding the persecution of Shias, Ahmadis, Hindus and Christians. He discussed the development and impact of the Blasphemy Laws as well as highlighted specific cases of religious persecution handled by ECLJ’s affiliate in Pakistan, The Centre for Law and Justice. Mr. Ash concluded his presentation with specific recommendations for the European Union in relation to financial assistance provided to Pakistan:
Reforming Islamic school curricula so that religious schools are no longer breeding places of religious hatred, intolerance, and violence. Such reform needs to encompass the current funding of the schools by religious extremists.
Gaining effective control of Islamic Militant groups so that legal impunity no longer exists for those perpetrating violence upon religious minorities.
Reforming legal education so that attorneys and judges are aware of and understand the law and the importance of the rule of law. In many cases attorneys fail to simply assert their clients’ rights under the law. Our attorneys’ work in Pakistan has shown that there are judges willing to follow the law if the attorneys properly inform them of the law when asserting their clients’ rights.
Repealing the blasphemy laws. In the alternative, amend the blasphemy laws so that they, at a minimum, protect people of all religious communities and cannot be applied in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner. This involves the inclusion of substantive or procedural safeguards against corrupt and preferential application of such laws.
Enacting legislation that would severely punish all persons who make false accusations of criminal activity.
Requiring the police to vigorously and impartially protect the public against all
Sam Yeghnazar, Founder and Director of ELAM Ministries, explained how the Christian Church is growing in Iran due to the disillusionment of the people with the Islamic Regime.
Mr. Yeghnazar explained that Iranians are seen as the most open Muslim people to Christianity with a deep spiritual hunger due to the political, economic and spiritual situation on Iran. There are currently an estimated 100,000 Christians from a Muslim background and there are more persons have become Christians in Iran since the revolution of 1979 than in the previous 1,300 years. (www.elam.org)
Marc Fromager, France’s Director of Aid to the Church in Need, provided an important look at the Arab Spring with a specific examination of what occurred in the Middle-East, the consequences for the local populations as well as the implications for Europe. Mr. Fromager also described the struggle between Islam and modernity concluding that:
“One can also hope that French and European Muslims, who are more and more in contact with democracy, and benefit from a different way of living than that of the “South”, take part in this result in a more active way.
…one should also hope that Christians won’t disappear from the Middle-East. Their link with the Christians here in the West and their faith, which is based on the equal dignity of all and the love of their neighbours, should be considered as assets in these changing times and therefore should be protected instead of being harassed. They also have something to say for the Arab spring to finally become a positive event.”
This symposium was a significant opportunity to join together with other leaders and government officials who are dedicated to the defense of human rights in their own countries and around the world. We are grateful to Peter van Dalen, MEP, for partnering with the ECLJ for this important event.
The European Centre for Law and Justice is an international, Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights in Europe and around the world. The ECLJ holds special Consultative Status before the United Nations/ECOSOC since 2007. The ECLJ acts within the judicial, legislative, and cultural domains. The ECLJ defends, in particular, the right to religious freedom, the life and dignity of persons before the European Court of Human Rights and the other mechanisms afforded by the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The ECLJ bases its actions on “the spiritual and moral values which are the common heritage of [European] peoples and the true source of individual freedom, political liberty and the rule of law, principles which form the basis of all genuine democracy” (Preamble of the Statute of the Council of Europe) - See more at: http://eclj.org/Releases/Read
Publish Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 19:34:17 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+More than 200 Christians’ Houses set on Fire over Blasphemy Accusation in Pakistan
The plight of Christians in Muslim nations continues to deteriorate as evidenced by a minor alteration that ended horrific violence, destruction, and persecution of a Christian community in Pakistan. Center for Law and Justice (CLJ) in Pakistan, an affiliate of the ECLJ, found out during its fact-finding visit that Sawan Masih, a Christian living in Joseph Colony, Pakistan, had an argument with his Muslim friend Shahid Imran – two friends of more than fifteen years who often argued about various topics. That night, Masih allegedly insulted the Prophet of Islam.
