VOICE OF THE VOICELESS

Muslims attack on Church in Gujranwala:

One Christian woman named Shakeela killed and 28 worshipers injured when Muslim mob attacks Sangowali Aroop Presbyterian Church with firearms. Sagowali is village with 45 Christian and 200 Muslim families in Gujranwala District.

Gujranwala: March 5, 2009. On 2nd March 2009, A Muslim group attacked on Christians at Sangowali Aroop Village District Gujranwala. The attackers were armed with weapons and wooden rods. A Christian lady named Shakeela aged 35 years died with critical injuries while 28 got injured; three of them are still hospitalized. The attackers also opened fires on local church.

SLMP team consisting five members named Mr. Sohail Johnson Chief Coordinaor SLMP, Shahzad Kamran Field Officer, Pastor Phillip Dutt Coordinator SLMP unit Gujranwala, Mr. Zahid Daniel volunteer and Samuel Ahsan volunteer visited the place of occurrence at Sangowali village Gujranwala. Mr. Sohail Johnson led the team. SLMP team met with Shakeela’s family and expressed sorrowful feelings to them on death of Shakeela. SLMP team also met with injured Christians and interviewed them. SLMP team visited the church and saw spots of firing on church walls.
The village Sangowalli is not an establish area, 45 Christian families are living there among perhaps more than 200 Muslim families. There is only one church of United Presbyterian denomination.
Brief Facts of the Occurrence
According to the facts collected by SLMP team, a Christian young boy named as Imran son of Moras Masih used to work at CDs shop. On 25th February 2009, in the evening, he was coming back from duty. When he was on the way, some Muslim guys named as Waseem Butt, Zeeshan Butt, Shaheen and others stopped him in the way, they snatched his cell phone and tried to take him in a dark room. According to Imran Masih the culprits attempted to sodomize him, but he escaped. Imran reached home and told to his family about the incident. His uncle, with assistance of some Christian elders, moved an application against the culprits. After few days a lady died in Muslims guys’ family, so Christians did not pursue the application. In the mean time police called Waseem etc to record there version. Waseem and others became aggressive that Christians have moved application for legal action against them. They misinformed police that their patch up with Imran etc is going to be done so that police may stop legal action.

On 2nd March 2009, to fulfill their grudge Waseem Butt, Zeeshan Butt, Shaheen and other attacked Christians. They trespassed on Christians’ houses and tortured them ruthlessly. They also opened fires on Church building.

A Christian lady named Shakeela got severe injuries and could not survived, she got expired while 17 Christians got injured, 3 of them are still hospitalized.

Criminal case has been registered the culprits vide First Information Report (FIR) No. 87 offence under section 302/452, 337FI/337L2, 337AI/148, 149 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) with Police Station Aroop Gujranwala.

Detail of Victims of Attack

Sr. # Name Age occupation Injury

Got Expired

1. Shakeela wife of Mazoor 35 Years Housewife Head Injuries

Discharged from Hospital

2. Dilawer son of Sadiq 22 Years Labor Head Injury

3. Asif son of Baga Masih 19 Years Labor Head Injury

4. Azmat s/o Iqbal Real Brothers 19 Years Labor Injury on Nose

5. Tariq s/o Iqbal 18 Years Labor Injury on Right Arm & Face

6. Sajid son of George 20 Years Labor Head Injury

7. Baber son of Sadeeq 20 Years Student of 10th Class Head Injury

8. Imran son of Moras 20 Years Labor Injury on Forehead

Still in Hospital

9. Iqbal son of Manga Masih 48 Years Labor Head Injury

10 Naziran widow of Sardar 80 Years Housewife Injury on Head & Backbone

11. Basharat son of Iqbal 25 Years Labor Head Injury

Note: There were some more Christians got slight injuries and were discharged after first aid.

Introduction of Shakeela’s (deceased) family.
Shakeela was mother of two daughters and a son. Her husband Manzoor Masih, 45, (complainant of the case) is government employee. The eldest daughter Rafaila is about 18 years old. She has left school after her matriculation and remained free at home. Another daughter named as Shumaila is 17 years and of second year student of Facility of Arts, the youngest one is Sharoon (son). He is student of 10th class.
Family is well reputed in the area for their church activities. People of the area told that this is very humble and God fearing family in the village.
Statements of Shakeela’s (deceased) family members;
Rafaila (Daughter)
SLMP team asked eldest daughter of Shakeela named Rafaila, about the occurrence. She told, “One the day of occurrence we were at home, all of sudden, Muslim men attacked. That was an abrupt attack, the doors burst open and Muslim men carrying weapons and wooden rods rushed in. One of the attackers named Shaheen hit my mother repeatedly with weapon on her head which caused her casualty. My mother fell on ground. I hold her in my arms; she died in my arms…” Rafaila was shedding tears while she gave her statement. She further told, “We also phoned to emergency rescue team on 1122, but they could not reach us because of heavy firing by Muslim illegal group.”
Sharoon (Son)
Sharoon was very upset and weeping continuously during SLMP’s stay at deceased’s home. He said, “We don’t want to live here in this village, they (Muslim group) are still threatening my father. I do not forget the death of mother, she died helplessly.” SLMP team members consoled him showed him love and care. SLMP team did not ask him further question because he was very downhearted.
Manzoor (Husband)
SLMP team interviewed Manzoor Masih who said, “Death of my wife is an irreparable loss to me and my children. I am concerned that Muslims are very strong here, we are poor, and we can not afford enmity with them. They will kill us too.”
Shakeela’s younger daughter Shumaila was also weeping badly, SLMP team could not interview her.
A Christian young lady from neighborhood named Sana told that Muslim group was beating Christian females ruthlessly. When they tortured Shakeela, she fell down on the ground with severe injuries, and the attackers insultingly said that Shakeela was pretending of be died.
According to the SLMP team’s facts, police came to the spot after about 30 minutes. The Muslim group has been beating Christians meanwhile. When police came, the attackers fled away, and police rescued the injured persons to the Civil Hospital Gujranwala. Civil Hospital produced first aid to the injured persons, but Shakeela was referred to Lahore due to her critical condition.
Chief Coordinator Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan Mr. Sohail Johnson expressed his sorrowful feelings on this incident. He encouraged family of Shakeela and rest of injured persons to be strong. He said that entire Christians of the area should stand with Manzoor Masih to fight his legal case in the court. He said that they should share their sources with Manzoor. He condemned fear of the family. He assured SLMP’s ever possible help to pursue the lawsuit. He said that CLAAS will provide legal help to Manzoor and he is not alone in this worst situation.
Meeting with Station House Officer police Station Aroop
After meetings with the injured Christians of the village and Shakeela’s family members, SLMP team along with Manzoor Masih and some Christian villagers, went to Police Station Aroop and met with S.H.O named Mohammad Riaz. He is Investigation Officer (I.O) of the case. He told that he has transferred from Karachi and has taken charge of Police Station Aroop just four days ago. He is very new to the area. On asking SLMP team member, he told, “I reached the place of occurrence within 25 minutes, that was very shocking to me that the culprits trespassed on Christians’ houses and tortured females of the family. I rescued to all the injured persons to the hospital. He also told that police has arrested one of the main accused persons nominated in FIR. He treated SLMP team politely. He said that his all sympathies are with victim families. He promised that he will provide every possible help to Manzoor. He also assured that Police will not demand even a single penny Manzoor or complainant party.
An Important Concern
An impotent concerned has been discussed with I.O that the opponent party has left an very old women who is sick and about to die, at adjoined house of Manzoor etc. It is expected that they want to make a cross murder case, in case the old women dies. SLMP team member made a draft of application in which the fact has been given. Application has been moved at the spot. I.O said that he will discuss the mater with Deputy Inspector and find out the way according to the law.
SLMP team requested SHO to allow the team to meet accused person arrested. Two of team members saw Waseem in the lock up, SHO was with team members, he did not allow team members to talk with the accused.
Visit to Civil Hospital Gujranwala
SLMP team visited Civil Hospital Gujranwala and met with three injured persons of the incident. Team also interviewed the doctor treating the injured persons.
Iqbal Masih son of Manga Masih is about 45 years old, married with 3 sons and 1 daughter. He is admitted in Neuro Surgical Ward No. 1. He has head injury.
Basharat is about 32 years old. He is admitted in Surgical Ward No. 8. He also has head injury.
Naziran Bibi is about 80 years old; she is mother in law of Shakeela (deceased). She has injuries on her head and back. She is admitted in Female Nuero Ward No. 2. She was feeling severe pain. SLMP team prayed for injured persons and assured them of every possible help. Mr. Sohail Johnson said them not to lose their hearts and be strong.
Meeting with Doctor
SLMP team met with Doctor named as Dr. Mateen. He told that he received Iqbal etc on very first day and is treating them since that time. He told that first 12 hours were very critical for Naziran Bibi, Iqbal and Basharat, but now they are stable. He hopes that all will be recovered soon.
On asking SLMP team, he said that Hospital is providing all medicine to the patients except few of tablets which are not available in the hospital. He told that Naziran will take long time to be recovered completely because she is too old. He expressed his sympathies for Naziran Bibi.
Legal Position of the Case
SLMP team asked to Samson Joseph Advocate CLAAS Lawyer in Gujranwala, about the legal position of the case. He will fight the case in law court on behalf of Manzoor etc. Samson Joseph told that he is satisfied with the health of First Information Report, but there is am important legal point we have to be work out on. He said that statements of injured persons and the complainant (Manzoor) are very important. Police did not record their statements yet, which should have been recorded until now. He offered Manzoor and others to give him time and he will help them how to record their statements.
Remarks
SLMP observed a pressure on Shakeela’s family because Muslims are strong there and in majority, but team also observed that Christians of the area are very supportive to Manzoor. The injured persons are stable now, those who are still in hospital they will be recovered soon by the grace of God. Police seems to be cooperative with Manzoor but there is no guarantee if it will remain same in future.
Mr. Sohail Johnson condemned this incident and expressed his feelings saying that we should our persecuted church at any cost. He said that he is disappointed that no Church leader or Christian political leader visit Manzoor and his children to console them. He urge Church to pray for this oppressed family and all the injured in this incident.

Saturday, February 21, 2009
How Pakistani Police Opened Fire on Christian Protesters
By Success Kanayo Uchime
Special to ASSIST News Service

SARGODHA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Persecution of the Christian minorities in Pakistan has taken a new dimension, this time the Police in Sargodha opened fire on defenseless Christian protesters who were protesting the wrong done to them by the Police.

The ugly incident occurred when a Police Inspector, Muhammad Afzal Lalli, a radical Muslim, was leading a drug bust in Sargodha and in the process two suspects hid in the home of a Christian widow.

Narrating his ordeal the son of the widow, Arif Masih, told International Christian Concern (ICC) that at that time this happened, none of them were at home, hence a close relative of theirs had passed away and all of the family members had gone to their residence for mourning.

Arif who is an employee of the Pakistan Air Force said that the Police followed the suspects into their house, broke open the door without a search warrant. "In our absence Factory Area Police not only broke door locks of our residence, but they took my wife's gold jewelry and 20,000 Rupees cash ($283).”

He noted that when news of the police raid spread through the largely Christian neighborhood, approximately 300 young men flooded the streets to protest, burning tires on a main road and shouting slogans against the police adding that the Police Inspector and several policemen returned and opened fire on the Christian protesters.

“When the crowd did not disperse, the officers charged the Christians and began beating protesters with their batons. The officers seized Arif and another young man, Azher Masih, and dragged them to the police van. The two men were later released,” he added.

Arif said that when this occurred, the crowd lost control and began throwing bricks and stones at the police and that the officers called for backup, and an additional law enforcement team known as the Elite Force arrived to help put down the protest. According to an ICC correspondent in Sargodha, he overheard one of the members of this Elite Force say, "How dare these Chooras, (literally meaning), "street sweepers"; a pejorative term for Christians protest against the police," and that for about three hours the police went back and forth with the infuriated mob.

Arif noted that what saved the situation was the quickly intervention of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Malik Manzoor Awan and a Christian representative, Mr. Farrukh Tanvir, who then appealed to both the police and the angry mob of Christians to cool down.

“DSP Awan promised the Christians that justice would be served and that the police officers responsible for the raid would be prosecuted. Police then formed a committee to investigate the incident,” he also said.

In his own contribution, the ICC's Regional Manager for South Asia, Samuel Wallace, said, "While we cannot condone everything this Christian mob did, it is important to understand how pervasive Pakistani society's oppression of Christians is. Christians are constantly harassed, pushed down, and mocked, and rarely get justice from the authorities. It is the Pakistani government's responsibility to ensure that such riots do not happen by treating minorities fairly."

He stated: “In reporting this incident, however, all the Pakistani print and electronic media portrayed the event in a prejudiced manner by concealing the facts and claiming that "all Christians are drug runners."

Friday, February 20, 2009
Muslim Man Threatens to Kill Wife who Wanted to Raise Their Son as a Christian
By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

WASHINGTON D.C. (ANS) -- A human rights group has just learned that a Pakistani Muslim has abducted his Christian wife and newborn son to force her to convert to Islam. He did so after promising at their wedding that she could practice her faith freely.

According to a news release from International Christian Concern (ICC), Ghulab Masih, the father of the abducted Christian woman said he feared his daughter could pay the ultimate price for her faith, facing torture and even death at the hands of her abusive husband for refusing to convert to Islam.

ICC said Ghulab's daughter fell in love with a Muslim man and married him seven years ago, despite Ghulab's repeated objections. His daughter, Kiran Bibi, had no plans of converting to Islam, and married Muhammad Jawad Khan on the understanding that they would both be free to live and worship according to their respective faiths.

ICC said the couple began to fight after the birth of their son. Kiran wanted the boy to be baptized, given a Christian name, and raised to become a pastor. However, Khan wanted his son to be raised as a Muslim.

The dispute worsened their marriage, and the couple started fighting constantly. ICC said Khan refused to respect his wife’s religion, and began pressuring Kiran to convert to Islam. He even threatened to kill her and abduct their son if she refused.

“My daughter along with her newly born son came to my house after leaving her Muslim husband's house on Jan. 30,” ICC reported Ghulab said. “But this act of my daughter enraged my Muslim son-in-law Muhammad Jawad Khan, and he several times forcibly tried to take her back to his home.”

ICC said finally, on the night of Feb. 8, Khan and three accomplices broke into Ghulab's house with weapons, and forcibly took Kiran and her young son to an unknown location.

According to ICC, Zaheer Masih, Kiran's brother, said the police refused to formally address the issue, calling it a “quarrel” between a man and wife, and as such something with which police could not intervene. At press time, Kiran was still missing and none of her family had heard from her.

ICC said, “Unfortunately, this situation is all too common in the Muslim world. Muslim men will frequently entice Christian women into marriage by promising that they will respect each other's religions, but after a few years renege on the promise and begin pressuring their wives to become Muslim. Some men are even paid if they can successfully ‘persuade’ their Christian wife to convert, and will go to extreme measures to make sure that they do.”

ICC asked readers to contact the Pakistani embassy in their country and ask them to take action to ensure that Christians in Pakistan receive justice. They may be reached in the USA at (202) 243-6500, or info@embassyofpakistanusa.org, in Canada at (613) 238-7881 or at parepottawa@rogers.com, in the UK at 0870-005-6967 or at hoc@phclondon.org

ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide.

Saturday, February 21, 2009
How Pakistani Police Opened Fire on Christian Protesters
By Success Kanayo Uchime
Special to ASSIST News Service

The ugly incident occurred when a Police Inspector, Muhammad Afzal Lalli, a radical Muslim, was leading a drug bust in Sargodha and in the process two suspects hid in the home of a Christian widow.

Friday, February 20, 2009
Pakistan Media reports over blasphemy accusation biased against Christian students
A Muslim MP takes up matter in the Punjab Assembly
By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Some prejudiced and partial reports by Pakistani print and electronic media in the wake of a blasphemy accusation against two female Christian nursing students are painting the Christian students as the guilty parties.

The Christian students, Amara and Sitara, were accused of desecrating Quranic verses by their Muslim roommates at a nursing college in Lahore days after their Muslim roommates, whose identities could not be ascertained by ANS, allegedly removed picture of Jesus Christ from a shared hostel room after allegedly desecrating it.

They claimed they did it because Islamic tradition explicitly prohibits images of Allah, Muhammad and all the major figures of the Christian and Jewish traditions.

The hospital administration took no action against alleged desecration of Christ’s picture by the Muslim students.

NNI, a Pakistan based News Agency, termed alleged blasphemy by Christian students as “unholy action of a Christian girl, adding, “She put Quran in a shoe box.”

The news agency reported that Mr. Ilyas Chinoti, a member of the Punjab provincial assembly told the House that the Christian nursing students desecrated verses of Quran to take revenge on the Muslim students who, the news agency reported, said had removed a picture of Jesus Christ from a shared hostel room.

Members of the Punjab assembly, according to the news agency, demanded stern action against the culprits.

Pakistan media reports said that religious organizations and political parties in Pakistan are also backing Muslim students, who want stern legal action taken against the two Christian students, Amara and Sitara and the Christian warden, Martha.

ANS understands that the Medical Superintendent terminated the Christian students and warden after allegedly pandering to the demands of Muslim students.

Sohail Johnson, Chief Coordinator of Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan has expressed concern over the future of the young Christian students who have been thrown out of college because of the incident.

A story published in Pakistan Urdu Daily “Khabrian” on February 20 said students of Syeda Waheed FH College, which is run under the aegis of Fatima Memorial Hospital, staged hunger strike after boycotting classes. The story said several Islamic organizations warned they would take stage a protest if legal action was not taken against the Christian nursing students.

According to Pakistan TV Channel 5 a sweeper found verses of Quran in a shoe box which was thrown in a trash bin.

It said a group of Muslim students are insisting on legal action against the Christian nursing students. The Muslim nursing students, according to the TV channel, have gathered the backing of various religious, social, political and traders’ organizations.

