How Christians Persecution in Pakistan Remained Unabated

The Pakistani President Asif Ali ZARDARI

It’s very agonizing to note the immense persecution most Christians go through in Pakistan just because of their Christian faith. And the irony of it all is that all these happen in the full glare of the government who is supposed to protect the rights of all citizens in the country.


This is country where the law mandates that "blasphemies" of the Qur'an are to be met with punishment and this has put the 1.5% Christian population into a very serious jeopardy. And it was under this law that one Ayub Masih, a Christian, was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death in 1998. He was accused by a neighbor of stating that he supported British writer, Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses.

Then just recently it was reported by Mission Network News (MNN) about 250 families in Pakistan are being evicted from their homes in Khanewal District by their Muslim landlords. The reason given for this unwholesome act is simply because they stood up in defense of their rights.

Further to that Release International (RI) also reported that their partner in Pakistan intervened to rescue a Christian family - one Yousaf Masih and his wife Suria Bibi, when an angry mob accusing them of blasphemy surrounded their home in Lahore.

The Attack on a Christian Couple

The couple, with their daughter and son-in-law was snatched to safety as an ugly scene developed outside their home in Punjab's capital. They were summoned with mosque loudspeakers, and there and then hundreds of angry Muslims began protesting and in the ensuing protest, one of Yousaf's neighbors accused them of blaspheming against the Koran.

Reports have it that the accusations on the family followed the discovery that the couple, who live in poor, rented accommodation, had made a temporary roof for their bathroom out of a 'banner' which, unknown to them, bore a Koranic verse.

In another incidence in October 2001, gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on a Protestant congregation in the Punjab, killing 18 people and until date, o one knew for sure who the gunmen were but officials think it might be a banned Islamic group.

Christians Killed in a Church in Islamabad

Also in March 2002, five people were killed in an attack on a church in Islamabad, including an American schoolgirl and her mother, while in August of the same year, masked gunmen stormed a Christian missionary school for foreigners in Islamabad, six people were killed and three injured. None of those killed were children of foreign missionaries.

Again in the same period grenades were thrown at a church in the grounds of a Christian hospital in north-west Pakistan, near Islamabad, killing three nurses and while the Christians were recovering from it, two terrorists entered the "Peace and Justice Institute", Karachi, where they separated Muslims from the Christians, and then murdered seven Christians by shooting them in the head.

The Death of Three Young Christian Girls

Most agonizing was the death of three young girls in December 2002, who were blown apart when hand grenade was thrown into a church near Lahore on Christmas Day. While in November 2005 3,000 militant Islamists attacked Christians in Sangla Hill in Pakistan and destroyed Roman Catholic, Salvation Army and United Presbyterian churches.

This very attack was over a flimsy allegation of violation of blasphemy laws by a Pakistani Christian and the attacks were widely condemned by some political parties in Pakistan.

Just recently, in March this year to be precise, the Washington, D.C. based International Christian Concern (ICC) reported that a Pakistani Christian man, Arshed Masih, died after he was burnt alive by some Muslims and as if that was not enough a Muslim policeman raped his wife.

Christian Rights Groups Speak Out

And reacting to the gruesome murder, the ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said “We are outraged and deeply saddened by the murder of Masih and the rape of Martha by the police. As this case clearly indicates, Pakistani Christians are treated as less than animals by the Muslims. We urge the president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zadari, and other high level government officials to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice.”

According to Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs, Canada, women in Pakistan have virtually no rights, and so these abuses go on all the time and any attempt to get justice is always very difficult.

And it’s regrettable that the Christian population in the country has lost every hope in the government and its legal system as they’ve never lived up to their expectation in protecting life and property of the marginalized Christian people – they never get justice, even when they’re wrongly accused. But the only source of hope left for the people is a continuous looking up to God, who’s the author of life.

How Christians are Being Persecuted in Indonesia

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
of Indonesia

Indonesia a Moslem country located in the South East Asia has continued to intensify its persecution effort of the Christian minorities despite spirited cry by the people, as the Islamist hardliners in Bekasi are out to stop the spread of the gospel.


In a report by the Release International (RI) www.releaseinternational.org it noted that the Islamist hardliners are using fighting talk about the 'Christianization' of Bekasi, amid rising interfaith tensions in the city.

“Nine Islamic groups meeting in the West Javan city have reportedly joined forces in a campaign to prepare local mosques to 'wage war’ on the growing Christian influence in the city,” it said.