The next morning, on March 7, Shahid met his friend Muhammad Shafiq who had connections with iron market unionists. Shafiq took Shahid to union leaders who assured him of their support. The Aman Group (Peace Group) and Ittehad Group (Unity Group) told Shahid that he could take revenge on this insult if he followed their directions. The factory owners of Badami Bagh had recently offered to purchase the homes of the Christian residents, and to these businessmen, this incident seemed like a great opportunity to obtain the land for free. The next day, March 8, Shahid visited Masih’s billiard shop with Shafiq and three other union workers. Shafiq was armed with a long knife and was shouting that he would decapitate the blasphemer’s head. Masih was not present and did not know that people were calling for his life. An eyewitness told the CLJ that he “had sensed that Shahid was going to do something seriously bad to the entire Christian community.”
At 3:00 p.m., Shahid lodged complaint number 112/13 against Masih under Section 295-C of Pakistan Penal Code, which makes an insult of the Prophet of Islam a capital offense. One hour later, local mosques announced that Masih had blasphemed the Prophet of Islam. Masih did not come to the colony that evening after he had learned from his friends that a case had been registered against him. Taking advantage of the situation, both of the unions announced a strike in the steel factories to gain a political advantage in their upcoming union elections. Due to the strike, all the factory workers were available to attack Joseph Colony the next day, March 9.
The police negotiated with the Christian leaders and assured them that if Sawan Masih were handed over to police, the Christians would not be harmed. After the police told the Christians that the matter would be resolved only if Masih were handed to them, they handed Masih over to the police around 2:00 a.m. on March 9.
Nevertheless, at 8:00 a.m. on March 9, Muslim groups poured out of the factories to demand the arrest of Sawan Masih. Although Masih was already in police custody the night before the strike, local police and politicians purposely concealed this from the angry Muslim groups. Neither the police, nor the negotiating Muslim leadership let the angry protestors know that Masih had been handed to the police.
Fearing imminent attack, most of the Christians in Joseph Colony had fled their homes the night before the attack. The next morning, policemen ordered the remaining Christians to evacuate their homes, or they would be killed by the angry protestors. According to Jamila Bibi, wife of Patras Masih, the Christians leaving the colony on the morning of the attack were forced by the clerics and factory workers to recite the Islamic conversion formula: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet.” She held a knife as she left the colony to ward off protestors who intended to rape and humiliate the Christian women.
At 10:00 a.m., about 2,000 Muslim protestors demanded that the “blasphemer” be put to death. As the police force slowly arrived at the scene, they made no effort to inform the protestors that Masih had already been taken into the police custody. According to Riaz Masih and Shahbaz Masih, the police silently watched while the Muslim protestors stole valuable possessions and destroyed Christians’ homes. The firefighter service reached the colony in time to save the homes, but the angry protestors did not let the firefighters in for several hours. Moreover, the police did not help the rescuers enter the colony. According to one anonymous police officer, the ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was not in favor of stopping the protest because it did not want to jeopardize its position in the upcoming general elections.
After the protestors torched the Christians’ homes, the police roped off the area and did not allow the residents of the colony enter. However, the police did allow some media sources and some Christian leaders to enter the colony. A Muslim cleric, named Maraj Din, present at the scene, said: “There is nothing wrong what has happened to the Christians. They deserve it. Now the government must act and punish the blasphemer.” He said that the clerics had assured PML-N Member of National Assembly, Muhammad Malik Riaz, that no action would be taken against the Christians if Masih would be handed over to the police. He added that they “were not told that Masih had been arrested by the police.”
When the CLJ asked Police Inspector Khalid who could be blamed for this barbarity, he said, “Muslims cannot tolerate blasphemy against their prophet so the Christians were themselves responsible for this incident.” When Muhammad Ijaz was interviewed, he became abusive and said: “The incident is laudable! It is the befitting response to these Christians. Our rulers are lackeys of the West. This is why these dirty dogs of the U.S. have immediately announced rebuilding of Christians’ houses.”
Sarwar Bibi, wife of Pastor Khalid Masih told the CLJ that there were several Bibles in the church that had been urinated on and trampled under feet. When she brought this to the notice of media personnel, they took away the evidence.
The following day, Christians across the country protested the attack; but the same police force that watched silently as Christian houses were ransacked, suddenly became very active in suppressing the Christian demonstrators. The police officers used their batons to move the crowds and fired shots to disperse them. Sadly, a woman died in her home in Yahounabad, a Christian slum, because of teargas exposure after the police had forcibly entered several homes and used excessive teargas to quell protests inside the colony.