Media reports said the administration of Fatima Memorial Hospital has constituted two committees comprising three members each which would submit its findings to the chairman within four days.

Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) expressed its concern over the worsening situation and called upon Christian members of the Punjab assembly to help defuse tension.

Friday, February 20, 2009
16 of a Pakistani Christian family flee home over ‘blasphemy’

NAROWAL, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Increasing threats and pressure from fundamentalist Muslims have forced some 16 family members of a Christian teenager, who was accused of blasphemy last month, to flee their home even though the police had cleared the 15 year old of the blasphemy charges.

Naveed was a resident of Badomali village in Tehsil Narowal, located in the district of Sialkot in the Pakistani Punjab province.

In January 2009, the male teenager was accused of blasphemy by his Muslim classmate, Hafiz Sufyan, when he found a leaflet in Naveed’s book on comparative studies between Christianity and Islam.

Police released Naveed and his brother, Pastor Shafique, after they were found not guilty during an investigation.

Angry with police’s decision to release Naveed and his pastor brother, radical Islamists staged a protest demonstration in the village Badomali, demanding legal action against the pair.

Pastor Shafique and his family members fled home after they received death threats from outraged Muslims.

The Christian family is currently taking refuge with relatives, but are likely to move to a shelter arrangement which will be brokered by the Lahore based Human rights group, Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement. The Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan also is extending financial assistance to the family.

Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP), Mr. Sohail Johnson, has urged ministry’s prayer partners, friends and well-wishers to pray for the protection and provision for Naveed family during this hard time.

Friday, February 20, 2009
Pakistan: Two female Nursing students accused of blasphemy
By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Two female Christian students of Fatima Memorial Hospital’s nursing school in the Pakistani city of Lahore, have been accused of desecrating verses of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, days after their Muslim roommates desecrated a picture of Jesus Christ which they had hung in a shared hostel room.

ANS has learnt that some days back the Muslim nursing students took a strong exception to the hanging of Jesus’ picture on the wall.

Islamic tradition explicitly prohibits images of Allah, Muhammad and all the major figures of the Christian and Jewish traditions.

Muslim students desecrated the picture by tearing it up and hurling it down after the Christian students refused to remove it voluntarily.

The administration of the Nursing School allegedly took no action against the Muslim students, who committed the alleged profanity.

Christian-Muslim tension among students of the nursing school escalated on Feb. 13 when the Muslim students, who still harbored acrimony against their Christian roommates, accused them of desecrating Quranic verses.

The National Director of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), Mr. Joseph Francis, and Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, Mr. Sohail Johnson, visited scene of the incident after a Christian woman Fouzia informed Sohail by phone about the incident on Saturday morning (Feb. 14).

Talking to ANS by phone, Mr. Sohail Johnson, pointed out a dichotomy between the versions of the Muslim Medical Superintendent, Ayesha Nouman, and the Christian hostel warden, Martha.

In an apparent bid to cover up the matter, Ayesha told the visiting activists that things had returned to normal and the Christian girls who were accused of blasphemy were at the hostel.

Martha, the Christian hostel warden, however, disputed her superior’s version, claiming that the Christian girls accused of blasphemy were not currently staying at the hostel, Sohail told ANS.

“She expressed ignorance about the whereabouts of the nursing students and would not speak any further on the subject for fear of getting into possible trouble herself,” said Sohail Johnson, whose ministry primarily works for Christian prisoners.

ANS further learnt that an “anti-blasphemy” demonstration was staged in front of Iqbal Avenue Hostel near Shaukat Khanum Cancer Memorial Hospital in Lahore on Feb. 13. The demonstrators included Muslim nursing students and people, who were not students of the Nursing School. The angry protesters demanded stringent legal action against the Christian nursing students, one of whom has been identified as Sitar.

Giving out statistics, Sohail said the Fatima Memorial Hospital Nursing School enrolled some 160 nursing students for year 2009.

“I regret that the two Christian students have to face blasphemy accusation. Of course, they managed to get enrolment at the nursing school after a cut-throat competition with Muslim students,” said Sohail Johnson. “The nursing school, Sohail said received some 1400 applications for 2009 session.”

In May 2007, four female Christian Nursing students of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad, were accused of blasphemy. The blasphemy charges were dropped as the committee that was constituted to probe into the blasphemy allegations found the Christian girls innocent.

Sohail Johnson expressed concern over recent abuse of the law by educated people.

He stated, “One could see why ignorant or illiterate people could abuse the law but the misuse of the law by the educated people is a cause of serious concern and has made non-Muslims more vulnerable to the rampant abuse of the law.”

“By implicating Christian nurses in blasphemy cases, it appears some elements want to discourage Christian women from entering medical sector,” he feared. He underscored the need for drawing up a strategy to deal with blasphemy complaints.

Asked how one could expect the police to exercise their duties in an impartial manner while handling blasphemy-accused or blasphemy-related complaints, the human rights activist suggested that workshops should be offered to them (Police) with a view to reform their attitude towards people accused of blasphemy.

“The police often play in the hands of the influential people that also include politicians,” alleged Sohail.

Asked how the international community could influence the Pakistan government to scrap laws perceived as discriminatory by minorities, Sohail Johnson said it could do a number of things. The concerned people, he said, could write letters to the ambassadors of Pakistan in their respective countries.

“Prayers could be held for the persecuted in churches across the world. A prayer chain could be formed for the oppressed and the persecuted believers of Pakistan,” he stated.

Citing 1 Cor. 12:26, he urged Christians across the world to contribute toward allaying the miseries of their Christian brethren in Pakistan.

He also expressed his disappointment over denial of Senate seats to non-Muslims.

“The refusal of Senate seats to minorities reflects the degree of equality Christians and other minorities enjoy in Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” he said.

On the allocation of quota for minorities, he said there was none so far despite a statement to this effect made by the Chief Minister of Province Punjab Shahbaz Sharif on December 23, 2008.

He described outstanding issues between the two mainstream parties of Pakistan--- ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and its one time coalition partner Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) as a possible reason for delay in the implementation of the quota for minorities.

National Director of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), Mr. Joseph Francis regretted that the incidence of blasphemy was showing upward trend since the outset of 2009.

He said that the anti-terrorism drive by Pakistan government has a negative bearing for Pakistani religious minorities. Elaborating on it he said that when authorities in Pakistan crack down on terrorists they (terrorists) vent their anger in turn on Christians considering them as soft targets.

“Pakistani minorities do not have equal rights. They were never treated on the basis of equality,” said Joseph Francis.

He regretted that no political party including Pakistan’s mainstream political parties has nominated any non-Muslim against a general seat for March 2009 Senate Elections.

Lambasting the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) top leadership, he said, that the leaders of the two parities were signatories to “Charter of Democracy” which said that the non-Muslims would get representation in Senate, the upper house of Pakistan Parliament.

“The failure of the two parties to nominate not even a single non-Muslim against a Senate seat has exposed their dual standards and their fake concern for Pakistani minorities,” Joseph Francis told ANS.

Monday, February 9, 2009
Pakistani female Christian ‘blasphemer’ speaks of her post-arrest ordeal
By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service

JHANG, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian female who was accused of blasphemy last year has alleged that she received harsh treatment from jail staff during her imprisonment at the Faisalabad district jail, ANS has learnt.

Ashiyana alias Sandal was sent to the Faisalabad district jail after a blasphemy case was registered against her as well as against her father, Gulsher, aged 55, last year. She is currently being detained in the Jhang district jail. Ashiyana is accused of defiling pages from Quran whereas her father is accused of abetting her in the act of committing sacrilege.

Joseph Francis, the National Director of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) and Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP), Mr. Sohail Johnson, visited Ashiyana in the Jhang district jail on February 6, 2009.

Unveiling her misery, she told her visitors that she had faced tough time in Faisalabad district jail.

The Christian inmate told the two men that the attitude of the staff members of the Faisalabad district jail towards her was harsh.

“I remained without basic needs,” Ashiyana told the visiting human rights activists. “I was condemned to solitary confinement in a dark cell. The lady superintendent of the Faisalabad district jail was very harsh to me. She heaped insults on me and did not provide me with basic needs.”

Pointing to the alleged apathy and indifference of the jail authorities towards her, the blasphemy-accused went on to tell them: “The jail staff were so merciless that they would not even provide water to me for taking bath.”

She disclosed to her visitors that she fell sick after inhaling dust due to ongoing renovation of the jail. The dust and sand, she told her visitors, gave her a breathing-related problem.

Ashiyana told Mr. Joseph Francis and Mr. Sohail Johnson that she was denied medicine by the jail authorities when she asked for it after becoming ill.

Ashiyana was shifted to Jhang district jail a few days ago where she says she is meted out a relatively better treatment.

“I am thankful to God that I am being treated relatively better here than Faisalabad Jail. I am still without warm clothes and blanket though in this winter season. I am in desperate need of medicine to rid myself from difficulty in breathing. I also need edibles,” Ashiyana confided in her visitors.

The Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) intends to give monthly support to Ashiyana. Mr. Joseph Francis gave some money to Deputy Superintendent of the jail for Ashiyana’s medicines while the SLMP gave her food items. Sohail Johnson, the Chief Coordinator of the ministry also assured Ashyiana of every possible support.

Ashiyana’s post arrest bail was rejected from the court of Additional Session Judge, Faisalabad, Zulifiqar, on December 12, 2008. Trial of the case is pending in the same court. The court has fixed Feb. 16 as the next date of hearing. Gulsher is being kept in District Jail Faisalabad.

Ashiyana and her father do not get any visits from their family members or relatives. The siblings of the female blasphemy-accused are said to be taking refuge with their relatives.

Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan delivered greetings cards sent by the Release International, UK to Ashiyana. The ministry has urged its friends and prayer partners to pray for the early release of Ashiyana and Gulsher.

Monday, February 9, 2009
Pakistani minorities being denied Senate seats
By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service

PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Despite a promise by Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, the religious minorities have not been able to get “reserved” seats in the Senate, various minority groups have told the Pakistan based English newspaper, the Daily Times.

The paper said that Gilani had told officials at the Ministry of Minority Affairs on December 16, 2008 there would be five “reserved” seats for minority representatives in the Senate. However, representatives of the minorities that spoke to Daily Times said the matter was not taken seriously and no legislation was made.

“They claimed there was now no chance of religious minorities entering the Senate before 2012,” the Daily Times quoted them as saying.

The Senate of Pakistan has 100 members. Each provincial assembly elects 14 members of Senate, while also electing four women and four technocrats (one of whom is a religious scholar) each. Eight members are directly elected from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

“The remaining four members – two on general seats, one woman and one technocrat –are elected from the federal capital. Fifty senators will retire on March 11, 2009 after completing their six-year tenures,” the Daily Times said.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary, Kanwar Dilshad, told the newspaper that the election for the 50 seats would be held on March 4. He said election would be held on 11 seats for each province, four for FATA and two seats for the federal capital.

“There are no reserved seats for religious minorities. The ECP would comply with any legislation made for minority representation. However, no such legislation is currently in place,” the Daily Times quoted ECP Secretary as saying.

Former Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee president, Sardar Bishan, Singh while talking to the Daily Times regretted that the minorities had no reserved seats in the Senate and demanded the PM fulfill his promise. He said minorities should be given reserved seats according to their percentage in the population.

“Religious minorities should be included in the quota for technocrats. All the assemblies had a 33 percent representation for women, but did not include women belonging to the minorities,” the newspaper quoted Singh as saying.

“Religious minorities feel isolated because the political system has not matured enough to maintain a secular stance for representation in the legislature, irrespective of caste, color or creed,” he said.

Pakistan Hindu Council General Secretary Hari Motwani told the Daily Times if the government made a legislation granting minorities reserved seats in the Senate, it would project a positive image of the country abroad.

Pakistan People's Party Federal Council member Napoleon Qayyum told the Daily Times he was pressing the party for the allocation of reserved seats in the Senate.

“It is regrettable that minority members of the assemblies are silent on the issue. I have also asked Leader of the House in the Senate, Raza Rabbani, to ensure minority representation in the Upper House,” Qayyum told Daily Times.

Citing sources in the federal government the Daily Times story said parliamentarians were unwilling to pass a bill to the effect and had pressured the government to not table such a bill.

It quoted Federal Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti as saying that a draft of a bill granting reserved seats in the Senate to minorities had been finalized and would soon be presented in the National Assembly.

“The PM had not specified a date for the reserved seats, and the minorities would be granted these seats in the 2012 Senate election,” Shahbaz Bhatti told the Daily Times.

Thursday, February 5, 2009
Blasphemy accusation against a Pakistani Christian teenager forces family to go into hiding
By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service

NAROWAL, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian family has gone into hiding after a grade 9 student was accused of blasphemy by his Muslim classmate last week, ANS has learnt.

The Trouble began for Naveed Aziz, 14, a resident of Tariqabad colony in Badomali village in Tehsil Narowal, located in the district of Sialkot in Punjab province, when he misplaced Christian literature belonging to his brother Shafique, a pastor of a local Church.

One of Shafique’s friends had given the literature to Naveed to give to his brother as Shafique was not at home when his friend came to see him. So Naveed, ANS has learnt, had mistakenly taken the literature to school with him and he only realized the loss of the literature when Shafique asked for it.

The Christian teenager thought he might have misplaced it at school, so he asked his classmates the next day if they had found the missing literature. It transpired that the wanted literature was in custody of one of his classmates from a hard-line Muslim background.

Naveed then received blasphemy accusation when he asked his Muslim classmate to return the literature.

Unlike several previous blasphemy cases, where emotions eclipsed reason, teachers at the government-run school tried to hush up the matter after learning that there was no blasphemous content in the literature.

The effort of the teachers to keep the situation from worsening, however, proved of no avail as the fundamentalist Muslim organizations in the area incited students of other schools and colleges to implicate Naveed in a blasphemy case.

“Blasphemers should be meted out rightful punishment,” reads banner strung across a street

The campaign to incriminate Naveed in the blasphemy case involved announcements from local mosques, demonstrations and the putting up of banners, demanding that Naveed be penalized.

Apparently, giving in under the mounting pressure of local Muslims, the Station House officer of Badomali police station, arrested the 9th grader alledgly without conducting a thorough investigation. In order to save his younger brother, Shafique turned himself into to police stating that he had lost the literature. The police allegedly then subjected the two brothers to torture.

Local Christians, the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan and the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, have expressed their outrage over the arrest of the two Christian brothers in this blasphemy-related case.

The subsequent police high-ups’ probe into the matter established that the Christian brothers were innocent. The District Police Officer (DPO), summoned the two parties -- local Christians and Muslim leaders on Thursday, February 5, to discuss the case. The DPO brokered reconciliation between the two parties.

The Chief coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, Sohail Johnson, who visited Tariqabad colony, where the family of Naveed and Shafique have been living for some 60 years, told ANS that the Christian family had fled to safety despite the fact that the reconciliation has been made. He said the family had become vulnerable to threats, attacks and conspiracies by the radical Islamists in the area.

Commenting on the abuse of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, Sohail Johnson said that the police should act scrupulously while dealing with a blasphemy-related application.

“Instead of knuckling under mob pressure, the police should launch a thorough probe before making any arrest or lodging First Information Report (FIR),” he said, adding that he regretted that a “few people could go to police station and ruin a person’s life by accusing him of blasphemy.” He called for devising a strategy to deal with blasphemy-related accusations. He termed the law as a weapon in the hands of Muslims to “lash and persecute non-Muslims.”

Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Pakistani Christian man accused of blasphemy sent to jail

Police arrest another Christian man
By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service

AWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Hector Aleem, a Pakistani Christian activist who last month was accused of committing blasphemy, has been sent to the district jail in Rawalpindi, a city near Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws have been widely abused by hard-line Muslims for settling personal scores or as a means of taking vendetta.

Hector Aleem was running a Human Rights Organization called Peace Worldwide before the blasphemy allegation was leveled against him.

The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), a Pakistan based human rights group which is pursuing his case said that several Muslim men submitted affidavits to the police stating that Aleem is innocent.

However, it is not known why the police still decided to send Aleem to jail despite receiving affidavits in his favor.

Police have also arrested another Christian man, Basharat Masih, in connection with Hector Aleem’s case. Masih was holding a secretarial position in Peace Worldwide.

Unlike High Courts, Lower courts in Pakistan have in the past convicted and sentenced people accused of blasphemy after allegedly coming under intense pressure from Muslim mobs who are said to be incited by Islamists after the word on blasphemy spreads.

Several blasphemy-accused have been killed extra-judicially in the past. Human rights organizations have been calling for repeal of the laws owing to their rampant abuse by Islamists.

Friday, January 30, 2009
Saudi Arabia Arrests Christian Blogger for Conversion Publicity
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

SAUDI ARABIA (ANS) -- Authorities in Saudi Arabia have detained a 28-year-old blogger, Hamoud Bin Saleh, for publicly writing about his conversion from Islam to Christianity on his website.

The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org says Saleh was arrested on January 13, 2008, and detained at the Eleisha political prison in Riyadh due to "his opinions and announcement at his blog that he converted from Islam to Christianity," according to a report by the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI).

ICC says that in addition to harassing him by detaining him two other times for similar offenses, the Saudi officials have now blocked Bin Saleh's blog, "Masihi Saudi," at http://christforsaudi.blogspot.com .

The ANHRI report cited by ICC further notes that Bin Saleh's previous release from prison in November of 2008 coincided with the Saudi-initiated interfaith dialogue held at the United Nations in New York, suggesting that his release came only because his arrest might have "tarnished its image" and "expose[d] the Saudi government's false allegations."

Immediately following the conference, the ANHRI report indicated that Saudi officials chose to re-arrest Bin Saleh "because the entire world is busy following up on the aggression on Gaza, and the Saudi authorities may seize the chance to make an example with nobody watching."