RI said that the group is recommending that each local mosque should form its own laskar or 'paramilitary unit' to enforce Sharia - a strict Islamic practices on local Muslims adding that they’re insisting that the Bekasi administration's policymaking should reflect this code.

According to the report the hardliners said they are reacting to what they see as a concerted attempt by the church to extend its reach in Bekasi, a commuter city for Jakarta and that the mass baptisms of Christians who were raised as Muslims are cited as a particular issue for concern.

It stated: “On June 20, the Pondok Timur Indah Church in Mustika Jaya subdistrict was shut down. A spokesman for the mayor of Bekasi confirmed that the church closure was a response to demands from Islamist hardliners, who had declared the church 'illegal'. A church-run school in Bekasi was attacked last month, after blasphemy allegations against a 16-year-old blogger.”

It observed that the church leaders are now calling on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to defend the Christian minority in the face of mounting intimidation.

“Praise God that the church in Bekasi appears to be thriving. Ask Him to protect His people in this city. Also pray against moves to revive religious tensions in a nation still recovering from conflict fuelled by jihadists,” the report added.

Release International is a United Kingdom based Registered Charity. The organization serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries around the world by supporting pastors and Christian prisoners, and their families through its international network of missions. It supplies Christian literature and Bibles and also works for justice.

For more information on them visit their website: www.releaseinternational.org Or log on to the Persecuted Church Blog: http://churchpersecution.blogspot.com

Eight Nigerian Christians Killed by Moslem Fundamentalists

The remains of the last Jos violence


No fewer than eight Christians were killed in Kaduna and Plateau States of Nigeria by some Moslem fundamentalists in a renewed violence on the Christian community, when there villages were attacked, while five Christian homes were burnt down.


In statement by Regional Manager for Africa and South Asia, International Christian Concern (ICC) http://www.persecution.org/,  Jonathan Racho, he said that on the night of July 3, several Muslims attacked Kizachi village in Kaduna State and killed five Christians, including a primary school teacher and mother of six children.

“Nigerian sources told ICC that the police had stopped protecting the village on July 2 after the government failed to pay their salaries,” he stated.

He noted that in the second attack, on the night of July 4, 200 Muslims armed with guns and machetes invaded Ganawuri community, near Jos adding that three Christians are feared dead.

Many Christians Killed in Northern Nigeria

Racho said that this latest violence came on the heels of a March 7 jihad attack against Christians in Jos in which over 500 mainly women and children were murdered. “It is estimated that many more thousands of Christians have been killed in northern Nigeria since the introduction of Sharia law in 2001.”

“We are outraged by the latest killings of Christians in northern Nigeria. Once again, Nigerian officials have failed to provide needed security for the citizens of Kaduna and Plateau States. We urge Nigerian authorities to quickly bring all the perpetrators of the attacks to justice and fully investigate the lapse in security, Racho added.”

Comment From Special Task Force

In his own contribution, a spokesperson of the Nigerian military’s Special Task Force (STF), Lt. Col. Kingsley Umoh, stated that the attackers were suspected herdsmen from neighboring communities of Kaduna State.

According to Umoh, STF received a distress call which they responded to, and engaged in a fire fight with the attackers stressing that one of the attackers received gunshot wounds and six were arrested.

“Those arrested have since been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the state police command for further investigations,” he added.

About International Christian Concern

We note that ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide and it provides awareness, advocacy, and assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For further information on this and other cases of persecution log on to their website: http://www.persecution.org/

Rights Campaigners Pressure Eritrea Government on Freedom of Religion

One of the Eritrean protesters at the Eritrean Embassy
Pix: RI

In an attempt to make the Eritrean government to rescind its hard posture on religious freedom, five Christian human rights campaigners have continued to press on the government of Eritrea to change its stand.


In a report by Release International (RI) http://www.releaseinternational.org/  it pointed out that right campaigners from Eritrea, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and England converged on the Eritrean Embassy in London on June 3, 2010, to mark the eighth anniversary of the forced closure of many churches in Eritrea.

According to the report, the Bishop of Woolwich, Christopher Chessun, joined the head of the British Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Seraphim of Glastonbury, in presenting a letter to the Embassy calling for imprisoned Christians to be set free. At least 12 have died behind bars.

“The letter was handed in at the culmination of a prayer vigil calling for religious freedom in Eritrea. Eritrea has banned most religious organizations and aggressively persecutes Christians. More than 2,000 are behind bars - some kept in airless shipping containers in the heat of the desert, others in underground cells,” the report added.