The Response of Government and Society
The Punjab government acknowledged its inefficiency in not being able to protect the Christians and chief minister Shahbaz Sharif ordered immediate rehabilitation. It promised food and security for the affected persons. It provided the victims 200,000 Pakistani rupees, a figure later increased to 500,000 (roughly $5,000). The government also ordered immediate rebuilding of damaged houses. The chief minister said that those responsible for the attack would be apprehended.
Immediately following the incident, several Islamic leaders condemned the attack. On March 11, the National Assembly interrupted its agenda to condemn rioting against the Christians. The National Standing Committee on Human Rights took notice of the incident and asked the Inspector General of the Police to explain the lapse in security. The chairman Riaz Fatyana said that the Punjab government could have averted the incident if the police had acted timely.
Hypocrisy of the Punjab Government
Christians make up about 1.6 percent of the total population of 180 million. Most of the Christian population is concentrated in the province of the Punjab. The PML-N is the ruling party in this province. In 2009, the beginning of PLM-N’s tenure, communal riots against Christians took place in Kasur and Gojra. In July 2009, more than 50 houses were ransacked in Kasur, and later in August 2009, more than 100 houses of Christians were torched in Gojra. Eight Christians died in the attacks in Gojra.
Although the Punjab government rebuilt houses burned in the Gojra attack, the government failed to properly prosecute those involved in the attack or amend the Pakistan Penal Code as recommended by the judicial tribunal appointed to inquire into the Gojra incident. This record shows that the government will not follow through on its promises, lulling the Christian community into a false sense of security.
Conclusion
Articles 24 and 25 of Constitution of Pakistan guarantee equal rights to all citizens and protection of every citizen’s property. So far, only the Christian community has been subjected to such communal attacks. Recurrence of such incidents indicates that Christians are hated in the country to the extent that it is difficult for the Muslim majority to see Christians having any visible possession of land or other material belongings. In all cases, the loss of life was minimal compared to attacks on other religious minorities, but the damage to property was catastrophic.
Attacks on Christians are easy because Christians have no political connections. They do not have representation in the bureaucracy or civil services. Their weak social, political, and economic conditions will keep them as easy prey.
Also, bias towards the Christians in the state institutions, lack of their access to influential positions in the government, government’s apathy to the religious minorities and appeasement policy toward religious extremist elements for political gain, and weak judicial system increase vulnerability of the Christian community to such attacks. The pattern shows that recurrence of communal strife against the Christians is on the rise and is permeating metropolitan life. It also shows that Pakistan is fast slipping into extremism, which is rupturing its urban social fabric.
Publish Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:14:00 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+YouTubes, Conspiracies, and Ignorance: Middle East Edition
Today’s Washington Post features an important story that lifts the veil of unreality and political correctness that surrounds our understanding of the Middle East. Remember the vicious Taliban assault on Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani school girl who courageously spoke out against extremism and in favor of educating girls? Well, it turns out that many Pakistanis believe that was an American operation — despite the Taliban’s very public claim of responsibility. And that is, of course, merely the tip of the iceberg regarding popular Pakistani conspiracy theories. The Post blandly notes that “Pakistanis love a good conspiracy theory” without noting how utterly vicious and malignant those theories are.
And it’s not just Pakistan. In Iraq we saw a deadly green-on-blue attack justified in Iraqi cities by the popular (and utterly fictional) notion that the American victim was a child-killer and child-rapist. Insurgents blamed their own suicide bombs on American air strikes, accused Americans of forcibly converting Muslims to Christianity, and of generally committing acts of “blasphemy” regardless of their relationship to real-world events. Popular Muslim beliefs regarding the the history and conduct of Jews are simply grotesque (Holocaust denial and blood libel are staples of the Arab world). September 11 trutherism is conventional wisdom with millions who literally believe Mossad concocted the whole event to trick America into a new round of crusades.
The simple fact of much of the Middle East is that the pump is always primed for a riot. Riots in response to Western “outrages” are rarely spontaneous but instead shrewdly generated under circumstances calculated to minimize our response. Political imams can always get the crowd; the trick is to get the crowd under circumstances designed to elicit garment-tearing apologies and concessions from Americans instead of swift and decisive offensive or defensive action. When we apologize for months-old YouTube trailers and jail filmmakers, the only thing we really do is teach jihadists they can manipulate a superpower.