ICC says: "Bin Saleh's case is especially urgent in that we know that this is not the first time that Saudi converts from Islam to Christianity have suffered terrible mistreatment."

In August of 2008, ICC reported on the case of a female convert from Islam to Christianity who was burned to death by her father. Her father was a member of the mutaween (Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice), an arm of the government that enforces religious purity and is the government's face of persecution to Christians in Saudi Arabia. She had also disclosed her faith on a website (For the full text on the case of the martyred woman, see: www.persecution.org/suffering/pressdetail.php?presscode=236 ) .

ICC goes on to say: "Despite their intolerant policies and practices, the Saudi Arabian officials leave no stone unturned to portray themselves as champions of tolerance to non-Muslims. In 2008, they organized major international conferences on interfaith dialogue. Their practice, however, shows that such conferences are mere public relations gimmicks."

Jeff King, ICC's President, said: "The international community must hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its failure to live up to the basic rights of freedom of religion and press. Particularly the countries and organizations that are engaged in interfaith dialogue with Saudi Arabia must intervene in this case and win freedom for Bin Saleh."

Please pray for Bin Saleh so that he will continue to persevere in his faith in Jesus Christ in the midst of the ordeal he is facing. Also please pray for his release from prison and protection after he is released.

Concerned Christians are urged to please call the Saudi Arabian embassy in your own country and ask the officials at the embassies to release Saleh from prison.

Saudi Arabian Embassies:

Country Phone Fax Email
USA (202) 342-3800 (202) 337-4084 Info@saudiembassy.net

UK +44 (0)20 7917 3000 ukemb@mofa.gov.sa
Canada (613) 237-4100 (613) 237-0567
Australia (02) 6250 7000 (02) 6282 8911

ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church.

For additional information or for an interview, Contact Jonathan Racho, Regional Manager for Africa, 1-800-ICC (422)-5441, jonathan@persecution.org

Friday, January 30, 2009
Pakistani Muslim mob demands death for Christian activist accused of ‘blasphemy’

By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service

RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- In an apparent attempt to influence court proceedings, a huge Muslim mob gathered outside a court in Rawalpindi on Friday, January 30, as it heard the case of Hector Aleem, a Christian activist, who was arrested on January 22 under Pakistan’s most abused blasphemy laws.

Muslim protesters shouted slogans against Hector Aleem and demanded that the accused be given death sentence. A January 27 court hearing also drew angry Muslims who protested outside the court.

ANS has learnt that some hard-line Muslims filed an application with the Chairman of Rawalpindi Bar Association against Malik Asif Touseef, the defense counsel of Hector Aleem. The application said that neither Malik nor any other lawyer should be allowed to defend Hector since he had committed alleged “blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.” It is alleged that he sent a “blasphemous” text from his cell phone.

pLocal Police, who are apparently under intense pressure from radical Muslims have extended Hector’s remand.

Joseph Francis, National Director of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) has urged the Christians across the world to pray for release of Hector Aleem.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Terrorists Control Large Portions of Pakistani Territory
Taliban broadcast “Wanted” lists in Swat Valley
By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Serious charges about security in Pakistan have been provided to ANS by a reliable source in Pakistan speaking on condition of anonymity.

The anonymous source said in an e-mail that Pakistan’s government needs to make clear its real intentions.

He said that while Pakistan tells India, the U.S. and the rest of the world that the country doesn’t allow terrorists to operate internally, the Taliban has successfully consolidated its control in the Swat Valley during the last year.

He said, “They have banned women from the marketplace, killed dozens of innocent people everyday and left their bodies in the street or hanging on a pole in a busy shopping area, some of them headless.”

He said among other atrocities, Taliban members in Swat have also “bombed 200 schools, banned girls’ education in the whole valley (preventing 80,000 girls from going to school), killed politicians, policeman and their relatives, destroyed dozens of homes, destroyed barber shops where men had their beards trimmed, blown up music shops and threatened bus drivers with suicide bombers if they do not stop playing music on their buses.”

The source told ANS that police officers are rarely seen in public and when they travel, they have a military escort. In addition, he said, the Peshawar High Court has said it plans to close its courts in Swat because of an inability to function under current conditions. There is also a plan, he said, as a result of pressure from the Taliban, to legalize Shariah (Islamic) law in much of the province.

“In light of this,” the source said, “people need to know what the prime minister, president and others in leadership positions mean when they say that they will not allow terrorists to operate on its soil. If they are so concerned about other countries respecting their sovereignty, they should explain to the rest of us why they allow these evil men to continue to flagrantly violate the constitution of Pakistan.”

The source asked, “When will these leaders, who were elected less than a year ago, finally decide to take a stand and protect the very people who elected them to office?”

The source concluded his comments by saying the international media need to put a spotlight on this issue, and start asking the government hard questions.

ANS discovered that some media are already drawing attention to the situation. In a story by Andrew Buncombe and Omar Waraich in Britain’s Independent newspaper, the writers reported that Taliban members in the Swat Valley are issuing “wanted lists” for four dozen people they plan to bring before makeshift Shariah courts.

The Independent said that in one of his “notorious” radio broadcasts, Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah named politicians and government officials “wanted” by the militants.

“These people encouraged military operations in the area and are responsible for the killings of Taliban and civilians,” the Independent reported the cleric said.

The Independent said the list’s creation is the latest threat from the militants who now control more than three-quarters of the Swat Valley, one of Pakistan's most celebrated tourist areas.

In recent weeks, the Independent said, their brutality has increased with a series of public executions and the issuing of a number of edicts.

The Independent reported that a spokesman for the Taliban said the wanted list was drawn up following a meeting chaired by Fazlullah.

“All of them will have to appear before the Taliban court, or they will face action,” the Independent reported Muslim Khan, a spokesman for the Swat Taliban, told The News newspaper.

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Pakistani police have arrested a Christian human rights activist after a member of militant Islamic organization accused him of sending a blasphemous text message from his cell phone.

Hector Aleem in the police station with chains along with his wife and daughter Misba

Hector Aleem, 55, the director of a non-governmental organization, Peace Worldwide, is said to have raised a voice for the local Christians, who were locked in a land dispute with Capital Development Authority (CDA). Demolition of a church built at the controversial property of Park Road Rawal Town added to the ongoing tension.

Kausur Hector, wife of the fresh blasphemy accused told the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) that elements unhappy with Hector's intervention in the church property case have “trapped him” in a false blasphemy case.

Police raided Hector’s house situated in sector G-11/2 of Islamabad on January 22, 2009 at 1:30 am after a member of hard-line Islamic organization called Tehrik-e-Sunat accused him of committing blasphemy.

Kausur alleged that the officials of the Shalamar Police Station manhandled Hector and other family members, adding that they took her husband to the police station without even letting him to wear a sweater. She alleged that the police ransacked their house and took along with them valuables besides taking away cash worth Pakistani Rupees 50,000 ($632.4311 USD).

She went on to tell the CLAAS fact-finding team that she was shocked to find out next morning on Jan. 23 that her husband was the only prisoner without a blanket.

During better times: Hector Aleem Addressing Inter Faith Harmony event in Rawalpindi

It is alleged that the Police did not give Hector a blanket despite repeated requests of Kausur and her daughters. The police gave warm clothes and blanket to Hector only after Kausur took up the matter with an officer in the Ministry of Human Rights.

In a bid to seek legal Aid for Hector, Kausur contacted the National Director of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), Mr. Joseph Francis, who came to visit Hector Aleem's family to glean facts about the case.

On January 23, 2009, a CLAAS team visited Mr. Khush Dil Khan, an officer in the Ministry of Human Rights along with the family of Mr. Hector Aleem. Khan told visitors that he had already taken action against the police, who he said had raided Hector's house illegally. He held out an assurance to Mr. Francis that he would do all he could to help Hector get out of trouble.

One of CLAAS lawyers, Mr. Malik Asif Taufeeq, will defend Hector Aleem. Headed by Mr. Joseph Francis, the CLAAS fact-finding team visited Hector Aleem on January 23.

“I have been falsely implicated in a blasphemy case. I am a human rights activist. How could I hurt feelings of Muslim brothers?. I never used SMS for any kind of purpose,” Hector Aleem told the CLAAS fact-finding team.

Hector Aleem also criticized the police for not providing him with basic needs. He alleged that the police tortured him physically and mentally and would not allow him to see his family.

During its meeting with the investigation officer, the CLAAS team asked why Aleem was arrested when he was not named in the Police First Information Report. The investigation officer told CLAAS he had made the arrest under intense pressure. Believing Hector to be innocent, the police officer expressed hope that Hector would be acquitted on Jan. 26.

Friday, January 23, 2009
Pakistani Christians Acquitted in "Blasphemy" Case
Religious reconciliation meetings produce first such acquittal as imams issue fatwa
By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

ISTANBUL (ANS) -- Five Christians charged with “blasphemy” against Islam during April 2007 religious holidays were released on Jan. 19 after reconciliation meetings between Christian and Islamic leaders – the first verdict to have resulted from such efforts in Pakistan.

According to a story by Compass Direct News, a Punjab court released Salamat Masih, 42, his 16-year-old son Rashid, and their relatives Ishfaq, Saba and Dao Masih after a judge acquitted them. Their acquittal and release came through out-of-court meetings between Muslim leaders and a Christian Non-Governmental Organization.

“This is a wonderful sign that has made history,” said Shahzad Kamran, a case worker for Sharing Life Ministries Pakistan (SLMP), which negotiated with the Muslim leaders.

Compass reported he added, “This case can set a precedent for future blasphemy cases against Christians.”

Compass said the reconciliation meetings between SLMP and local and national imams began last November. Rather than attempt to settle the matter in court, the legal advocacy group sought out Muslim leaders directly to persuade them that the accused were innocent; the Islamic clerics then compelled area Muslims to drop their charges.

According to Compass, the meetings took place between four Islamic clergymen, National Assembly Representative Mushtaq Ahmed and Sohail Johnson of the SLMP. Ahmed was unavailable for comment in spite of repeated attempts to contact him.

Compass said Johnson of SLMP took precautionary measures to keep from being exposed to violence, meeting with the imams in neutral locations away from mosques and Muslim parts of the city. The SLMP team managed to convince the Islamic clerics to release the Christians by persuading them that the alleged blasphemy grew from a misunderstanding.

“There is permission granted in Islamic law that if someone unintentionally commits an offense, it can be reconciled,” Johnson told Compass. “(The cleric) said he would do it because he did not want to bring harm and injustice to the community.”

Compass said the Islamic clergymen agreed to issue a fatwa (religious edict) declaring the accused men innocent of blasphemy. The Muslim witnesses in the case withdrew their testimony on Jan. 13, and District Judge Sheik Salahudin acquitted the five men in a Toba Tek Singh court.

Compass reported the legal advocates involved in the case said they would employ reconciliation in future cases of false blasphemy charges. They said that battling such cases in court can still free innocent people, but it does not help to solve sectarian strife that leads to violence and false charges.

But with reconciliation meetings, “the Word of God has affected the hearts of the Muslims and changed their behavior,” Compass reported Johnson said. “With our good behavior we can change the people.”

Compass reported the SLMP’s Kamran said the imams declared the defendants innocent because they knew the men did not intentionally insult the Islamic religion. The situation probably escalated because it took place during an Islamic holiday, with the April 2007 Muslim celebration of Eid-e-Millad-ul-Nabi (Muhammad’s birthday) turning into mob violence after the spread of false rumors against Christians.

A local Christian, Ratan Masih,was severely injured. Other Christians fled for fear of their lives, according to SLMP.

Approximately 2,000 Muslims attacked Christian Colony, a Christian neighborhood, stoning houses and torturing Christians, according to an SLMP report. Initially the mob violence began over a quarrel between Rashid Masih’s younger brother Daniel, 12, and a Muslim child named Sunny. During the argument, a sticker fell off Sunny’s shirt that bore the words “Yah Rasool Allah,” a reference to Muhammad as God’s messenger.

Compass said a local resident, Mohammed Farsal, saw the sticker on the ground and accused the Christian children of blasphemy. Violence soon broke out, and police eventually arrested all five men on charges of insulting Islam.

Blasphemy charges against non-Muslims are not uncommon in Pakistan, Compass reported, and are typically applied in cases of sectarian violence. Islamic leaders are often under community pressure to blame Christians in these situations.

Compass said human rights lawyers hope this case sets a precedent for future blasphemy cases, with dubious charges of insulting Islam or its prophet becoming more difficult to press.

Other legal cases of blasphemy continue in Pakistan, including the arrest of Munir Masih and his wife Ruqiya Bibi for insulting Islam. They were granted bail yesterday in Kasur.

Compass said that at the hearing, 20 local Muslims pressured the judge not to grant them bail, according to a report from the Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement.

On Jan. 21, Compass reported, Hector Aleem from Islamabad was falsely accused of blasphemy, probably as a backlash to his role as a human rights activist, the report said.

Compass said Christian lawmakers in the Muslim-majority country of 170 million hope to curb these legal abuses by abolishing Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

Saturday, January 17, 2009
Pakistan based human rights organization gives shelter to four blasphemy-accused
By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service

PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistan based human rights organization, the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), has given shelter to four Christians, who were implicated in two separate blasphemy cases in Pakistan in 2008.

The first incident took place in the district of Kasur when Razia Bibi, a female Muslim neighbour of Munir and his wife Ruqiya implicated the Christian couple in a blasphemy case after her 10 year old son picked a fight with Ruqia’s 5 year old daughter Muqaddas, while she was on her way back to home along with her brother Ameer, 10. It was alleged that Ameer retaliated after the Muslim child slapped Muqaddas in her face.

The Muslim child’s mother, Razia, was said to have come charging in to Munir’s house while Munir was away. The Muslim lady hurled abuses at Ruqiya besides thrashing her. Ruqiyia’s daughters and sisters-in-law tried to broker reconciliation between the two ladies but it did little to pacify Razia, who was bent upon aggravating the matter.

Discontented with the treatment she had already meted out to the poor Christian lady, Razia again stormed Ruqiya’s house in the company of her husband, brother-in-law and other family members. Razia and her family members, it was alleged, tortured Ruqiyia and even tore her clothes.

Blasphemy-accused Ruqiya receives financial assistance from Joseph Francis, National Director of CLAAS

Ruqiya then approached local police station who filed case against Razia and her family members. But then it is alleged that the Police joined hands with the culprits and did not take legal action against the Muslim family.

Razia’s husband, Ilyas moved an application for pre-arrest bail but he was arrested in the court when he appeared for the confirmation of the bail.

After getting post-arrest bail, it is alleged that Razia’s husband Ilyas started threatening Ruqiya and her husband that he would involve them in a fake case. He then got registered a fake blasphemy case against Ruqiyia and Munir.

Ruqiya came to know about CLAAS through Pastor Anwar Shehzad (Lahore) whom she approached for legal help and assistance.

Munir has been arrested by police at present he is in the judicial lock district of Kasur while Ruqiya has got the pre arrest bail from the court of law with the help of CLAAS.

CLAAS has provided shelter to the aggrieved family at their rehabilitation centre “APNA-GHAR” (Shelter house) since they have been implicated in the blasphemy case.

Blasphemy-accused Tariq and his wife

In a separate development, a Christian lady, Nargis Bibi and her relative Tariq Mashih, residents of Rawalpindi, were implicated in a false blasphemy case on September 21, 2008.

According to details Nargis worked at Al-Shafa clinic in Rawalpindi as a midwife.

ANS has learnt that one of Nargis Bibi’s Muslim colleagues, Shehnaz was terminated from her job. Nargis had nothing to do with Shehnaz termination but Shehnaz thought that Nargis was responsible for her termination.

Abusing Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, Shehnaz took some papers from the Quran and threw them in the sewerage drain nearby Nargis’s house.

The bag drew attention of people. A huge Muslim mob gathered at the scene as the word about the desecration of Quran spread. Police probed into the incident and found Nargis and her relative Tariq Masih innocent.

Mr. Joseph Francis, National Director of CLAAS, assured Nargis Bibi and her family that CLAAS is with them and they will help them financially and legally whenever and wherever it is required. Mr. Joseph has extended financial support to Nargis Bibi for her maintenance.

CLAAS has shifted the two families Nargis Bibi along with her relative and Tariq Masih along with his family to Lahore. CLAAS has given them shelter in a rented home in Lahore and is providing them financial assistance.

Sunday, October 26, 2008
Christian prisoners to have a Church at Pakistan jail
Currently only 2 out of 32 prisons in Punjab have Churches
By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- As a result of concerted efforts by the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) aimed at seeking approval of a church at the premises of Adiala Jail in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, the jail authorities have this granted this request.

Adiala Jail

"God has granted us place for a Church at district Jail Adiala, Rawalpindi. On August 27, 2008 the superintendent of District Jail Adiala, Rana Rauf formally allotted the place for church," Sohail Johnson the Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan told ANS.

He described the winning of the authorities' approval for construction of a church at the jail as a "greatest success" of the ministry. Sohail said he was pleased that the prisoners would soon have a place to pray. He regretted that at present only 2 out of 32 prisons in the province of Punjab have churches.

"I thank you all who supported us while we were fighting for construction of a church at the jail premises," Johnson told ANS.

The Christian human rights activist while talking to ANS said he wanted to see prayer rooms in all jails of the province of Punjab.

"We have recently won remission inside jail for Christian prisoners on the basis of completion of Bible study courses," he said.

Prisoners' initiative

The Christian prisoners of Adiala Jail had staged a hunger strike at the jail last year when their prayer facility, a laundry room, was packed with prisoners, most of whom were lawyers, who protested after former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf sacked Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9, 2007.

Robbed of their prayer facility the Christian prisoners of Adiala Jail started hunger strike on March 21. In an apparent move to express its solidarity with the protesting prisoners and to draw the authorities' attention toward the problem, the SLMP staged a protest demonstration in front of the Lahore Press Club on March 22 last year, prompting the authorities to allow prisoners to worship at the jail premises.