It said that seven organizations stood together in solidarity outside the Embassy adding that they include, the British Orthodox Church, Church in Chains (Ireland), Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Release International, Human Rights Concern - Eritrea and Release Eritrea.

It noted that the organizer, David Turner of Church in Chains said: “We were reminded that the Berlin wall had fallen, apartheid had ended, and that this injustice, too, would end. Love conquers hate, light conquers darkness, and hope conquers fear.”

“Standing there with Eritreans whose family members were behind bars, reinforced for me the reality of the persecution faced in that country. We must and will continue to stand in solidarity until this great injustice comes to an end,” Tuner further said.

The RI report said that among the delegation is Dr. Berhane Asmelash, an Eritrean refugee who had been imprisoned and tortured in Eritrea.

Speaking on this, Dr Berhane, who is now a Church of England curate, said that many Eritrean Christians have lost their lives because of starvation and torture stressing that thousands have fled their country, risking minefields, crocodile-infested rivers and armed border guards to escape to neighboring Sudan, Ethiopia and Yemen.

Release International serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries around the world by supporting pastors and Christian prisoners, and their families. It supplies Christian literature and Bibles; and works for justice. And for more information, log on to their website: http://www.releaseinternational.org/

How Hindu Extremists Victimize Pastors in India

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand,
founder, Release International


In India the Hindu extremists have continued to victimize pastors by using anti-conversion laws as an excuse to attack Christians, thereby limiting church activities.


Release International (RI) http://www.releaseinternational.org/  in a recent report said that pastors were beaten and cars burnt amid accusations of forced conversion.

RI report said that on June 23, two pastors, Pastors Shidu Kurialose and Nithya Vachanam from Bethel Assembly of God Church were seriously injured when men attacked them with iron bars at a tea stall in Chandapura, Karnataka state, accusing them of converting people to Christianity by force. They were subsequently admitted in a hospital after the assault.

It noted that before that attack some extremists reported to be from the Bajrang Dal organization burnt at least seven vehicles belonging to the Jesus with Us Pentecostal Church in Mathikere, Tamil Nadu.

RI noted that the attack followed efforts by extremists to prevent the church holding a four-day convention and that in the event, the gathering went ahead in a different location, under police protection.

Further to that, in Uttar Pradesh, Hindu extremists reported to be from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh organization raided a meeting at Jesus Church in Firozabad on June 21 and threatened to harm Pastor Breymond Shastri if he continued to lead worship there adding that they also persuaded the local media to publish an article accusing the pastor of forcible conversion.

“Pray that the church in India will remain steadfast in their faith also pray that Indian politicians and law enforcers will take a tougher line on extremist elements who are falsely accusing Christians of forced conversion.”

It needs to be noted that eight Indian states have introduced anti-conversion laws – though one, Tamil Nadu, has since repealed them.

Release International is a United Kingdom based registered charity organization and through its international network of missions, it serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries around the world.

It does this by supporting pastors and Christian prisoners, and their families; supplying Christian literature and Bibles; and working for justice. And for more information on their activities, log on to their website: http://www.releaseinternational.org/

Aftermath of Jos Killings in Nigeria: ICC Calls For Resignation of Security Head

Jos, Nigeria Fulani riot victim being buried

The International Christian Concern (ICC), http://www.persecution.org/  the Washington based non-profit Christian organization has called for the resignation of the nation’s head of security for neglecting to act when it mattered most.


In a statement in its Washington office, the President, Jeff King said that the story behind the story is that the head of the army, General Saleh Maina GOC Jos, (a Muslim) was warned by a Christian governor, Jonah David Jang, that an attack was coming the very night the attack occurred.

“The head of the army did nothing. Many reports from inside Nigeria have reached ICC saying that the head of the Army’s inaction may have been incompetence but it may have been worse,” he added.

Jeff King noted that ICC was outraged on March 7 when over 500 Christians were slaughtered in Nigeria adding that in addition to getting Senators and Congressional leaders to send letters to Nigerian officials calling for action, ICC purchased a full page ad in one of Nigeria’s leading newspapers calling for the resignation of the nation’s head of security.

Speaking on the orphans in Burma he said: “Tu Mua Pa is 6 years old. Her mother died years ago. Her father is still alive but hiding in Burma. She was with the orphanage when it was attacked on June 2009. She fled across the river with the others; but being the smallest, she couldn’t keep up. Despite suffering, her energy and bright smile are amazing.”