The YouTube explanation for Middle Eastern violence was never credible — and not just in Libya. Put simply, we were played.
This article is crossposted at National Review Online.
Publish Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 22:49:31 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+200 Families Displaced in Pakistan after Minor Accused of Blasphemy
At least 200 families have fled their homes in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, to save their lives after a young Christian girl was accused of burning the Qur’an. According to the latest reports, Muslims are looting the abandoned houses, setting fire to Christians’ belongings, and they have desecrated the local church building.
The Christians of Meharabadi Jaffar fled from the colony after the local Muslims failed in their attempt to burn alive Rimsha Masih (who is about 13-year-old) on August 16. Rimsha was accused by a Muslim neighbor of burning pages of the Qur’an. A large crowd of people gathered after the local mosque announced that a Christian girl had burned the Qur’an. The Ramna Police Department intervened at about 8 p.m. when Muslim women were ruthlessly beating Rimsha and Muslim men were verbally insulting her. The angry crowd was on the verge of setting Rimsha on fire when the police put Rimsha and her family in a van and fled the scene.
The Ramna Police Station is only a few hundred meters from Meharabadi Jaffar. About 1,500 men, including local clerics and madrassa (Islamic seminary) students, soon arrived and surrounded the police station. They demanded Rimsha and her family be handed over to them. Anticipating this possibility, the police had already moved Rimsha and her family to a safer location. The police immediately registered a crime report against Rimsha under the blasphemy laws and distributed its copies among the angry protestors to pacify them.
The next morning, Rimsha was taken in an armored vehicle to the court. The police used an armored vehicle fearing that the extremists might attack Rimsha again. Rimsha remained in the vehicle while the investigation officer, Zabiullah, appeared before the magistrate and requested that she be sent to jail. Zabiullah told the Center for Law and Justice (CLJ), ECLJ’s affiliate in Pakistan, that a crowd of clerics and men had gathered outside the court premises. The crowd carried kerosene oil and ran after the vehicle for about one kilometer. Zabiullah said, “They tried to throw the kerosene oil on the vehicle to burn Rimsha, me and other policemen inside the vehicle.”
The religious community was infuriated when they learned that Rimsha had been moved to the prison where they had no access to her. Within a few hours, between 1,500 to 2,000 men, including students from the nearby Laal Masjid (Red Mosque where the Pakistan Army conducted a military operation against the extremist in 2007) surrounded the police station and torched three police vans and a nearby police post. The main road in front of the police station remained blocked for about five hours. Zabiullah told the CLJ that Pakistani television channels initially aired these scenes of rampage but then stopped after the government intervened. He added that a case had been registered against more than 150 hooligans, but no arrests had been made.
Rimsha was arrested on the eve of August 16, and was sent to Adiala Jail the next morning. The investigation officer had no time to interrogate her thoroughly. Zabiullah told the CLJ that he would submit his investigation report (challan) right after the Eid holidays. At this point, he has not acquired any evidence of Rimsha’s age, but he claims that she is 16 years old, which means that she is not a minor and can be awarded life imprisonment for burning the Qur’an, if convicted. There were reports that Rimsha has Down’s syndrome, but Zabiullah has not ordered Rimsha’s medical evaluation. Instead, he has concocted a story that Rimsha had an affair with a Muslim boy and that she desecrated the Qur’an after she was jilted by him. He said that Rimsha brought suparas (booklets containing chapters of the Qur’an) and burned them publicly. Zabiullah told that CLJ that “after committing this crime, she shouted: ‘O you Muslims! Come and see what I have done to your Holy Book. You do whatever you can.” The crime report lodged by the complainant, Al-Saeed Muhammad Ammad, against Rimsha, however, states that the incident involved 10 to 12 pages of a prayer book and not of the Qur’an.
Zabiullah’s version has been contradicted by a Christian woman, Samira, who is Rimsha’s neighbor and witnessed the incident. Samira also fled from Meharabadi Jaffar and is now living in another Christian community in Islamabad. She says Rimsha was a child between the ages of 12 and 14, and a slow learner. She said that she had seen Rimsha collecting waste papers to prepare chips for her younger brother and sister. She denied that Rimsha had any affair with any Muslim boy. She said that Rimsha kept urging the neighboring woman to tell the people that those papers were given to her. Samira claimed that Rimsha was “begging Muslim woman to tell the truth while the police were putting Rimsha in the van.” Samira also confirmed that Rimsha had not attended school and that she could not read or write.