Moved by the incident, the Chief of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, Sohail Johnson resolved to seek permission from the jail authorities for construction of a Church at the premises of Adiala Jail so that the Christian prisoners could worship the Lord.

The Christian prisoners started constructing the church after receiving a formal directive from the Superintendent of Adiala Jail. The SLMP, Johnson said, provided funds for construction material and the ministry's team, has visited District Jail Adiala to see the construction work, he said.

ANS has learnt that Riaz, a Christian prisoner, has designed the church, which includes a veranda, prayer hall, courtyard and lawn in front of the church, said Sohail Johnson, adding that they plan to transform a small laundry room into a Christian library. He told ANS that most of the construction has been completed with local donations.

Sohail said some 21 Christian prisoners were doing Church construction work. "Christian prisoners are overjoyed after approval of a church. They are constructing the church building with great zeal", said Sohail.

Sunday, October 26, 2008
UK TV channel’s bid to address Muslim notions about Biblical concepts angers Muslims
Pakistani Christian TV host receives threats.

By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan
SLOUGH, UK (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian man, who has been living in the UK for some years now, has been asked to apologize over hosting a program on Venus TV on October 3 in which an Australia based Pakistani Christian evangelist, Daniel Scott, attempted to address Muslim misconceptions about the biblical concepts of atonement, redemption and salvation.

Ashar Mall (left)

Before the trouble began for Mr. Ashar Mall, he hosted a regular weekly program on “Venus TV”, which is available throughout the UK and Europe on Sky Digital Channel number 805 from Monday to Friday during 8:00 to 9:00 am UK time.

“In recent weeks my program has come under fire from Muslims as they have started asking aggressive questions about the validity of the Bible, the deity of Christ and the nature of God in Christianity,” Ashar Mall told ANS.

He said Daniel Scott very academically dealt with the subject without being aggressive or insulting to the religion of Islam, but some leaders within the Muslim community have started to threaten Venus TV and him.

Mr. Scott in the past was taken to court by Australian Muslims on charges of “vilification of Islam”, and was found not guilty by the highest court in Australia.

A representative of Dr. Naseem, who is the Chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque sent an email to Venus TV, asking for apology and threatened to take legal action against the TV channel.

“Unfortunately this morning we watched a Live show between 8:00 -9:00 am, where Christians discussed Islam, and produced wrong information about our deen (religion). This is very disappointing and extremely unacceptable. Today is Juma (Friday), we will discuss this matter after Juma prayer in our Birmingham central mosque, and will take this matter further,” said the email.

“We would like Venus TV to apologize for this heart breaking program and stop if any repeat transmission of this program is in [the] schedule. They should check [the] contents discussed in this program, and stop this anti-Islam propaganda,” it said.

Muslim reaction over Venus TV program

Ashar Mall behind the camera

Pakistan based Urdu newspaper “Daily Jang” reporter, Obaid-ur-Rehman, contacted community leaders and Muslim scholars in the UK who expressed their anger over the airing of the disputed TV program.

The Jang news report quoted UK Muslim community leaders as saying that the British government wants to promote religious tolerance so that an atmosphere of love, peace and brotherhood could take place, however amid such efforts by the British government an attempt to accuse the person of Prophet Muhammad, and distorting of his sayings (Ahadees) not only hurts the sensibilities of Muslims but it also poses grave dangers to peaceful environment of European society.

Chief of central party of Ahle-Sunat of Britain and Europe , Mr. Qazi Abdul Aziz Chishti, while talking to Daily Jang said: “We out rightly condemn it. A meeting of the party would soon be convened and we would take legal action against it.”

A leader of UK Islamic Commission Syed Shaukat Ali told Jang that blasphemy is committed against the person of the Prophet Muhammad under one pretext or another. “Such an act deserves thorough condemnation, he said pointing to the Oct. 3 TV show aired on Venus TV.”

Muslims as well as Christian citizens should bridle tongues of elements, who he said dare attack the person of Prophet Muhammad for cheap popularity. “They want to bathe the entire society in fire and blood,” Shaukat told Jang.

A prayer leader of Akhir Foundation, Imam Qasim told Jang that he disagreed with the Christian concept of salvation that says that a person could still claim heaven despite committing repeated sins.

Lashing out at Christian concept of salvation, according to the Jang news report, Qasim maintained that a person who believes that he would go unpunished by any court despite committing crimes in the world, since he follows a certain religion, is a fool in his eyes.

Ashar Mall Remote Area Ministry in 1980 in Pakistan

“Christians should call [treat the] Prophet Muhammad's name with the same degree of respect which is attached by the Muslims when they speak about Jesus Christ”, the Jang news report quoted him as saying.

Haji Nazir, a Muslim resident of Bradford in the UK, while talking to Jang news reporter said: “Such people are neither friends of Britain nor are they friends of Christians. Such talks would never go to promote an ambience of love and brotherhood.

President of Tehrk-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice), France, a Pakistan based political party of Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan, Syed Tehsin Shah, while talking to Jang termed the perpetuation of blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad as a conspiracy.

“Enemies of peace do not want Christians and Muslims to live in peace in Europe, therefore such nefarious conspiracies surface every other day, Tehsin told Jang while criticizing Venus TV program.

Anwar Khokhar, a leader of Tehrik-e- Insaf , Britain while talking to Jang urged the Muslims to write letters to the concerned TV channel and the concerned authority to register their protest.

Sunday, January 6, 2008
Pakistani Taleban kidnap five Christians
Swapping release for five detained militants demanded
By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

Tribal elders in Wana, Pakistan

Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Pakistani Muslim prisoners attempt to convert Christian inmates to Islam
By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Christian prisoners in several jails in the Punjab province of Pakistan have complained of alleged torture, discrimination and attempts by Muslim prisoners to convert them to Islam, ANS has learnt.

The Christian prisoners apprised the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP), a prison ministry, of their problems to a ministry team who made visits to several jails in the province recently.

Prisoners, Saleem and Salamat, who are serving their sentences in the central jail in the industrial city of Sheikhupura, told the ministry that Muslim inmates are pressuring them to convert to Islam.

Victor, another Christian inmate at the Sheikhupura jail alleged that the Muslim prisoners and the jail officials forced them to fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Condemning these alleged attempts to convert the Christian prisoners to Islam, the Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) said it shocked him to learn from the Christian inmates that the jail officials were also forcing them to convert to Islam. He termed the attempts by the Muslim prisoners and the jail officials to convert the Christian prisoners to Islam as a “breach of their human rights.”

Shahnawaz, a Christian inmate of Toba Tek Singh Jail also alleged that the police torture had damaged the muscles of his legs.

Younis Masih, a Christian jail staff member told the SLMP that he felt insecure during his duty time. He alleged that he was also being discriminated against.

The Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan has long been campaigning for the Prayer Rooms for Christian inmates in the prisons of Punjab province. Last year the Christian prisoners of Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, a city near the capital Islamabad, were forced to stage hunger strike after the laundry room they were earlier using as a prayer room was taken away from them.

In most of the cases the Muslim police officials, while handling a blasphemy accused caes in the past, have often failed to strike a balance between their reason and emotion that have led to the killing of the Christians at the hands of Muslim police officials.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Muslims thrash Pakistani evangelist

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

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Two Muslims thrashed a Pakistani evangelist after he dared preaching in front of a shop owned by a Muslim man in Yohannabad, a predominantly Christian locality in the eastern city of Lahore, the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) has reported.

Evangelist Daniel, aged 55, was beaten by two Muslims on Monday, February 11 at around 7:30 pm in Youhanabad, Lahore, near a Catholic church.

Daniel Masih was slapped twice by the Muslim shopkeeper, Muhammad Anwar after he was “angered” by Daniel’s street evangelism.

According to the SLMP, Anwar told Masih: “What the hell you been saying? How dare you do this in front of my shop. I hate all you have been preaching”.

“You can not stop me to do this, I am preaching the Word of God.”, the SLMP quoted the evangelist as telling the Muslim man.

Another Muslim man who joined Muhammad Anwar shortly also started thrashing Masih, leaving him with bleeding lips and ear.

The Muslim men stopped beating Masih after intervention of a local Christian, Yaqoob Masih. Some 500 angry Christians gathered at the scene of incident.

The Chief Coordinator of the SLMP, Mr. Sohail Johnson, condemned the incident and argued that if a Christian had done the same he would have been implicated in a blasphemy case.

“Our religion teaches us forgiveness, that’s why Daniel Masih forgave Muhammad Anwer and other fellow Muslim. We appeal to all the Muslim businessmen of Yohanabad to behave like civilized citizens,” the news release quoted the SLMP Chief coordinator as saying.

The Police have detained the two Muslims to avert any possible mishap. They would be released in a couple of days as Daniel Masih has forgiven them already and proved that he is a true Christian and great Evangelist, said the news release.

The incident enraged local Christians: “I am rather worried about the circumstances and the plight of my community in Pakistan. Yohanabad is a predominantly a Christian area, even then arrogant Muslims are trying to be dominant. If they do not want to listen the word of God then why are they doing their business here. This is a Christian Town and the voice of the worship would certainly resonate across the area”, the SLMP quoted a Christian woman, Hanna Masih as saying.

“When the Mullah (a Muslim Preacher) performs Azan (Prayer) in the loudspeaker; we never object or complain…. but Muslims hate us as we are having some contagious disease”, the ministry quoted Younis Bhatti Masih as saying.

Friday, February 15, 2008
Christian man loses eye over attempts to ‘rectify’ Muslims’ morals

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

SIALKOT, PAKISTAN(ANS) -- A Muslim mob robbed a Christian man of his eye with the help of a dagger and left another Christian man critically injured in village Sabz-kot in sub-division of district Sialkot on February 6.

The incident took place after the Chris|ian residents of the village put up opposition to a couple of Muslim men who used to harass Christian girls on their way home from Church after Sunday services, the Pakistan Christian Post (PCP) has reported.

According to the story, announcements from the village mosques demanded the Muslim residents to teach a lesson to the Christians, who according to the story were referred as “infidels” in the calls from mosques. Most of the semi-literate Muslim clerics frequently use the word “infidel” for Christians and the other religious minorities of the country during their sermons with a view to inflame sentiments of local Muslims.

The story said that the Muslim mob, armed with guns, axes and clubs, attacked the Christian residents of the village. Tension erupted there after two Muslims, who have recently purchased houses in the Christian neighborhood, started claiming the courtyard of the Church as their own property. The story also said that the Muslims in question also threatened to erect a wall in front of the courtyard.

The Christian elders, according to the story, urged the Muslim elders of the village to stop the Muslim youth from drinking liquor publicly and using drugs in the common courtyard.

Mr. Basharat Masih, an elected member of the Union Council also took up the matter with the Muslim leaders but laying claim to the courtyard the Muslims insisted that nobody could stop them from consuming liquor in the courtyard.

Pakistani Christians are allowed to obtain a liquor permit, but a large majority of Pakistani Muslims are defacto consumers of liquor, as most of Pakistani Christians cannot even afford to consume liquor due to their poor-socio-economic conditions.

The Muslim mob in question fired a shot in the air and forced John Masih, a Christian resident of the area, to kneel down. Masih's refusal to obey cost him his eye as an unidentified Muslim dug out his eye with the help of a dagger.

“We will take out eyes of every infidel who shall dare to look straight in our eyes,” the PCP quoted one of the Muslims as saying.

Khariat Masih, who advanced to release John from the mob's clutches suffered injuries to his head, abdomen and legs after he was attacked with an axe.

The area Christian Councilor, Basharat Masih, rushed to defuse tension and to prevent attackers but he was brutally beaten with sticks. His mother Salima Bibi fell to save his son Basharat Masih from attackers but she was also dragged by hair in courtyard, said the story.

Later, Muslim mob broke out doors, which have been closed in fear of attack and dragged out children, men, women and elders. In gunfire, mob disgraced women and tortured men before their families, the story said.

The police came after attack and arrested Christians instead to registering any case against the Muslims. The police officials later started inquiry of incident in light of a property dispute between the two groups, the story maintained.

On the intervention of senior officials, John Masih, Khariat Masih, Basharat Masih, Salima Bibi, and three other were admitted in hospital. John Masih and Khariat Masih are said to be in critical condition.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Pakistani Christian female basic servant abducted
By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- At least four unidentified men abducted a Christian girl while she was busy sweeping the premises of a school in Azad Town in Lahore on February 26, the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) has reported.

Family members of the kidnapped girl

The kidnapped girl, Samina, 22, was living with her family in a house on the premises of Pakistan Soul Saving Station Girls’ School. The men forcibly bundled the screaming girl into their car and disappeared.

Samina’s younger sister, Kiran, 16, a cleaner at the school, rushed to the scene to find out what was making her sister to cry out for help. She saw that two masked men dragging her sister into their vehicle. Kiran received kicks in her ribs as she attempted to uncover one of kidnapper’s face. The culprits later shut her in one of the school rooms.

Mr. Asghar, the owner of the school has blamed the kidnapping on a female Muslim teacher named Farah whom he fired some time back over meeting men during school time.

“As it is a girls’ school and the males are not allowed to come into the school premises. I asked Ms. Farah not to call any outsider male in the school. But she didn’t obey me and I terminated her from the school,” Sohail Johnson, coordinator of Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, quoted the owner of the school as saying.

“Farah could be behind the kidnapping as she thought Samina’s family had a role in her dismissal,” Asghar told Johnson.

Sohail Johnson (right) seen among protesting Christians

Johnson then alleged that officials at the local Kahananou Police Station attempted to avoid filing the abduction case. Finally, a case was filed under the “Women Protection Act” after Johnson threatened to stage a protest against the alleged apathetic attitude of the police.

ANS learnt that Mr. Mushtaq has been appointed as investigation officer. The police have called the two parties tomorrow to record their statements.

Azad town is a thickly-populated Christian town. Some 109 Christian families reside there, but the area also has a Muslim population.

Stringent measures need to be employed to stop incidents of rapes, kidnappings and domestic violence with Christian women, who are thought to be soft targets by the criminal-minded people. The women working in remote areas of the country are more prone to violence as compared to those working in the urban areas.

Thursday, February 28, 2008
Three men held over killing 7 Pakistani Christians in 2002
By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

KARACHI, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Pakistani police have arrested three Islamic militants in connection with murder of seven Christians belonging to Idara Amn-o-Insafa (or Organisation for Justice and Peace, a charity jointly run by Catholics and Protestants) in 2002.

The suspects are said to have confessed but Karachi police have not yet confirmed the news, Asia News has reported.

“We were trying to catch them since we arrested ten members of this organisation earlier,” Asia News quoted the Senior Superintendent of Police Raja Umer Khattab as saying.

All three belong to Tehreek-e-Islami Lashkar-e-Mohammadi, “a very dangerous group, but their leader is still at large,” it said.

The story said that at the time of the murder of the Christian men the local press and some public security officials had said that they had been caused by in-fighting in the local Christian community over real estate.

“We told the police immediately after the sad incident that some militant group had done this,” the story quoted Fr Bonnie Mendes, director of the Human Development Centre as saying.

Mendes, the story said, was present at the slain Christians’ funeral. “It is good that these extremists were captured. Now the government has to be very strict with such elements because now they know the root causes and the people behind all this. This is the time to get the maximum information from them,” Mendes told Asia News.

According to the story Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the Catholic Church’s National Commission for Justice and Peace, said that the victims’ families were not properly compensated for their loss.

And as a result of the murders, the sense of insecurity that followed and the lack of government protection Idara Amn-o-Insafa ceased operations, it said.

Friday, March 14, 2008
Pakistani Christian man is hanged during Lent
‘My son has been hanged as a sacrificial animal,’ says his mother
By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

Nasreen Bibi mourning for her son

MULTAN, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Zahid Salamat, a Pakistani Christian man, was hanged in the New Central Jail Multan early Wednesday morning (March 12, 2008) after President Pervez Musharraf had rejected his mercy plea.

A military court had handed down a death sentence to Salamat in 2006 for allegedly murdering a minor.

The court’s judgment has been strongly criticized by human rights organizations and Christian rights groups in Pakistan since the Session Court of Peshawar had already awarded a 14 year rigorous imprisonment to Zahid Salamat for the same offence in 2005.

These critics pointed out that in Article 13 of the constitution of Pakistan states: “a) No person shall be prosecuted or punished for the same offence more than once; or b) Shall, when accused of an offence, be compelled to be a witness against himself.”

ANS has learnt that enraged Christians gathered in front of the main entrance of the New Central Jail Multan and, fearing possible attack from the angry Christians, the complainants, who had arrived there in an army vehicle, left hastily after Zahid was executed.

Christians gathered around the body of Zahid Masih

According to the Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, Sohail Johnson, the deceased in a message to his fiancée regretted for not being able to marry her, moments before he was to be hanged. Zahid, according to Johnson, also urged his younger brother, Shahid Masih, to take care of their mother.

Johnson said he witnessed heart-wrenching scenes when Zahid’s body arrived home. Nasreen Bibi, the mother of Zahid, lost her senses for some time when she saw her son’s dead body, Johnson told ANS.

“We have lost our son as we couldn’t fight against the corrupt judicial system in Pakistan… Muslims treat us as slaves,” Johnson quoted Nasreen as saying.

“They have the power to implicate Christians in fallacious cases, any time. Today, I lost my innocent son, but tomorrow the same thing can happen with the son of another Christian mother,” the distraught mother told Johnson.

“My son has been hanged as a sacrificial animal… I appeal to all Christian mothers to come forward and raise their voice against the prejudice.”

Expressing his anger and concern over execution of Zahid Salamat, his neighbor, Shan Khokhar, said that by hanging Zahid the government had presented “Easter gift” to Pakistani Christians.