Recounting the plight of underground pastors, Jeff King mentioned the testimony of one underground pastor, who stated: “There are many people who love my family but would not dare step foot in my home because of their fear of the community. I try to take a very neutral approach. When I have an opportunity to help them, I do. Five days a week I walk around the community and try to help their needs.”

The underground pastor continued: “A boat is my main priority. Without a boat here, it is like you don’t have feet. You can’t move around. A boat is the main transportation. Also I want a lot of prayer from Christians. I feel like there is a lot of spiritual opposition and fear in the community in associating with me. There are lots of people in the community that would like to come, but they are afraid of the others. I need a lot of prayer to overcome that.”

Jeff King called for support to ICC: “You can sign up to be a monthly supporter of the persecuted through a monthly credit card (or bank account) transfer via our website. Your automated recurring gift will help us to plan, build and serve the persecuted with greater confidence. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to serve our persecuted brothers and sisters.”

According to him, ICC makes every effort to honor donor wishes in regards to their gifts. Occasionally, a situation will arise where a project is no longer viable. In that case, ICC will redirect those donated project funds to one of our other funds that is most similar to the donor’s original wishes. “You can sign up for recurring gifts or make a secure online donation by visiting our website.”

For more information on this and related persecution of Christian persecution all over the world, log on to ICC Website: http://www.persecution.org/  or The Persecuted Church blog: http://churchpersecution.blogspot.com/

How Moslem Fundamentalists Slaughtered Over 700 Nigerians Who Refused to Recant

Inscriptions like this speak volume
of the level of persecution in Nigeria


Members of an Islamic group in Nigeria known as Boko Haram launched attacks against local Nigerian security forces and Christians in northern Nigeria on July 27, 2009.


In the clash between the Islamic group and Nigerian forces, over 700 people were killed. This violent Islamic militant group sought to impose a strict form of Shariah law throughout Nigeria.

Pastors Sabo Yakubu, Sylvester O. Akpan and George Ojih were murdered for refusing to renounce their faith and convert to Islam.

International Christian Concern (ICC) http://www.persecution.org/  recently spoke with an individual who witnessed Pastor Ojih’s faithfulness to Christ in his final hours before he was killed for refusing to convert to Islam. We’ve only edited the interview slightly, so that you could read the story in the eyewitness’ own words: Please read!

ICC: What was the initiation the Muslims were forcing Ojih to do? Can you describe it?

Witness: The initiation is not only Pastor George Ojih, it’s general—something they ask all the Christians. If you change your religion, they would not hurt you; but if you not change, then you should go the other side (there were two groups of people-those willing to convert and those refusing). That was the threat. We were lying down on the ground flat, facing the sun. So they tie our legs and our hands together. They say, “if you want to go for Christ, go this side, if you want to go for Mohammed, remain where you are.” Then we move away from where they put us to those that go for Christ. And we’re few. I think it was 8 or 9 by then. So when we are there, they separated us. We are there until they capture other people. Because I was wearing white, they ask, “If you want to go for Christ, go and meet that person with white cloth. And if you want to Islamize yourself, you should stand here and remain here.” That’s how they divided us.

Then later on, to those that were together initially when they capture us, they now ask them that they should go because they accept to follow Mohammed. They were teaching them how to pray, how to do ablution, how to do all sorts of things.

ICC: Can you describe the spot where they interrogated Pastor Ojih?

Witness: They asked Pastor George Ojih to change to Islam. He refused to change. Another believer was with Pastor Ojih; but when he discovered that changing his religion will save his life, he now decided to change in order for them to release him, his wife, and his child. So (this other believer) did all what Boko Haram they asked him to do. He converted to Islam and he confessed it before the church.

Boko Haram then asked Pastor Ojih him to bend downward facing the floor. Somebody come rushed at him with a machete, come from behind and sliced his neck through the back. When he sliced his neck, now, Pastor George Ojih started struggling and he lived a long time before the body become relaxed. Then he died at the railroad tracks near their camp.

ICC: Were there any witnesses?

Witness: Really, there are many eyewitnesses. Both the Christian and the Muslim that confess, the Christian that confess that they deny Christ … it was an open place where they saw all these things happen.

ICC: How did the Muslims react once Ojih was killed?

Witness: I heard that, when he was killed, they were celebrating.

They now triggered their gun, shouting their normal chanting—Allahu Akbar (God is Great.

This interview is reproduced verbatim and for more information on this and related stories on Christian persecution all over the world, log on to ICC Website: http://www.persecution.org/  or The Persecuted Church blog: http://churchpersecution.blogspot.com/