Samira’s husband, Ashraf Masih, said that the Christians of Meharabadi Jaffar were extremely poor. “The Christians had no respect in the colony. The Muslims could harass and molest a Christian woman whenever they wanted,” Ashraf said. He said if any Christian objected to mistreatment, then he would be ruthlessly beaten.
On August 19, the President of Pakistan took notice of the incident. Earlier, during a meeting with a Vatican representative, he had vowed not to allow misuse of Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws. Nothing has changed yet for the Christian families of Meharabadi Jaffar, which is only few kilometers from the capital—the seat of Presidency. Until the filing of this report, all the Christian families are still in hiding in slums of Islamabad and poor Christians of these slums are providing them food and shelter.
Publish Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:15:09 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+ACLJ: Protecting Religious Freedom Here and Abroad
Earlier this week, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released its 2012 report highlighting religious liberty issues in 25 countries. The report recommends to the President various changes to U.S. foreign policy to ensure that the U.S. make religious freedom a top priority of our government when dealing with some of the world’s worst abusers of religious freedom. In preparation for the report the Commission, commonly referred to as USCIRF, requested the ACLJ submit a report about our international work around the world defending religious liberties. The ACLJ, in collaboration with our affiliate offices in Russia and Pakistan, submitted reports for the Commission’s review. As a result, the 2012 USCIRF report includes several accounts reported by the ACLJ and its international affiliates.
The ACLJ’s international affiliates actively protect religious freedom all over the globe. In Pakistan, the Center for Law and Justice, defends Christians and other religious minorities from false accusations of blasphemy, protects Christians from having their property illegally destroyed or acquired, and representing victims and their families who were subject to violence because of their religious beliefs. The 2012 USCIRF report recognized the great work of the Center for Law and Justice-Pakistan in winning a rare and precedential case where three Muslims who had murdered a Christian were sentenced to life imprisonment.
As the ACLJ and the Center for Law and Justice – Pakistan highlighted for USCIRF, Pakistan fails to protect its religious minorities from extremist, Islamist vigilantes and the continued existence and abuse of the blasphemy laws has created a hostile environment for religious minorities.
In July 2010, Christian pastor Rashid Emmanuel and his brother, who were accused of writing a blasphemous pamphlet, were shot while being transported from the courtroom to the jail. The victims were likely to be exonerated after experts concluded that they did not write the pamphlet. In January 2011, Governor Salman Taseer was murdered by one of his bodyguards after vowing to repeal Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and supporting Asia Bibi. Sherry Rehman, a Muslim MP, was threatened shortly thereafter for introducing a bill seeking to amend the blasphemy laws. A few months later, Minister Shahbaz Bhatti was assassinated after advocating against Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Pakistan’s inability to combat this climate of vigilantism undermines its declaration that it is working towards full democracy, restoring the rule of law, and mainstreaming universal human rights.
The ACLJ and its affiliate, the Center for Law and Justice – Pakistan remain committed to protecting religious minorities and victims of the Islamist vigilantes. We applaud USCIRF for recommending for the tenth straight consecutive year that Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, add Pakistan to the list of countries of particular concern for its egregious violations of religious freedom.
USCIRF also recommended that Secretary Clinton add seven other countries to the list of countries of particular concern: Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam. Moreover, the report recommended that eight countries be re-designated as countries of particular concern: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan.
The ACLJ also applauds USCIRF for its call that Iran “release all Christians, including Youcef Nadarkhani” and those held “in prison on account of their religion or belief,” and for asking that the Iranian regime “drop all pending charges against Christian converts.” The report reiterates what the ACLJ has argued, “[t]he government of Iran continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the accused.” The report calls on the U.S. government to “work within its current overall policy framework to ensure that violations of freedom of religion or belief and related human rights are part of all formal and informal multilateral or bilateral discussions with representatives of the Iranian government.”
From the classroom here in the United States to the religious battlefields abroad, the ACLJ remains committed to fighting for religious freedom.
Publish Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:56:30 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+Christian Persecution Takes No Holiday
This Christmas season reveals a growing danger facing Christians in many parts of the world and underscores why the international work of the American Center for Law and Justice and its international affiliates is so important.