Pastor Asif Jawaid, an associate pastor of the SLMP Multan, a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District, said the government had hurt the sentiments of Pakistani Christians by going ahead with executing Zahid on March 12 during Lent.

A jail official, Muhammad Ishtiq, told Johnson that Zahid had been praying all the night long. “His fellow prisoners were weeping and were down hearted,” the official told Johnson.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Pakistan Suicide Bombs Claim 31 Lives
Blasts Damaged Federal Building, Missionary Schools, Cathedral Church and Relief Agency
By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Twin suicide bombs killed at least 31 people and injured 200 in the eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday.

A story by the Chicago Tribune’s Kim Barker said the incidents deepened the crisis in the troubled nation, and increased the pressure on embattled President Pervez Musharraf, blamed by many for instability in the country.

The Tribune reported that in Lahore, police officials said one bomb targeted the seven-story headquarters of the federal police, which investigates terrorism and human trafficking, and killed at least 16 officers.

According to the Tribune, another car bomb exploded at a house near the rented Lahore home of Asif Ali Zardari, the leader of the Pakistan People's Party, which won the largest amount of seats in last month's parliamentary elections. There was no clear target for the blast, which killed a gardener and his two children at the home of a man who runs an advertising company.

The federal police building sits opposite to the Catholic Church's leading non-governmental organization, Caritas, the front side of which was razed.

Caritas International is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social service organizations helping the poor and oppressed.

“The explosion was so powerful that it was heard within the one-two kilometer range. It felt as an earthquake had hit the area. The blast left the window panes shattered,” said Sohail Johnson, the chief coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP), speaking from the scene of the incident..

According to Johnson, whose team visited the Convent of the Dominicans sisters, located close to the Caritas building, at least eight nuns suffered critical injuries in the wake of the blast.

Pictures from the Pakistan bombing

Nuns were too fear-stricken to say anything, Johnson said.

Johnson said he saw injured people wailing for help. He said that human limbs were scattered all over the place in a pool of blood. Johnson said there were about 500 people in the federal building when the bomber struck.

The blasts also panicked teachers and students in the Sacred Heart School, a Catholic Church school close to the targeted federal building, he said.

“We saw blood stained floors of the school classrooms,” Johnson said. “A school teacher who did not wish to be named told (us) that it took her some time to (realize) what had happened. (After a while) ... we asked the students to leave the classrooms. Shards of glass left several students of the school injured.”

Johnson said the explosion also damaged the Cathedral Church, which is close to the Caritas building. The main door of the church was broken, and window panes of the nearby buildings totally shattered.

Center for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement Chief Joseph Francis said that following the blast, the generator located on the Caritas building fell down, adding to the damage. He said that the blast also destroyed an office in the Caritas building.

Anila Gull, the National Executive of Caritas Pakistan said in a news release, “We condemn this act of terror, which has killed indiscriminately and injured many, including Caritas staff. There can be no justification for this crime. Caritas Pakistan is committed to building peace in every way it can.”

Caritas International President Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez said in a news release, “It’s with great sadness that we see the bloodshed continue to destabilize Pakistan. That Caritas staff who are committed to building peace have been caught up in the blasts only adds to the tragedy. The country needs strong leadership at this time to find peace through dialogue. Violent attacks such as these can never bring about just, peaceful solutions.”

The Chairman of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (AMPA) condemned the blast. He did not rule out the possibility of attacks on Churches and Christian properties amid continuing protests by angry Muslims over cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Church Attacked In Pakistan
Protesting Christians block main road

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

GUJRANWALA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- In an attempt to grab the land where a church stands now, three Muslim men allegedly incited and led a Muslim mob to attack a church on Tuesday, March 18, in Gajrakh, a Christian neighborhood in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala, during the Holy Week.

This prompted angry Christians to stage a protest demonstration on March 19 against the incident, International Christian Concern has reported.

Earlier, a Christian man, Zahid Salamat was executed in Pakistani city of Multan during Lent on March 12 for murdering a 9 year old Muslim minor, Muhammad Adnan. The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace and some other Christian rights groups had called for postponement of Zahid's execution but government went ahead with hanging Zahid during Lent.

The latest church attack has been carried out by Muslim mob to grab the church property, but Pakistani Christians had been fearing attacks on churches, missionary schools and other church properties since staging of the anti-cartoon protests in Pakistan last month following reprinting of sacrilegious caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad by some western newspapers.

According to a story released by the International Christian Concern (ICC) (www.persecution.org) the mob wanted to seize a community centre that belonged to a church in Gajrakh started tearing down the walls of the church.

The mob manhandled Pastor Shairf Bhatti, who appeared at the scene of incident along with a group of Christians, apparently to stop the mob from attacking the church.

The angry mob, according to the story, hurled stones at the church. The local Christians rushed to the scene, forcing the mob to flee.

The Christian residents of the area staged a protest demonstration, the next day, on March 19 to express their anger against the attack on the church. They called for protection of religious minorities and their places of worship, said the story.

The protesters, the story said, blocked the main government transport road at Gondlawala, a major intersection, by parking tractors laden with garbage across the road.

It said the enraged protesters during the demonstration that lasted for more than two hours raised slogans against the people responsible for the church attack and demanded that the culprits be arrested.

Pastor Sharif Bhatti, Pastor Sabir and other union leaders threatened to stage protests in front of offices of police officials if they did not arrest those responsible for the Church attack, it said.

In a latest development, the ICC reported that Adnan Gujar who along with two other Muslim men including Muhammad Asghar and Muhammad Ashraf had allegedly led the mob to attack the Church has been arrested. The others it said are still at large.

The Christians, the latest ICC update said, had bought the land where the church is standing now in 1984 from a Muslim man, Muhammad Nazir. It said the sale angered his sons who have been trying to get the land back since then. It described the attack on the church as an attempt by Nazir's sons to get the land back.

Condemning the latest attack on a church in Pakistan, Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, Mr. Sohail Johnson has called on government to take stern action against the land mafia.

The land mafia attempts to grab Christian properties and Churches in connivance with some black sheep, said Johnson while referring to some unscrupulous government officials.

He also called upon Christians across the country to rise above their petty differences and emerge as a united force against any possible future attempts by the land maThursday,

March 27, 2008
Pakistani Christian family faces death threats for exposing corruption
Muslim men attack Christian family and set their house on fire

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

SHEIKHUPURA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Two government employees, Mr. Qurban Ali Mangi and Mr. Abid Ali, hired and led 10 armed men on February 25, 2008, to attack the family of a Christian man who exposed their illegal activities to their superiors in district Sheikhupura, near Lahore.

The Washington DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) (www.persecution.org) has cited an unnamed local source as saying that Boota Masih, 35, has been employed at the Gapgo poll plant in Gujranwala as a sanitary worker for the past two years. During his work, Masih observed that Qurban Ali Mangi and Abid Ali were engaging in corrupt and illegal activities, and submitted a complaint to their superiors. As a result, Mangi and Ali were formally charged with corruption and brought to justice through the state courts, it said.

In revenge, about 10 armed men led by Mangi and Ali attacked the Christian family and injured Masih, his wife Sema, his son Adeel and his nephew Akram. The attackers ransacked the entire house and set it on fire. They then warned Masih of worse if he attempted to contact the police. As though destroying Masih's house and belongings was not enough, the gang of armed men forced the family to leave the area, it added.

According to the ICC Masih did report their actions to the police, but the local police initially refused to register a case against the government officials.

“They only did so after the intervention of the local court, it said. However, the culprits had not yet been arrested and Masih's family had not been allowed to come back home at the time this report was written”, said the report.

The ICC quoted a local newspaper’s report that said that Sema, Masih's wife, was warned by an anonymous person that her husband would be murdered. The family is currently in hiding due to the death threat and the reporter was unable to get an update, it said.

Friday, March 28, 2008
Pakistani female Christian servant ‘falsely‘ implicated in a theft case

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

Christian girl, Farzana, accused of theft

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian girl has been falsely implicated in a theft case for allegedly robbing the family she had been serving as a servant for over three months.

ANS has learned that she was accused of stealing jewelry and other valuable goods worth Pakistani Rupees 250,000 (US$4166.66).

Farzana, 16, worked as a domestic servant in the house of a Muslim man named Muhammad Abid, a resident of the officers’ colony Cantt in Saddar, which is located in the eastern city of Lahore, for payment of just Rs. 500 (US$ 8.333) per month.

The trouble began for the impoverished Christian girl when her master, Muhammad Abid, went to see his relatives in the small city of Garanwala to meet his relatives and was joined by his wife.

Abid told Farzana that he would inform her when he got back to his home. When Abid was on this visit, a neighbor informed him that the doors of his house were wide open, prompting him to cut short his visit and get back to home.

Upon his return home, Abid lodged a theft case in the local Shumali Chanoi police station against some unidentified people. The complainant claimed in the Police First Information Report (FIR) that he had been robbed of jewelry and other valuables worth Pakistani rupees 250,000.

Abid called Farzana to resume her work on March 27, 2008 and she was arrested by the police while she was on her way to her master’s house at 10 am. The police also raided her house the same day and arrested her father and three brothers.

Sohail Johnson talks to Police officials

Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) has investigated the case and told ANS that the local people demonstrated against what it called “Police negative attitude” on Friday, March 28.

“The police released Farzana’s father and her brothers in the wake of the protest demonstration lodged by the local people,” Mr. Sohail Johnson, the Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan told ANS.

Johnson alleged that Farzana’s master also threatened her of “dire consequences” if she did not confess to her “guilt”.

Johnson further told ANS that some 500 people including men and women attempted to protest in front of the Superintendent of Police office.

“Police blocked the road with their trucks to stop people from demonstrating in front of the office of Superintendent of Police,” Johnson told ANS who was also from among the protesters.

Police baton charges people to stop them from protesting

He added that the police draw their batons and charged the protesters and arrested which injured some of the women involved and some eight people, including two activists of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan named Khalil Benjimen and Samuel Ahsan.

Johnson said he met with the deputy female Superintendent of Police, Ms. A. Khan, who assured him that the theft case against Farzana would be dismissed if she was found innocent.

Johnson told ANS that Ms. Khan did not say anything when he asked her to disclose the evidence she had against Farzana.

Johnson added that Farzana told them that the police had abused and tortured her and forced her to confess to having committed the alleged burglary.

“….I denied it and said I am not a thief and I did not steal even a single penny from Abid’s house,” Johnson quoted her as saying.

Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan has condemned implication of Farzana in the fake theft case and urged the police to produce Farzana in the court on Saturday March 29. Johnson told ANS his ministry would try that Farzana be granted bail.

Sunday, March 30, 2008
Christian leader voices minorities’ concerns in Pakistan Parliament
APMA Chief calls for equality and repeal of discriminatory laws

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Referring to the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's speech he made in the first constituent assembly of Pakistan in 1947, the Chairman of All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti has called for treatment of Pakistani minorities on the basis of equality.

"We want a modern and democratic Pakistan in which every citizen of the

Shahbaz Bhatti addressing a rally in 2007

state is treated as equal," said Mr. Shahbaz, echoing concern of Pakistani minorities who feel they are regarded as second class citizen, in his first address to Pakistan Parliament on March 29, Saturday.

Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti has been campaigning for rights of Pakistani minorities communities since 1985. Years later, he founded the All Pakistan Minorities alliance (APMA), a representative group of Pakistani minorities including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities to raise the voice of the minorities from a relatively large platform.

Earlier, in August 2007, Mr. Shahbaz addressed a mammoth minority meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan, the site where plans for the creation of a new state were first drawn up. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shahbaz had then called for treatment of Pakistani minorities as equal citizens besides voicing minorities' cardinal concern---repeal of all discriminatory laws including Pakistan controversial blasphemy laws.

He reiterated his long-held stance regarding repeal of all discriminatory laws during the maiden speech he made in Pakistan National Assembly, the Lower House of Parliament on Saturday.

A recipient of the Religious Liberty Award, Mr. Shahbaz maintained that Pakistani minorities also be given their due representation in Senate, the Upper House of Parliament.

Voicing another major demand of Pakistani minorities during his address to the parliament, Mr. Shahbaz also called for increase in minority seats in the national and provincial assemblies.

He demanded that all religious festivals of Pakistani minorities should be observed at the national level. The Christian legislator also demanded that a public holiday be declared on all religious festivals of Pakistani minorities' communities. During his speech in the parliament, the APMA Chief also called for equal religious freedom in Pakistan.

Pointing to the biased role of media vis-à-vis covering minorities' religious programs, the APMA Chief called for coverage of prayers and religious programs of the minorities’ communities by the media.

Pakistani minorities have shed their blood in the creation of Pakistan so they must be treated on the basis of equality and should be given their fundamental and inalienable rights, he said.

The APMA Chief also called for construction of a monument in front of parliament to pay tribute to the sacrifices the slain Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chief, Benazir Bhutto made for the cause of democracy in Pakistan.

Mr. Shahbaz had years of association with Ms. Bhutto. He had had several meetings with her during which he apprised her of the issues facing Pakistani minorities communities as a result of which Ms. Bhutto incorporated minorities' demands in the party's election manifesto. As a result of 2008 parliamentary elections, the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance has emerged as the most powerful representative party of minorities, filling Pakistani minorities with deep optimism that their long-neglected demands will be attended to.

The Christian leader vowed that religious minorities of Pakistan would continue to mount sincere efforts for progress, prosperity, integrity and development of Pakistan. He also called for allocation of employment quota for Pakistani minorities.

In an exclusive chat with ANS, Mr. Shahbaz said a host of factors compelled him to raise the voice of the voiceless in the Pakistan parliament.

"I am no seeker of any personal interest. I have decided to raise the voice of the oppressed, down-trodden, under-privileged and the marginalized minorities communities. The silence and apathy of the former minority legislators also forced me to advocate the case of minorities’ communities in Parliament," Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti said.

He said growing persecution, Talibanization of Pakistan, ever increasing incidents of discrimination of Pakistani minorities' communities and failure of the former minority lawmakers in getting minorities' demands materialized were from among several factors that made him take the decision of raising the voice of the marginalized people in Parliament.

Mr. Shahbaz said he had been offered public offices in the past but he had spurned all those offers. "The APMA is struggling for rights of the have-nots. Our struggle has never been for public offices, perks and privileges. The APMA wants to ameliorate the lot of Pakistani minorities through legislative reforms," he said.

Minority people had been disenchanted after they had been duped by erstwhile minority parliamentarians, he said.

Given the deep-seated pessimism in them, it was a long haul uniting them on APMA's platform, said Shahbaz, alluding to his struggle spanning over some 23 years for the rights of Pakistani minorities.

"I am thankful to people for putting their trust in my leadership and I will not rest until Pakistani minorities enjoy equal and similar rights," a calm but firm Shahbaz told ANS.

He claimed there was absolute transparency and democracy within the APMA. Elaborating on the claim, he said the APMA had formed District Coordination Committees, who he said will make recommendations on all crucial matters ranging from naming deserving people for jobs to laying down priorities as to where the development funds should be spent to nominating deserving students for scholarships.

Reacting to anti-Islam film, "Finta" made by far-right Dutch parliamentarian, Geert Wilders, Shahbaz said the making of the controversial film was an individual act of the Dutch parliamentarian. He said that the extremist and hard-line Muslims will try to make a capital of the situation by inflaming the religious sentiment of Pakistani Muslims.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Pakistani Christians get gift packs from Local Government Fund

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

A section of participants at the ceremony

SARGODHA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Christian member of the Sargodha District Council, Mr. Mushtaq Gill, who also happens to be the Chairman of Pakistani Masihi Aman Party (Pakistani Christian Peace Loving Party) has helped some 352 Christians receive gift packs comprising victuals [food supplies] to at a ceremony held at the district Council assembly hall on Tuesday, April 1.

Mushtaq got funds to the tune of Pakistani rupees 200,000 ($3,187.15 USD) released from the local government and added another Pakistani rupees,000 ($1.59337 USD) to the fund with the help of his philanthropist friends.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gill said he had a heart for serving Pakistani Christians and therefore he had got the funds released from the local government. He also thanked the District Coordination Officer (DCO), Amjad Hameed Wariach, for his cooperation in this regard.

Earlier, one of Mushtaq Gill's aides, Adil, read out the manifesto of the newly launched party called Pakistani Masihi Aman Party.

Those who addressed the ceremony included, Amjad Hameed Wariach, Mian Sultan Ranjah, Ejaz Ghouri and Chairman All Pakistan Masihi Party, Mr. Mushtaq Gill.

Sultan Ali Ranjah said during his speech that Pakistani Christians were loyal and patriotic citizens. “Pakistani Christians do not need any certificate from anyone on their being equal Pakistanis,” he said to a round of applause from Christians who had gathered there to receive their gift packs.

He said that some forces wanted to pit Pakistani Christians against Pakistani Muslims. Condemning reprinting of controversial caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in some western newspapers he said that it had hurt the sensibilities of Pakistani Muslims.

Ejaz Ghouri speaking at the ceremony

Mr. Ejaz Ghouri, who had come to attend the ceremony from the Pakistani city of Faisalabad said that he appreciated Mr. Mushtaq Gill's concern for Pakistani Christians and urged the participants of the meeting to join hands with Mr. Gill and fight for their rights from the platform of Pakistani Masihi Aman Party.

Addressing the ceremony the District Coordination Officer, Amjad Hameed Wariach appreciated Mr. Mushtaq Gill's efforts for getting the funds released. He called for setting up of “Christian Welfare Fund.” The funds, he said, would be spent for the welfare of the deprived segments of society.

Some of the recipients of gift packs told ANS that they had been waiting for hours to receive the gifts. “I am happy to receive the gift pack. My family would really be pleased to see me returning home with a gift”, said a Christian lady.