You don't need to look past the headlines - report after report of Christians facing persecution - even death - because of their faith.
Of course, our work continues to keep the spotlight and pressure on Iran, which has delayed a decision regarding the fate of Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who faces a death sentence because of his faith. Unfortunately, the list of Christians facing punishment and persecution this Christmas is not a short one.
In Egypt, as I told you earlier this week, Coptic Christians are facing grave danger as a new Islamic-based government is being formed with the radical Muslim Brotherhood gaining even more control. The Egyptian military is stepping up its violence against protesters - targeting women, who are now fight back. They are turning out by the thousands to call attention to the systematic abuse of women in that country.
Muslims attack a Christian settlement in Nigeria, killing one woman and wounding others. A gang attack in Kenya. Muslim men beat a young Christian man unconscious - just weeks after the victim's brother was targeted and severely wounded because of his Christian faith. Threats are on the rise in Kashmir, India where Christians are becoming increasingly fearful this Christmas season as the Islamic government there is poised to punish missionaries on charges of proselytizing and what the government calls "forced conversions." And in Laos, officials arrest eight Christian leaders for assembling some 200 church members to celebrate Christmas.
This global attack on Christianity also has triggered a sharp rebuke from the Catholic Church with Pope Benedict XVI recently noting that Christians "are the religious group which suffers most from persecution on account of its faith." The Vatican is even calling for a World Day to mark anti-Christian violence and persecution, saying there might be more than 200 million Christians suffering discrimination. That's a warning we issued many months ago.
Here's the good news. We're making a difference in this fight to safeguard religious freedom. Thanks to your support. We're making a difference in places like Pakistan. For instance, we're representing a Pakistani Christian convert as he seeks asylum from religious persecution. We secured a judicial victory for the family of one Christian who was tortured and murdered because of his religious beliefs, ensuring that those responsible for the death faced punishment. We worked with a Christian pastor in Pakistan to ensure that he and his congregation would retain ownership of their church, which was illegally taken and occupied by Muslims. We have also helped bring those responsible for abducting a Christian woman and forcing her to accept Islam to justice, and succeeded in defending 43 Christians who were falsely detained in their homes.
Our expansion with an office in Pakistan has allowed us to battle Islamic blasphemy laws and defend many other persecuted Christians.
As the threat against Christians in Islamic nations continues to mount, we remain committed to assisting those facing discrimination and persecution. Our promise is clear: we will work to protect religious freedom.
Anti-Christian bigotry and persecution does not take a holiday. This Christmas season, stand with us. Support our work at the American Center for Law and Justice, and please pray for those Christians around the world who are sacrificing so much for their faith.
Publish Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:50:50 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+Will Egypt Become the Next Pakistan?
A few days ago, I was watching a popular Egyptian talk show; Fil Midan, or In the Square 10/20/2011 show. It had a very interesting guest, a leader of a salafi Islamic political faction. He maintained a pleasantly tranquil smile and a relaxed appearance throughout the program, wearing his typically Pakistani outerwear and hat. The host Amr Al-Leithy was pretending to be eager to corner him, asking tough questions, but it was obvious to me as time went on, that he was not serious about laying a glove on him. It was pretentious. The host constantly maintained a neutral grin to all kinds of extreme responses from his revered guest. Even though I had not seen this “leader” before, I found out as the interview continued that he was a prominent Islamic figure, with his own show on a satellite TV channel; Sheikh Mahmoud Al-Masry, a.k.a. Abou 'Ammar, who formerly served as an imam in Saudia Arabia and other Gulf states mosques, and participated in an official series of sermons at the Islamic Center in Brooklyn, NY during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Sheikh Mahmoud Al-Masry was saying truly horrific things. For instance, he said that the 9/11 attacks turned out to be a blessing in disguise because they drew the attention of hundreds of thousands of Americans toward Islam. When some actually approached him for answers regarding this Muslim aggression, he introduced them to Islam's holy commands, which led to scores of conversions. Of course, he never mentioned the countless funds that were spent to convert those mostly inner city folk, and those in confinement, nor did he disclose their source. When it came time to discuss non-Muslims, he used the usual line that real Muslims carry no animosities towards non-Muslims, in Egypt or abroad. After being confronted by the show’s host about the repeated attacks, burnings and destruction of Coptic Churches, he reluctantly admitted that there are – of course – exceptions in every group but that actions of a few should not blemish the majority.
The Sheikh then proceeded to discuss tourism. He softly said that Egypt should enforce a strict dress code for everyone, Egyptians and foreign tourists alike, and prohibit all religiously forbidden actions, like drinking alcohol. There were two reasons why he believes these measures must be taken. First, based on his interpretation of Shari 'a, a Muslim is forbidden from attending to someone inappropriately attired, or from serving the banned alcoholic drinks. Second, he believed that foreigners would be enticed by this modest behavior, to ask questions about the cause behind those restrictions, and thus be introduced to Islam. He jovially affirmed that stricter laws will lead to more converts to the rightful religion. The host was left speechless, obviously in admiration and not discontent. Coincidentally, the day after this program, a large statue of Pharaoh Sesostris I (Senusret III), standing in the middle of a square in the Delta city of al-Mansoura, was toppled overnight. The Supreme Council of Antiquities accused salafis of knocking down the statue, but the Daqahlia governor said erosion and wind were responsible. He added that the statue was a replica anyway so it was not really significant.
Alarmingly though, this rapid trend towards Islamization of the society is sweeping Egypt without any hint of a substantial opposition. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), who have been ruling the country ever since the fall of President Mubarak on February 11, 2011, has freed prominent Islamist figures from jail and even allowed exiled extremists to return to the country. SCAF appointed a committee to change the Egyptian Constitution headed by an overtly Islamist thinker Judge Tariq el-Bishri, and a leading Muslim Brotherhood (MB) figure (Sobhi Saleh, Lawyer and MB leader). SCAF authorized a popular referendum on the new temporary constitution opposed by revolutionary and secular forces. SCAF never blinked at the MB’s or salafis' overt propaganda that voting “Yes” on the referendum was the Islamic way and voting “No” was thus non-Islamic .
When the government appointed a Christian governor in Qena, located in Upper Egypt, the Islamists refused. They sabotaged the railroad tracks and blocked the highways to the province for two weeks. SCAF did nothing and the governor never took office. Even while the current constitution forbids the formation of political parties based on religious indoctrination (see article 4), there exists today more than a dozen Islamic parties, and thousands of candidates ready to take on parliamentary elections due to start this month. Muslim leaders announced that they expect the Muslim Brotherhood to win 50% of the seats with an additional 30% of the parliamentary seats going to a coalition of other Islamic parties. They added that an Islamic constitution would eventually follow.
With the multiple incidents of assaults on churches openly carried out by Islamists, SCAF timidly pleaded with the Islamists to end their aggression, even brought their own religious leaders to appease them, and on only one occasion had to rebuild a church de nouveau. Yet, no one was ever tried or punished for this reprehensible conduct. Christians are being killed all over Egypt at an alarming frequency since the revolution. There has not been one investigation carried out that led to the incrimination of any of the salafis who have openly bragged about their aggression in footage available online. After the latest massacre of Christians in front of the Maspero building, where more that 27 were killed and 250 injured, SCAF is investigating the military’s involvement while vehemently denying any wrongdoing. Video shows the military taking part in this massacre, using armored vehicles to crush Christians.
In today’s Egypt, liberal, secular and Christian political forces are being treated with fists – recall the imprisonment of some twelve thousand protesters after very short trials. Islamist leaders are being caressed with a soft hand despite their documented violence evidenced by the destruction of church buildings and killing of Christians.
The temporary government either fears igniting the extremists’ animosity, or simply endorses their behavior but is too cautious to openly support it. SCAF makes sure to announce after each violent incident that they support democratic change and favor the transition of Egypt into a secular state. However, their actions do not support their declared intentions, which may imply that they are wary of the reaction of the less senior ranks within the armed forces themselves, or the openly declared Islamic political and popular forces in Egyptian society.
In any case, it's only a matter of time until we find out whether the January 25th, 2011 Revolution will bring about a new Egypt that looks more like Pakistan, with an unbreakable alliance between the army and the Islamists in defiance of democratic and progressive values. Or will Egypt be like Turkey, where the Islamists are watched over by the army (or were at least until recently), and there is a fairly democratic political system. We hope that Egypt will be like Spain, where the removal of an army dictator engendered a truly secular and progressive democracy, even for a people with a strong religious background.