Mr. Mushtaq Gill, after the ceremony, told ANS that he had also moved an application to the board of revenue Punjab for the allotment of plots for Christians.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Pakistani Hindu killed over blasphemy accusation
APMA Chief calls for redefining blasphemy laws

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

KARACHI, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani Hindu factory worker, Jagdeesh Kumar, 22 has been beaten to death by his Muslim coworkers in the port city of Karachi after he was accused of passing blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad, ANS has learnt.

Shahbaz Bhatti speaking

Regretting the brutal killing of Jagdeesh over an alleged blasphemy accusation, the Chairman of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, (APMA) Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti told ANS that the family of the deceased told him that he did not have anything to do with religion.

Earlier on Saturday, March 29, Mr. Bhatti urged the Pakistan Parliament to repeal all laws perceived as discriminatory by Pakistani religious minorities' communities besides voicing other concerns of minorities in his maiden address to the Pakistan parliament.

Shahbaz heads APMA, a representative group of all religious minorities including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other religious minorities living in Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country.

Citing the killing of the Hindu man as “yet another example of misuse of blasphemy laws”, Shahbaz said that the blasphemy laws were being exploited by the religious radicals as a weapon to lash, persecute, terrorize, victimize, subjugate and intimidate Pakistani religious minorities. He regretted extrajudicial killing of several blasphemy-accused in the past.

He took exception to the definition of the blasphemy laws and termed it as “open-ended and vague”.

“There should be a proper definition of the law. The killers of blasphemy accused should be brought to justice”, demanded the Christian member of the Pakistan parliament.

“The blasphemy-accused serving their terms in jails are vulnerable to attacks from the Muslim inmates. They are living in a situation of life-and-death”, he said, pointing to the odds that stack against people stigmatized with blaspheming.

Dubbing the incumbent government as “progressive and liberal”, he said it was “about time that the law was abolished”.

APMA, he said had been raising voice for repeal of the controversial laws for a fairly long time. “We back the demand of human rights and Christian rights groups who have been demanding that the law be scrapped.”

He told ANS that the judges have been reluctant to hear the cases of blasphemy accused in the past. The families of the accused are attacked and intimidated by the radical Muslims, he said.

Accentuating the post-trial trauma of the blasphemy-accused, Mr. Shahbaz said that even though they have been acquitted by courts the fear of attacks and intimidation keeps them from living in the locality they were living before they were implicated in blasphemy cases.

They (the blasphemy-accused) are forced to live as “refugees” in their own homeland, said Shahbaz, stressing the perpetual suffering the blasphemy accusation through all of their lives.

He said the APMA members had made an inflexible commitment to get the laws abolished. He said he was deliberating to move a bill in the parliament for either repeal of the laws or for introducing legislation with a view to stop the “misuse of the draconian laws”.

The Christian parliamentarian called for setting up of a judicial commission. The APMA, he said, would like the commission to review all cases of people who have been accused of blasphemy.

“We demand release of all innocent people who have been slapped with false blasphemy accusations by the Muslims to either settle scores or take vengeance”, he said.

Shahbaz Bhatti said he did not believe that a member of Pakistani minorities’ communities, who is already down-trodden, subjugated and oppressed, would dare to commit blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad.

When ANS asked him what chance he saw in getting the legislation done regarding either the repeal or any amendment in the laws with a view to put an end to its misuse, Shahbaz Bhatti said he was mindful of the opposition to any such proposal by the opposition parliamentarians as well as by what he called as “radical-minded Muslims”.

“We will raise our voice for the repeal of the blasphemy laws”, he said “We will do all we can to ensure that the law is abolished”.

The Christian legislator described repeal of discriminatory laws as “mission” of his life. “The APMA is ready to pay any price to get the blasphemy laws repealed”, he said.

He said that he feared he could be attacked but vowed to continue advocating the case of Pakistani minorities. Shahbaz emphasized that the APMA would continue to wage struggle until Pakistani minorities have got equal and similar rights.

The APMA Chief called for absolute religious freedom for Pakistani minorities, social justice and human equality.

He expressed his optimism that all elected members of the APMA will mount concrete efforts to uplift Pakistani minorities. “We will assist and reach out to our persecuted brothers and sisters”, he concluded.

Friday, April 11, 2008
Can these brick makers ever liberate themselves from bonded labor?

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

A brick maker in Pakistan

SARGODHA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Buried under the weight of loans that they have been taking from their masters from time to time, the Christian bonded laborers of village no 48, some five miles from the Pakistani city of Sargodha, can barely think of breaking shackles of bonded labor.

Battling mosquitoes, they work at the brick kiln from dawn to dusk. Each of them earns some 290 Pakistani rupees a day (US$4.80). Rain is unwelcome for them as it halts work at the brick kiln. Their wages, however, are adjusted later.

Their small income was further reduced last year to 220 Pakistan rupees (US$3.6) a day, prompting them to stage a strike.

Mr. Mushtaq Gill, Chairman of the Pakistani Masihi Aman Party (Pakistan Christian Peace Loving Party) and the member of the Sargodha District Council, who accompanied ANS to see them, held talks with the concerned authorities to ensure that they were given wages as set by the labor union.

“The brick makers don't have access to any facilities including medical and transport,” said Habib, who started working as a brick maker several years ago. Shorn of any facilities these bonded laborers can't even get funds including death grants, dowry fund, or funds for educating their children, because the brick kiln they work at is from among several unregistered brick kilns in the Sargodha district.

The fear of checks and balances keep the brick kiln owners from getting their brick kilns registered, but avoiding registration of the brick kilns bars the brick makers from getting funds which are meant for them.

"I feel sorry for the impoverished laborers who cannot claim funds because the brick kiln they work at is not registered," Mushtaq Gill told ANS.

Chaudhry Sammar, a brick kiln owner, told ANS he would not mind to get his brick kiln registered, but did not put any timeline on registration.

He blamed the brick makers for staying mired in debt. “They turn to me for loans and I grant them loans with a view to help them, knowing full that they would not get it from any other quarter,” he said.

An average brick maker makes 1,000 bricks and can earn 1,800 to 2,000 Pakistani rupees (US$30 to 33) a week. “Some brick makers earn more than this,” he claimed.

Sammar's brick kiln produces 600,000 bricks in a month with a workforce of 80. Explaining the different phases in brick making, he said they dig out soil and water it. The mud is then put in brick moulds. The raw bricks are then loaded onto donkey-driven carts and are set near the brick kiln for heating. “It takes a month for the bricks to come to a finished form,” he said.

Mr. Mushtaq Gill hands a gift pack to a local brick maker

The Christian brick makers were all smiles when Mr. Mushtaq Gill, the Chairman of the Pakistan Masihi Aman party, handed them gift packs which he has purchased from the local government fund.

In a rare gesture of sacrifice, Habib gave his gift pack to an orphan. "I think he deserves it more than I do," he said.

As we were driving back to the city, Mushtaq Gill told ANS that the Christian residents of a nearby Virk Colony were without electricity. He said he had promised them that he would help them get access to electricity during the tenure of the current government

Monday, May 5, 2008
Christian parliamentarian takes up minorities’ demands with Pakistani Prime Minister

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

Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti (right)

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The Chairman of All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) and Christian parliamentarian, Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, has called on Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, and apprised him of long-standing demands of religious minorities of Pakistan in a one-to-one meeting at the Prime Minister Secretariat last week.

Mr. Shahbaz, who heads All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, a representative body of religious minorities of Pakistan apprised the Prime Minister of discrimination, persecution of minorities, violence, incidents of attacks and oppression of minorities’ communities of Pakistan.

The Christian legislator took up a host of minorities-related issues with the Prime Minister including increase in the number of reserved seats for the non-Muslims in the national and provincial assemblies, minorities representation in Senate, the upper house of Pakistan parliament, repeal of all discriminatory laws including those that violate the Universal Standard of Human Rights and are contradictory with the vision of founding father of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

He also called for the allocation of special time on regular basis on government TV channels for the religious programs of the minorities communities, promotion of inter-faith harmony and solidarity among the people of different faiths, celebration of minorities religious festivals at the national level and declaration of public holiday on all religious festivals of the minorities communities, allocation of special fund from “Bait-ul-Mal” (government body that gives funds to the poor and the needy) for the treatment of poor patients belonging to minorities communities, freedom to prisoners to practice their faith freely and allocation of special places for prisoners for worship.

He also asked for the representation of non-Muslims in all policy making institutions of the country including appropriate representation of minorities’ in federal and provincial cabinets, management of trust properties by the respective minorities communities, heading of Evacuee Trust property board by the person belonging to religious minorities, regularization of Christian kutchi abadis (slums) in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad, allocation of quota for minorities in all posts across the board in federal and provincial services and initiation of a 5 marla housing scheme for the homeless and needy people belonging to minorities communities.

Talking to ANS the APMA Chief said he also drew the Prime Minister’s attention toward misuse of Pakistan controversial blasphemy laws.

“I updated the Prime Minister on the APMA’s long-standing demand of repeal of all discriminatory laws including Pakistan blasphemy laws,” he said.

Mr. Shahbaz said he told the Prime Minister that he was no seeker of any perks, privileges, office or any other favor but had only come to see him to update him on concerns of the Pakistani religious minorities’ communities.

The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, which has been striving for minorities’ rights in Pakistan for several years emerged as the most powerful body of the minorities’ communities in the wake of 2008 parliamentary elections.

Referring to his meeting with the PM, the Christian parliamentarian told ANS that he had expressed his optimism to the Prime Minister that the government of Pakistan Peoples Party would take up measures to ensure realization of long-standing demands of minorities’ communities.

A staunch campaigner of minority rights, Mr. Shahbaz earlier addressed Pakistan parliament on March 29 and called for equal and similar rights for Pakistani minorities.

The Christian legislator said he also hailed Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s speech in the parliament in which he had called for safeguarding minorities’ rights and their due representation in every field of life.

Mr. Shahbaz said he also presented a 14 point Charter of Demands to the Prime Minister.

Earlier in August 2007, Mr. Shahbaz had put forward a charter of demands while addressing a mammoth minority rally in which thousands of minority people had turned up.

Mr. Shahbaz told ANS that the Prime Minister directed the relevant ministers and secretaries of all the four provinces of the country to submit the summary with in 10 days at the Prime Minister Secretariat in response to the issues raised by the APMA chief.

The Prime Minister held out an assurance to me that the government will ensure equal and similar rights for minorities and will also ensure protection of minorities rights as well as religious freedom, said Shahbaz.

Mr. Shahbaz told ANS that he had come in Parliament to advocate the long-neglected case of the oppressed, persecuted, terrorized, victimized, subjugated, marginalized and down-trodden people of Pakistan. He termed serving the suffering church and humanity as his objective in life. He said he would step down from office, if he did not succeed in defending the rights of the minorities’ communities of Pakistan.

“I do not have any lust or hunger for office, position or portfolio,” he said.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Christian graveyard demolished in Pakistan
APMA Chief condemns its demolition

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

Muslim residents of Lower Topa while talking to ANS

MURREE, PAKSTAN (ANS) -- A Christian graveyard that was built before creation of Pakistan by the British in Lower Topa, Murree, has been demolished by National High Way Authority (NHA) as the graveyard “falls” in the authority's plan of building a road.

Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, the Chairman of All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) and Christian parliamentarian, has condemned demolition of the graveyard. He said the authority should have let the graveyard remain intact by altering their road building plan.

Condemning demolition of the graveyard, he said the NHA has hurt the sensibilities of Pakistani Christians.

“The demolition of the graveyard will only deepen the sense of deprivation among minorities communities.” said APMA Chief Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti while talking to ANS.

The Muslim residents of the area, whose shops near the graveyard have also been demolished expressed their anger on demolition of the shops as well as on razing of the graveyard.

Muhammad Saeed, 80, resident of Lower Topa Murree, told ANS that the graveyard was built in pre-partition times. He went on to say that it was well-kept and had a boundary as well. Nobody could dare going near it, he said.

Haji Muhammad Safarish, 80, another resident of lower Topa, Murree regretted demolition of the Christian graveyard. He said he was shocked the way NHA had disgraced and humiliated dead bodies during demolition.

Abdul Qayyum, 50 also frowned upon demolition of the graveyard. He told ANS that British soldiers would bury their dead in this graveyard.

“ The concerned authorities should have taken care of the graveyard. I cannot stand humiliation of the dead bodies”, he said.

Iftikhar Abbasi, 47, disclosed that he had witnessed NHA workers hurling a couple of coffins on the road.

The local residents also expressed their anger at the demolition of their shops near the graveyard. Pointing to the alleged dual standards of the concerned authorities, they said the owners of shops in the cantonment area have been offered 2300 rupees per square foot as compensation whereas they have been offered 200 Pakistani rupees per square foot. They also expressed their concern over demolition of the Christian graveyard.

It is pertinent to mention here that the NHA has stopped demolition of the shops and graveyard after shopkeepers staged hunger strike. A considerable part of the graveyard has been demolished and the remaining part of the graveyard would also have been demolished if the shopkeepers had not protested for their own vested interest.

Tehsil Nazim Murree, (Mayor of administrative division) Sardar Muhammad Saleem Khan, while talking to ANS expressed his ignorance at the demolition of the graveyard by the authority. He said the NHA did not informed him. “I condemn demolition of the graveyard. It is humiliation of dead bodies. I would ensure that no further demolition of the graveyard is carried out”, he said.

“We cannot allow anyone to demolish a graveyard whether it belongs to Christian or Muslim community,” he said.

He was of the view that the NHA should have kept the graveyard intact.

Talking to ANS minority councilors of Murree named Simon Javed and John Sardar condemned demolition of the graveyard and described it as injustice and discrimination with Christians.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Pakistani Christian man flees home after blasphemy accusation

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

ATTOCK, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian armament factory worker has fled his home after his Muslim co-workers accused him of blasphemy.

Nazim, a Christian resident of the area told ANS that Danish, 25 was very much upset as the Muslim co-workers had been targeting his Christian faith for last several days.

"Danish kept it to himself. His Muslim co-workers accused him of committing blasphemy when he asked them to stop criticizing his religion", Nazim told ANS.

As the word of his alleged blasphemy spread out, hundreds of Muslim factory workers gathered in the factory but Danish managed to escape as the managing director of the factory calmed down the charged workers, he said.

Jagdeesh Kumar, 22, a Hindu, was beaten to death by his Muslim co-workers in the port city of Karachi in April this year.

Some reports suggest that blasphemy accusation was slapped on Danish after his Muslim co-workers failed to convert him to Islam.

Danish is a resident of Jaki basti (slum) that houses some 20 Christian families. The incident has sparked fear and uncertainty among local Christians.

Christian parliamentarian and Chairman of All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) has expressed his grave concern over registration of fake blasphemy cases. The blasphemy laws, he said, had rendered the minorities communities insecure.

He urged the democratic, liberal, enlightened and moderate forces of the country to join hands with the APMA in its struggle for repeal of the disputed laws.

Since their implementation in 1986, the laws are being widely misused with impunity by the Muslims to settle personal scores against marginalized communities of the country.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Pakistani Christians protest to win Church back from Muslim man

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

MANDI BAHAWALDIN, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Pakistani Christians of a village in district Mandi Bahawaldin have been trying to wrest their church back after a Christian man sold it to an influential Muslim a couple of months ago by faking to be owner of the church land.

The church was built 1937 in village no. 2 in district Mandi Bahawaldin. A resident of Mandibahawaldin, Arshad Gill disclosed that Sami Khokhar, a Christian, sold it to a Muslim man by describing him as owner of the church land.

Gill told ANS that the local Christians filed a case in Police station civil lines to win the church back, saying the police investigation is still underway.

The sanitary workers staged a strike after the district coordination officer, Mandi Bahawaldin did not heed to their demand, he said.

ANS has learnt that the local Christians also staged a rally to press their demand. The participants of the rally raised slogans against the administration. The rally was dispersed after government officials assured them that they would help them get their church back.

Sunday, May 25, 2008
‘We want to increase minorities’ seats,’ says Pakistan law minister
APMA chief Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti welcomes announcement

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- In an apparent response to the bill tabled by the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Chief and Christian lawmaker, Shahbaz Bhatti in the National Assembly Secretariat for increase in minorities’ seats in the national and provincial assemblies and the allocation of reserved seats for minorities in Senate, Pakistan federal minister for Law and Justice, Farooq H. Naik, has said the government wants to increase minorities seats.

The announcement was made in Pakistan Peoples Party Central Executive committee meeting on Saturday, May 24.

Shahbaz Bhatti (right)

“We appreciate and welcome this announcement. It will give minorities a voice in Senate. It will give them (minorities) leverage to raise their issues in both houses of Parliament”, said Shahbaz Bhatti while talking to ANS.

Hailing the announcement, the APMA chief termed it as an answer to the inflexible campaign of the APMA that involved talks, seminars, conferences and correspondence at all levels with a view to raise the issue of minorities’ lesser representation in the provincial and national assemblies and absolutely no representation in Senate, the upper house of parliament.

The Christian leader regretted that minorities had not had any representation in Senate since creation of Pakistan in 1947.

“There are seats for technocrats, ulema (scholars) and for people from Federally Administered Tribal Areas, but no seats have ever been reserved for minorities in Senate,” he pointed out.

He claimed that the APMA had been mounting concerted efforts for minorities’ representation in Senate as well as for increase of minorities’ seats in the national and provincial assemblies for several years. The APMA also staged protest demonstrations in the past to draw authorities’ attention to see the said demands realized, he said.

He went on to say that he had appraised the slain PPP Chief Benazir Bhutto of the minorities’ issues as a result of which minorities’ demands including employment quota, representation in Senate, increase in the national and provincial assembly seats and repeal of discriminatory laws was inserted in Pakistan Peoples Party election manifesto.

Employing a step-by-step approach toward resolution of outstanding issues of minorities, Shahbaz tabled the bill vis-à-vis enhancement of national and provincial assembly seats for minorities and allocation of reserved seats for minorities in Senate in the national assembly secretariat a month after formation of the coalition government.