Publish Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:51:26 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+Religious Liberty: The World's Worst Offenders
In addition to protecting religious freedom in this country, a large part of our work involves defending religious freedom around the globe.
That's why this new report by the U.S. State Department is of great interest. The Department's 13th Annual Report on International Religious Freedom documents numerous ways in which governments and societies violate religious freedom, including:
Active State Repression and Impunity
Violent Extremist Attacks
Apostasy and Blasphemy Laws
Repression of Religious Minorities
Anti-Semitism
As Secretary of State Clinton put it: "Hatred and intolerance are destabilizing. When governments crack down on religious expression, when politicians or public figures try to use religion as a wedge issue, or when societies fail to take steps to denounce religious bigotry and curb discrimination based on religious identity, they embolden extremists and fuel sectarian strife."
The report lists the worst offenders of the 198 countries studied. The following list is unchanged from the previous year - the "countries of particular concern" - Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan.
The "countries of particular concern" (CPC) designation means the countries engaged in or tolerated "severe violations of religious freedom," including persecution, harassment, abuse, discrimination and detention of religious minorities or activists and the prohibition of practicing religions not sanctioned by the government.
Unfortunately, the State Department stopped short and failed to add some of the world's worst offenders to the list. One specific example is Pakistan, where there is growing violence and persecution aimed at the Christian minority there.
Our international affiliate recently secured an important victory for a Christian family who faced persecution in Pakistan because of their faith. Our team successfully represented Rashid Masih’s family against a number of Muslims who tortured and killed Masih after he refused to convert to Islam. In July, the Sessions Court in Mian Channu, Pakistan, announced its verdict in which it sentenced three Muslims to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of Masih.
In addition to Pakistan, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is calling for the inclusion of other countries to be added to the list. USCIRF Chair Leonard Leo recommended that Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam be added to the list of "countries of particular concern."
"The Commission welcomes the first CPC designations of the Obama administration, but is concerned that no new countries were added to the list," said Leo. "Repeating the current list continues glaring omissions, such as Pakistan and Vietnam."
We agree. It's time for the State Department to update this list. When it comes to religious freedom, the world deserves to know which countries are the worst offenders.
Publish Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:01:34 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+Victory for Christians in Pakistan
ACLJ Associate Counsel Shaheryar Gill discusses an important victory for persecuted Christians in Pakistan. The ACLJ in conjunction with our ECLJ office in Pakistan helped ensure those responsible for the murder of a Christian man in Pakistan were brought to justice.
Publish Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:56:31 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
+Death of a Muslim Blasphemer
2011 began with some bleak news for Muslim-Christian relations around the world.
Recent attacks against churches in Iraq, Nigeria and Egypt have killed dozens of Christian worshippers. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government is standing by the country's controversial blasphemy law which critics say threatens religious minorities.
How should political and religious leaders deal with these challenges to interfaith relations?
Today, the Governor of Pakistan's Punjab province was killed. Governor Salmaan Taseer lost his life because of Pakistan's blasphemy law. As an opponent of the law, Mr. Taseer became a blasphemer in the eyes of his own security. From the AP's report:
An intelligence official interrogating the suspect, identified as Mumtaz Qadri, told the Associated Press that the elite force security guard was boasting about the assassination, saying he was proud to have killed a blasphemer.
A respected Muslim politician takes a bold stand against an oppressive law used primarily as a weapon of fear and he is transformed by violent extremists into an enemy of Islam. Mr. Taseer became a religious minority, suffering the same fate of many Christians in Pakistan.
He was the most courageous voice after Benazir Bhutto on the rights of women and religious minorities," said a crying Farahnaz Ispahani, an aide to Mr. Zardari and friend of Taseer. "God, we will miss him," said one media report.
So will the ACLJ's affiliate in Pakistan. The Center for Law & Justice - Pakistan is located in the Punjab province formerly governed by Mr. Taseer.
You can read the entire commentary here. Please leave your comments on the Washington Post site.
Please note that in discussing political issues, candidates positions and political party statements, Jordan Sekulow is offering analysis in his individual capacity as lawyer and commentator. He is not speaking on behalf of the American Center for Law & Justice. The ACLJ does not endorse or oppose candidates for public office. Nothing contained in this article should be construed as the position of the ACLJ.
Publish Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT
Keyword: Pakistan
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