The bill called for doubling of minorities’ seats in the national and provincial assemblies. It also called for allocation of nine reserved seats in Senate.

More bills concerning other minorities’ demands are in the offing, said Shahbaz, adding he won’t rest until minorities get equal and similar rights in Pakistan.

Mr. Shahbaz confided in ANS that the PPP leadership had assured him that at least five seats in the Senate would be reserved for minorities.

He said he lobbied with different political parties of the country after tabling the bill.

“I took them into confidence on the matter and sought their support,” he said.

After clinching support of a handsome number of parliamentarians on the issue, he said, he raised the issue in the PPP central executive committee meeting that gave its nod on increase in minorities’ seats in the national and provincial assemblies as well as on allocation of minorities reserved seats in Senate.

In a 45 minute long meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, a couple of weeks ago, Shahbaz apprised him of a host of minorities’ long-standing demands including the issue of increase in minority seats in the national and provincial assemblies and allocation of reserved seats in Senate.

Asked what forces could oppose the bill, when it is debated in the parliament, he feared that the religious-minded parties’ representatives would put up opposition to the bill.

“These forces (religious parties) have always snubbed minorities’ voice so I am apprehensive of their opposition of the bill,” said Shahbaz.

“I only proposed in the bill that minorities’ seats in the national and provincial assemblies be increased besides proposing allocation of minority seats in Senate. It is minorities’ just demand and hence nobody has any ground to oppose it”, he said.

Disputing the official statistics of minorities’ population, he said the APMA believed that minorities made 5 percent of Pakistani population.

He said he had expressed his reservations on flawed census of minorities with former minister for Finance, Economic affairs and Statistics, Mr. Ishaq Dar last month and had urged him to engage minority members on census teams in future in areas where sizeable number of minorities’ people live.

The APMA also recommends inclusion of clergymen, church and para-church organizations’ representatives and minority councilors on the census teams in future to ensure that the true population of minorities is recorded, said the prominent Christian leader.

When asked to enlist APMA’s major achievements so far, he said: “We have been able to unite our people. The APMA has sensitized them on their rights as well as on the issues and challenges facing minorities. During this long journey, we were able to highlight minorities’ issues at all levels. We have so far been successful in getting authorities’ attention toward our just and legitimate demands.”

He warned he would step down from office, if minorities’ demands were not heeded. “I have come to parliament to end oppression of my people. I will continue to fight for the “lowest of the low” until my last breath,” he vowed.

Monday, June 2, 2008
Car bombing outside Danish embassy kills eight in Pakistan

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- In a second attempt to target foreigners in the country, in less than three months, a suspected suicide bomber has attacked Danish embassy in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, killing up to eight people and leaving dozens more injured.

Five US nationals were among 10 injured when a bomb was hurled over

Pakistan's latest bomb blast comes after a relative lull in violence since a new civilian coalition government took power two months ago (Photo: AP)

the fence of an Italian restaurant, where many foreigners were dining on the terrace, in Islamabad on March 15. The blast also killed a Turkish woman.

No Dane has been killed or injured as a result of Monday blast in Islamabad.

The bomber detonated explosives in a car in the middle of a narrow road outside the embassy gate at 1 pm local time.

Media reports quoted officials as saying that at least four of the dead were policemen and guards from private security companies deployed outside the embassy's wall. A cleaner from within the embassy was also thought to have died.

It is not clear who carried out the bombing but it could be linked to the ongoing controversy surrounding cartoons portraying the prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb in place of a turban, which were printed in a Danish newspaper in 2005.

The blast comes as the civilian government has signed a series of peace deals with Islamic militants in the nation's tribal areas. The blast badly damaged the exterior of the embassy wall besides causing damage to the nearby buildings. The explosion also wrecked the cars parked in the neighborhood and smashed frontal walls of nearby houses.

The main building of the Danish embassy was largely intact but a nearby building housing the United Nations Development Program was seriously damaged and a Brazilian woman employed by the U.N. agency was reported to have been badly injured.

The Danish embassy is located in an upscale area of the capital that houses many diplomatic residences, schools and a nearby shopping center. The embassy is several kilometers away from the Diplomatic Enclave, a high security area housing many other large diplomatic missions including the US embassy.

Some five people were killed in Pakistan amid countrywide anti-cartoon demonstrations in 2006 when cartoons deemed as blasphemous by Muslims were published by Danish newspapers in late 2005. Islamic tradition prohibits depiction of Prophet Muhammad in any form or manifestation.

Protests broke out in Pakistan as well as in other pats of the Muslim world over making of an anti-Islamic film called “Fitna” by a far-right Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders in March this year.

Danish Foreign Minister, Per Stig Moller, immediately condemned the attack. “There are fanatics and terrorists out there and we do what we can do to protect ourselves from them,” he reportedly told Denmark's TV2 News.

Foreigners have been uneasy about their security in Islamabad since army stormed Red mosque last year killing nearly 100 Islamic militants. The attack on the mosque provoked a series of suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Pakistani Christian woman accused of theft released on bail

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

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani female Christian domestic worker who was falsely implicated in a theft case has been granted post arrest bail on July 16, ANS has learnt.

Robina

Robina, aged 30, was working as a maid in the house of a Muslim man called Masood. Trouble began for the Christian woman, when Masood’s wife accused her maid of stealing gold ornaments and cash worth Pakistani rupees 46000.00 (USD$644.26).

Masood allegedly tortured Robina and her family members to own up to the theft. After failure of strong-arm tactics to elicit a desired statement from Robina, Masood called the emergency police and handed his maid over to them.

A theft case was registered against Robina vide Police First Information Report No. 54/2008 offence under section 381 of Pakistan Penal Code, with police station Race Course Lahore.

The Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan Chief coordinator, Sohail Johnson told ANS that Masood snatched his motorbike and its registration documents.

The police failed to recover anything from Robina. The Christian woman was released on bail on July 16 owing to the efforts of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan.

“I was implicated in the theft case just because I believe in Jesus Christ as my savior. My master tortured me and handed me over to the Police. I spent a night in jail, but I am happy because it happened to me because I am Christian”, Sohail quoted Robina as telling him.

Saturday, August 2, 2008
Pakistan: Christians’ graveyard land encroached by a Muslim man

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

JOHARABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The Christian residents of Joharabad are facing problems in burying their dead in the Christian graveyard due to the opposition of a Muslim man, who has allegedly constructed his house on the graveyard land, ANS has learnt.

Christians hold Muslims responsible for causing damage to their graves

The Christian residents of Joharabad told ANS that Christians from some 14 colonies have been burying their dead for last forty eight years.

Munawar Khan, a Christian resident of Joharabad told ANS that tension began a couple of months ago when Mazher Qureshi, a Muslim councilor put up stiff opposition when the Christians went to the graveyard to bury the dead body of Lal Masih. The local Christians protested against the high-handedness of Qureshi, prompting police to come to the scene of incident, said Munawar.

Khan told ANS that the local Christians told Qureshi in categorical terms that they would only rest after they had buried Lal Masih’s body.

The Police let Christians bury Lal Masih’s body in the disputed graveyard. The local Christians approached the District Coordination Officer (DCO) and moved an application for demarcation of the graveyard.

The DCO directed the housing department to do demarcation of the graveyard. According to the demarcation carried out by the housing department it was proved that Qureshi had encroached on 6400 ft square piece of land of the graveyard.

The Christian residents of Joharabad including William Masih Ghouri, Mumtaz Gill, Dildar and Saleem told ANS that a wall had separated Christian and Muslim graveyard. They alleged that Mazher Qurehsi violated the boundary wall of the graveyard and started burying their dead in the area allocated for Christian graveyard. They also termed the road as illegal that passes through the graveyard.

They alleged that that Muslims desecrated crosses and slabs inscribed with the names of the deceased as well as biblical verses.

Pointing to yet another intrusion into the graveyard, they alleged that Muslim boys have transformed a sizable part of the graveyard into a play ground.

Cattle were seen grazing in the graveyard. Mushtaq Ahmad, 35, a Muslim resident of the area, who resides near the controversial graveyard told ANS that the Christians had been burying their dead in the graveyard for several decades. He disclosed that dead bodies of the Christians lay buried in the land which is currently being used as a graveyard.

Talking to ANS, Mazher Qureshi said that the land being used as a graveyard by Christians was never allotted to them for the purpose of graveyard. He alleged that the Christians were given land for the purpose of graveyard in some other area which he said had been sold by Christians.

Sohail Johnson and Zimran Elias hear evidence about the situation at the graveyard

He said Christians were giving a religious tinge to the issue. Denying charges of desecration of crosses made on the graves, he said he could never think of desecrating crosses.

When ANS asked him why he did not register his reservation during over forty years, he said he started worrying when Christians started expanding the graveyard.

Tehsildar (head of administrative division) is currently conducting the inquiry. He is going to hear the two sides on August 3.

The Christians residents said if their demand was not heeded by the concerned authorities they would stage protest demonstration.

The Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, Sohail Johnson, who had accompanied ANS encouraged the Christians to stand up for their rights. Talking to ANS, he said that this is from among scores of incidents in which Christians are being deprived from their rights. Expressing his support to the local Christians Sohail said that they should not find themselves alone in this fight. “The SLMP would do all it can to ensure that the Christians could continue using the graveyard without any interference or hurdle,” he said.

Sunday, August 10, 2008
Prejudiced content in Pakistani text books condemned

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

FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Professor Anjum James Paul, Chairman of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA), has criticized the presence of prejudiced content in Pakistani text books.

“Our education field has failed to create national integrity and social harmony. Our education policies have produced extremists, warriors and suicide bombers instead of intellectuals and scientists,” writes Professor Anjum James Paul in his article entitled, “Role of textbooks in promoting social and inter-religious harmony.”

Teachings on hatred, bias, sectarianism; religious intolerance and extremism have been placed in the textbooks, he adds. The Professor writes that the students have become intolerant, extremists, prejudiced and biased against humanity in general after reading these textbooks.

Criticizing what he termed “Preaching Islam through text books” Anjum cited examples from text books of English, Urdu, Islamic studies and Social studies to show the element of bias as well as use of these text books as a tool to preach Islam.

The writer has also condemned presence of controversial content in the text books that present Muslims superior to the followers of the other religions.

The writer has also discussed in his article bias against other faiths in general, citing examples from the text books. “Followers of other religions are often busy in garrulous manners on their festivals,” he said. “They do not express their relation or devotion with Allah. On the contrary, on one hand these two festivals of Islam provide an opportunity of entertainment and joy to Muslims and on the other hand they become a source to meet one another and to help the needy.”

Besides this they are a source to have a strong contact and relationship with Allah. The writer has also discussed presence of biased content against Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Zoarshters in his article.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008
‘Christian persecution surged during Musharraf’s rule’

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

Joseph Francis

PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Joseph Francis, the National Director of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) has said that Christian persecution and discrimination with minorities surged during former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s rule.

Francis said that the Christians of Pakistan suffered enormous injustices, discrimination and persecution during Musharraf’s rule.

“Christians were not immune from persecution and raw treatment during the tenure of Presidents that preceded Musharraf, but the scale of Christian persecution was worst during Musharraf’s rule,” said Francis.

Francis put forward statistics of Christian persecution during Musharraf’s rule. He claimed that over 55 churches were attacked and maintained that 58 Christians were murdered while 275 were wounded. Pointing to the misuse of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, Francis said that 212 blasphemy cases were registered from October 12, 1999 to August 18, 2008.

He said that some 10 blasphemy-accused had been killed extra-judicially during Musharraf’s stint as President. Among the victims of blasphemy-related extra-judicial killings, he said four of them were Christians while the rest were Muslims.

Musharraf’s popularity plummeted when he sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9, 2007. The President’s move of seizing emergency powers on November 3, 2007 further dented his popularity. The President made frequent promises on shedding his military uniform but he did not deliver on them. He took off his military uniform after coming under intense international pressure. The victory of Musharraf’s opponents on February 18, 2008 elections proved to be the last nail in Musharraf’s coffin.

Calls for Musharraf to quit from president’s office became strident two weeks ago, culminating at the decision of the ruling coalition to impeach president Musharraf if he did not resign. Musharraf resigned from the office of President on August 18 to avoid impeachment turmoil.

Mr. Joseph Francis said that Pervez Musharraf should have resigned way earlier than August 18 when he had started becoming unpopular with people of Pakistan.

Disputing former Pakistani President Musharraf’s claim that he had empowered Pakistani minorities, Francis said minorities on the contrary were discriminated against during President Musharraf’s rule.

He criticized Musharraf for introducing a host of constitutional amendments to prolong his rule. How the former President could justify his claim of empowering minorities when he did not even institute a single constitutional amendment to bring minorities at par with majority, he argued.

“Our Personal Laws continue to be violated,” he said. “No amendment has been made in Minorities Personal Laws including Marriage Act, Divorce Act and Inheritance Act during former the President’s rule.”

He also slammed Pervez Musharraf for not heeding to Pakistan National Christian Party’s demand of amending article 41 of the constitution of Pakistan which he stated says, “A person shall not be qualified for election as President unless he is a Muslim of not less than forty-five years of age and is qualified to be elected as member of the National Assembly.”

Francis has submitted a written petition to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He says that he expects a hearing on the petition after the “restoration of judges.”

Francis said that the former Pakistan President Musharraf announced that there would be 33 percent of the seats for women before 2002 elections. “However, no seats were reserved for minority women,” he lamented.

He said that the minorities’ councilors were worst hit under Musharraf’s Devolution Plan. “They (the minority councilors) neither have power nor any funds,” he said. “They are at the mercy of their respective Nazims (Mayors).”

Francis said that if Musharraf ever wanted to empower minorities he could have enacted a law under which each political party of the country was supposed to award at least 10 percent direct party tickets to minorities.

“Reserved seats for minorities have not increased since the creation of Pakistan and Musharraf’s rule was no exception,” he said.

Francis was of the view that the former President should not be credited for replacing Separate Electorate System for minorities with a Joint Electorate System.

“Musharraf introduced the Joint Electorate System for minorities after knuckling under international pressure,” he alleged.

Following Musharraf’s resignation on August 18, Chairman Senate Muhammad Mian Soomro has taken over as acting President. According to Pakistan’s constitution the new President has to be elected within 30 days.

Asked which party’s presidential candidate should become next President, Francis said, “Whoever becomes next President, he is likely to remain indifferent toward Pakistani Christians.”

Francis dubbed the next 30 days “very critical” for Pakistan. Asked if Islamic fundamentalism would surge in Pakistan after Musharraf’s disappearance from the political scene, Francis feared that Islamists would become “more detrimental” for the country in the absence of President Musharraf.

He dispelled the impression that Pervez Musharraf had employed steps to ameliorate the lot of Pakistani minorities. Musharraf confronted radical Islamists because this is what the U.S had expected of him. “He had thrown his lot with the U.S President George W. Bush in the wake of 9/11 terrorist attacks in USA,” said Francis. “Musharraf’s role in war on terror did not improve minorities’ situation.”

Bishop Samuel Azariah

Bishop Samuel Azariah of the Diocese of Riwand, Church of Pakistan, said that Musharraf made the right decision to resign. “He had lost popularity with masses. There was a general opinion in the country that he should go,” said Bishop Samuel.

Asked how he rated Musharraf as President vis-à-vis Pakistani Christians, the Bishop said, “He did a few things which benefited Pakistani Christians.”

He hailed Musharraf for introducing Joint Electorate System for Pakistani minorities.

Asked if he backed constitutional amendment in article 41 of the constitution of Pakistan, so that every Pakistani could run for presidential elections, the Bishop said there was no reason why he would not back such a proposal.

“Every Pakistani irrespective of his faith should be entitled to run in the Presidential elections. This issue is not religious, but that of equality for all,” he said.

In reply to a question, he said that next 30 days would see “tough negotiations between coalition partners.” The Bishop stated that it would not be easy for them to forge consensus on a Presidential candidate.

“The political parties’ leadership has become mature over the years. I hope they can agree on a consensus candidate,” said Bishop Samuel.

Asked how Musharraf’s resignation would affect Islamic militancy, he said that Musharraf’s departure would make “no difference to Islamic fundamentalism.”

Professor Anjum Paul

When asked if he was in favor of a repeal of article 58-2 (b) that empowers Pakistani president to dissolve assemblies, the Bishop said that the article was meant to put check and balance in place, but the article had been “frequently abused and misused” by some of Musharraf’s predecessors.

A renowned Christian professor, Anjum James Paul, who also happens to be chairman of Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association while talking to ANS said he and his like-minded friends had agitated when Pervez Musharraf had taken over in a bloodless military coup on October 12, 1999. He said they had protested since Musharraf had violated constitution of Pakistan by seizing power and his action was undemocratic and unconstitutional.

He appreciated Musharraf for giving Pakistani minorities the Joint Electorate System. Reciprocating a question, Anjum Paul said he would like next President to come from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

“It is in the spirit of democracy that the next President comes from the PPP,” he said.

Professor Anjum also called for repeal of article 58 2 (b) of the constitution of Pakistan.

Friday, August 22, 2008
Bhutto’s widower nominated for presidency

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The parliamentarians from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday nominated former Primer Minister Benazir Bhutto’s widower, Asif Ali Zardari, to run for president.

Pakistan Presidential elections will be held on September 6. Both

Asif Ali Zardari with his late wife, Benazir Bhutto

chambers of parliament as well as four provincial assemblies make the Electoral College.

Reports quoted PPP spokeswoman Sherry Rehman as saying that Zardari will announce his decision within next 24 hours.

Zardari’s nomination for the office of presidency will irk two time former Prime Minister and chief of PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, whose party is the main coalition partner of government.

The two leaders are already deadlocked over how judges sacked by Musharraf during emergency rule last November should be restored. Zardari has already reneged on his earlier promises to reinstate judges.

Sharif has agreed to let parliament hold debate next week as to how judges should be restored.

Zardari fears that the judges after being restored could overturn amnesty which was granted to him by Pervez Musharraf.

The two main coalition partners have been discussing ways and means to curtail the powers of the presidency but it is unclear if Zardari goes ahead with the reforms aimed at clipping presidential powers.

Zardari is in favor of giving indemnity to Pervez Musharraf but Sharif insists that the President should stand trial for abrogating constitution.

Sharif had earlier threatened to pull out from coalition if judges were not restored on Friday. However, he has reportedly extended the deadline by Wednesday.

The failure of the coalition partners on reaching some agreement on the judges’ issue is hindering government to combat militant threat.

Pakistani Taliban’s recent twin suicide attack on Thursday in ordnance factory in Wah, near Islamabad is said to be the deadliest attack on military installation in the history of Pakistan that claimed over 60 lives.

The Taliban spokesman reportedly warned to carry out more suicide attacks in major cities of Pakistan if the military did not withdraw from tribal areas.

Saturday, August 23, 2008
Bhutto widower agrees to run for Pakistan Presidency

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

PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The spouse of assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, has agreed to run for Pakistan Presidential election, which is scheduled for September 6.

Asif Ali Zardari

“I am happy to announce that Mr. Zardari has accepted his party’s nomination,” reports quoted Senator Mian Raza Rabbani as saying.

Zardari’s decision to run for Presidency has angered PPP’s main coalition partner, the chief of PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, who is in favor of “consensus candidate” for the job.

Without horse trading the PPP’s presidential hopeful has slim chances of winning the election but even if he wins that would not be without potential risk of losing main coalition partner, the PML-N.

The PPP and the PML-N have yet to sort our their differences over the thorny issue of restoration of Supreme court judges sacked by Pervez Musharraf in November last during his emergency rule.

Nawaz Sharif

The two party leaders also differ over fate of Pervez Musharraf, who resigned in less than a week to avoid being impeached. The PPP does not mind giving safe exit to the former president whereas the PML-N wants him to stand trial for violating constitution.

Pakistani Christians have always viewed the Pakistan Peoples Party as a relatively moderate, enlightened and liberal party of the country. Christian voters played a significant role in success of the PPP candidates in some 70 national assembly constituencies in Feb. 2008 parliamentary elections.

The PPP has also announced that it would give 5 seats to minorities in Senate, the upper chamber of Pakistan Parliament.

Though Pakistani Christians would ideally like the PPP government to address all of their outstanding issues but the allocation of minority seats in Senate, repeal of blasphemy laws, and allocation of 5 percent quota in employment would justify Christians’ tilt toward the PPP.

Sunday, August 24, 2008
Remission ‘inside’ demanded for Pakistani Christian prisoners

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

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Sohail Johnson, the chief coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) has called for remission on the time they spend in jail for Pakistani Christian prisoners on passing Bible study courses.

Johnson said that according to rule no. 215 of the jail manual Muslim prisoners are entitled to get remission on their time inside on passing Islamic studies examinations.

The Christian prisoners, he regretted, are denied this privilege of earning remission on passing Biblical courses in Punjab province.

He called for amendment in the jail rule so that the Christian prisoners could also get remission on passing Bible courses.

ANS has learnt that the Christian prisoners can get remission on passing Bible courses in Sindh province, but passing of Bible courses does not entitle any remission to Christian prisoners languishing in the jails in Punjab.

The SLMP had launched Bible courses for Christian prisoners in 2007 with the help of some friends in UK.

Enlisting objectives behind offering “Basic Bible course” to Christian prisoners, Johnson said that the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan is convinced that the course makes difference in prisoners’ spiritual life.

“We advocate equal rights for all prisoners and the SLMP’s Bible course for prisoners would help us win remission for Christian prisoners,” said Johnson.

“We will use the course as a basis for winning remission for Christian prisoners during our talks with authorities,” he added.

Sohail told ANS he had apprised the provincial minister for human rights and minorities affairs, Kamran Michael, of the problems of the Christians prisoners during a visit to Lahore Central Jail last month.

Sohail said that the minister promised that he would table a bill for remission of Christian prisoners in the provincial assembly of Punjab.

The minister, he said, urged prisoners to do “Basic Bible Course” arranged by the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan so that he could fight for their remission in provincial assembly.

Sunday, August 24, 2008
Bhutto’s widower calls for banning of Pakistani Taleban

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

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has said that the Pakistani Taleban have “the upper hand” and should be put on the list of banned organizations in Pakistan.

Asif Ali Zardari (right) took over the party leadership after his wife's assassination (Photo: BBC)

According to a story on the BBC website he made this statement in a BBC interview on Sunday.

The story quoted Asif Ali Zardari as saying that the world and Pakistan was losing the war on terror.

“It is an insurgency,” he said, “and an ideological war. It is our country and we will defend it.

“The world is losing the war. I think at the moment they (the Taleban) definitely have the upper hand.

“The issue, which is not just a bad case scenario as far as Pakistan is concerned or as Afghanistan is concerned but it is going to be spreading further. The whole world is going to be affected by it,” the story quoted Mr. Zardari as saying.

Mr. Zardari's strong remarks came shortly after the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) put his name forward as its presidential nominee, it said.

The president is elected by the members of parliament and the four provincial assemblies, and Mr. Zardari says he is confident he has the numbers he needs to win on September 6, it said.

It went on to say that Asif Zardari spent more than a decade in prison on murder and corruption charges but he insisted that the cases had failed because they were politically motivated.

He also dismissed reports that the Swiss authorities were still considering whether they should pursue a money-laundering case against him there, it said.

Monday, August 25, 2008
Pakistan bans Taleban

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Pakistan government banned the Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan on Monday in a bid to curb rising incidents of suicide bombings in the country.

Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of assassinated leader of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto and co-chair of the Pakistan Peoples Party had called for banning of the Pakistani Taleban in a BBC interview on Sunday.

"We have banned Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan because of their involvement in a series of suicide attacks," the BBC quoted interior ministry chief Rehman Malik as saying on Monday.

"They themselves have claimed responsibility for several suicide attacks and the government cannot engage in a dialogue with such people"

According to the BBC a spokesman for Pakistani Taleban, Maulvi Omar, said the ban would only make them stronger.

"No, we do not have any accounts," he said. "We have no assets or any relationships with any banks. We have no need... we do very well on our own," the BBC quoted him as saying.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Muslims ‘murder’ Pakistani Christian woman

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

KASUR, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- At least four Muslim men allegedly murdered a Christian woman last month since she was pursuing a theft case against two of the four men named in the Police First Information Report (FIR) in connection with her murder.

Dara Masih, husband of the ''murdered'' woman

The two Muslim men named Yaqoob and Hadyat had allegedly robbed the deceased of gold ornaments and cash some six months before her murder.

Noban, 65, a resident of village Khraper in district Kasur of the Punjab province of Pakistan had accused the two Muslim men of theft, but the Police apparently showed indifference and apathy toward the Christian woman instead of arresting the accused.

The Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan’s (SLMP) Chief Coordinator, Sohail Johnson, told ANS that police “pressured Noban to withdraw application against the Muslim men.”

Sohail Johnson (right) with Dara Masih

Johnson said that the deceased remained steadfast believing that firmness of her stance against the accused would force the Police to apprehend them.

“On the contrary, the Muslim men threatened her with death if she did not stop pursuing the case against them,” he said.

Johnson went on to say that undeterred by the threats, Noban insisted that she would not compromise on anything less than justice.

Local Christians protest against Noban's 'murder'

Hadyat and Yaqoob along with two accomplices allegedly hit Noban in the head with a pickaxe while she was asleep on the night of July 2, 2008, and she died as a result of the head injury.

The Police of Ganda Singh Wala registered a case vide First Police Information Report (FIR) No. 153/2008 offence under section 302/34 of Pakistan Penal Code.

Dara Masih, husband of the deceased, approached the SLMP after experiencing the police’s ruthlessness.

“The Police are pressuring him to broker reconciliation with the accused instead of arresting them,” Sohail Johnson told ANS.

The Police have arrested Hadyat and Sharif, two of the four men named in the Police FIR, but Sohail Johnson said the police say they did not find them guilty during investigation.

The investigation of the case was later transferred from Station House Officer (SHO) to the Superintendent of Police due to the efforts of SLMP.

Sohail said that he regretted that shifting of the investigation to the Superintendent as this “did not make much difference” as like the SHO, the Superintendent of Police “was also pressuring Dara Masih for reconciliation.”

Friday, August 29, 2008
Remission ‘inside’ granted to Pakistani Christian prisoners

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

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Pakistani Christian prisoners have been granted remission on the time they spend in jail on passing Bible courses, ANS has learnt.

Expressing his "deep pleasure" over the news, Sohail Johnson, the Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) said that they had been campaigning for the this for last three years.

He disclosed that due to the privilege they (Christian prisoners) were denied earlier, some Christian prisoners could not resist the temptation to convert to Islam in order to win remission.

“Remission is allowed on the basis of reading the Holy Quran, understanding the meaning of this book, or acquiring proficiency in understanding Fundamentals of Islam, examination of having learnt Quran by heart (Hafiz-Quran) is held for convicts who learnt Quran by heart during confinement,” Sohail quoted the Jail Manual’s rule that has been effective until August 4, 2008.

“We were worried over this so we expedited our efforts to ensure that the Christian prisoners enjoy equal privileges in jail,” said Sohail.

“We have been successful in resisting conversions in jails. Now, Christian prisoners are doing the Basic Bible Course, which makes a difference in their spiritual life and encourages them in their faith. We are happy for Christian prisoners would be granted remission on the basis of passing the Bible Course,” he said.

Alluding to grant of remission for Christian prisoners, he said they got to know about what he called “welcome development” only a couple of days ago “therefore we continued to campaign for remission not knowing that it had been already granted,” said Sohail.

He told ANS that on August 4 the governor of Punjab directed officials to make an amendment in Rule 215 of Jail manual that deals with remission.

“A notification has been circulated from Home Department of the Government of Punjab, in which it is stated that the government of Punjab is pleased to make some amendments in the Pakistan Prisons Rules 1978,” he said.

“Examination of reading and understanding of the Geeta, Bible, Grunth or any basic religious book will be held for a convict who is Hindu, Christian, Sikh, or follower of any other religion during confinement,” reads the amended rule.

“For the purpose of conducting the examination of a convict for reading and understanding of Geeta, Bible, Grunth or any other basic religious book, there shall be a Committee consisting Superintendent of Jail, district officer (education) of the district where the prison is located and a representative of Hindu Panchayat (council), Church, Gurdwara or the place of worship of the concerned religion in the district nominated by the district and sessions judge,” it reads.

Friday, August 29, 2008
Professor Advocates that Religious Minorities’ Role in Pakistan’s Creation be Included in Pakistan’s Creation

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

FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The chairman of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA) has demanded that the role of religious minorities in the creation of Pakistan be included in textbooks.

That was the situation before the dictatorship of late General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

Professor Anjum James Paul

Professor Anjum James Paul said that in response to his letter of last year, the ministry of education informed him about the approval of new curriculum for compulsory ethics for non-Muslim students.

Paul said that the ministry also assured him that there would be no bias in future text books. Anjum said he interprets that to mean, “by the government’s own admission, the previous books contained biased and discriminatory content.”

Referring to another letter he wrote to the then education minister in 2007, Paul said he received a letter from the ministry of education in Feb. 2007 which said that in the new curriculum, Arabic would be offered as an optional subject.

Paul said the letter also stated that Islamic studies would be mandatory for Muslims, while ethics would be made a requirement for non-Muslims.

Hailing the introduction of ethics for religious minorities, Paul said the PMTA demands that religion be offered to minority students instead as is the case for Muslim students.

Paul also welcomed removal of what he dubbed, “the biased massage of former President Pervez Musharraf” from all text books.

Paul said Musharaf had only wanted Muslim students to acquire knowledge.

He said that Musharraf’s address quoted in text books read, “The progress and development of a country depends on the quality of education of its people. It is a historical fact that the Muslims ruled the world for hundred of years on the basis of the knowledge acquired by their intellectuals, philosophers and scientists.”

Paul said the address continued, “ ... As long as the Muslims acted upon the Hadith, ‘to acquire knowledge is the duty of each Muslim male and female,’ they ruled the world.”

Highlighting discrimination with minority students, Paul said that a Muslim student gets 20 points when he can recite the Quran by heart.

Paul said, “This discrimination entirely goes against the students of other faiths in Pakistan and it becomes very difficult for them to get admission in higher education, so these discriminatory marks must be immediately abolished.”

Wednesday,

Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Eleven year old Pakistan Christian girl allegedly raped
Incident ‘took place’ a day ahead of Ramadan

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

SARGODHA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Muslim master allegedly raped his eleven year old Christian domestic servant on September 1, 2008, a day ahead of the advent of Ramadan.

Sana, the alleged rape victim

Sana, the alleged rape victim, told ANS that the man she was working for had been making attempts to sexually abuse her since she started working at his house.

A resident of Gunnianwala, Sana said she had confided to her mother, Mumtaz, about the unease she was experiencing while working at this house.

Economic worries, however, forced the impoverished girl to continue working for her master amid fears of being sexually assaulted.

“He continued to harass me even though I told him that I would tell his wife if he did not stop harassing me,” said the alleged rape victim.

Sana said the accused allegedly raped her in the afternoon on September 1. She claimed that the man and his wife threatened her with dire consequences if she ever revealed the truth.

The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Zonal Youth Coordinator, Furrukh Tanvir Chaudhry, told ANS that the wronged family approached him when the girl did not reach home.

Sana and her family members

He said he helped the family file an application in the Sargodha Satellite Police Station against the accused.

“[The man] kicked Sana out of his house when he learnt that an application had been lodged against him at the police station,” he alleged. “It merits mentioning here that the Police have arrested [the man] and are investigating.”

Chaudhry said they rushed the girl to the district headquarter Sargodha hospital on September 2 where he claimed that the attitude of the medics was “callous” and “indifferent.”

“They would have never agreed to do medical examination of the girl if Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, a Member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly, had not intervened,” he claimed.

“You are simply not doing the examination of the girl since she happens to be a Christian,” Furrukh quoted Tahir as saying to a doctor at the hospital.

Chaudhry added, “We are optimistic that Sana's medical examination would be done tomorrow.”

Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Pakistani Christians asked to choose between ‘conversion’ or ‘death’

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

SHANTINAGAR, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- At least nine Pakistani Christians of Shantinagar, a Christian village in Punjab province, have reportedly received letters threatening them to convert to Islam on September 3, 2008, the Minorities Concern of Pakistan (MCP) has reported.

The letters threatened death or eviction from the area in case the recipients did not convert to Islam.

Last year, some Christian residents of Charsadda, Mardan and Peshawar in the conservative North West Frontier Province of Pakistan received letters threatening them to convert to Islam in 10 days or face death.

Some 10 villagers of Shantinagar received an identical message twice last year, the MCP’s report said. The fresh letters, it said, did not mention any deadline.

“Don’t think we have forgotten you. We are after you and we will teach you a lesson….,” the MCP report quoted the letters as saying.

In 1997 the Christian village of Shantinagar was burnt and destroyed by a mob of about 2000 after Christians were allegedly accused of desecrating the Quran, the Muslim holy book, it said.

It added: “In the attack, about 2000 Bibles were also burnt.”

“A judicial inquiry was held but still the findings of the inquiry are not made public.

“Moreover, police arrested 97 persons in this connection but nobody was convicted,” it said.

The report said that in many cases, Christian, Hindu and Sikh women have been kidnapped and forcibly married to Muslim men after conversion.

Minority rights groups’ estimate that around 600 people a year are forcibly converted to Islam.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Seven Pakistani Christians, including Pastor, accused of murder

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

MANGA MANDI, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Muslim man has accused a pastor and six other Christians of murdering his ex-wife, ANS has learnt.

Nawaz and Sana wanted to marry after falling in love. They converted to Islam from Christianity in a bid to avoid possible post-marriage backlash from their respective families as love marriage is not welcomed in Pakistani society. They married in July 2007.

The couple had only been married for about six months when Sana returned to her parents' home in January this year and reconverted to Christianity.

Sana filed for divorce and the judge awarded the divorce decree in March 2008. She died in Lahore General Hospital in May 2008 after brief illness.

Angered by their break-up, as well as Sana's re-conversion to Christianity, Nawaz accused pastor Christopher, Sana's father, Anwar and others of Sana's kidnapping, abortion and murder.

Sohail Johnson, the Chief Coordinator of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) has dubbed Nawaz's murder accusation against Pastor Christopher as "baseless" and "fallacious."

"I considered it my responsibility to help her (Sana). She was like lost sheep…. She started attending prayer meetings and Sunday services," Johnson quoted pastor as saying.

"I paid more attention to encourage her in faith, I made her realize that God still loves her and she is precious to Him."

Johnson stressed there was no eyewitness in the case. He pointed out that the complainant did not have any direct evidence to support his version.

"He (Nawaz) accused pastor and others of aborting his child but did not mention as to when the 'abortion' was carried out,” he argued.

“He also concealed the issue of divorce in the application he made,” Johnson said of Nawaz.

Johnson said that according to the complainant, the pastor and the other accused named in the police First Information Report (FIR), kidnapped his "wife" on January 12, 2008.

Nawaz, he pointed out, moved an application against Pastor Christopher in August 2008, months after the alleged abduction.

Johnson said his team interviewed Christians implicated in the case and concluded that the accusations were “baseless.”

The local police, he said, have declared the pastor innocent in the alleged murder, kidnapping and abortion case.

Terming the police's investigation of a case involving Christians as “fair” Johnson regretted that the local police had vindicated him from the accusations "but the Liberty and Model Town Police are still irking pastor."

"Police raid our house whenever they please. They insult and abuse us but we cannot do anything," Pastor Christopher's daughter, Kanwal, 21 told SLMP caseworkers.

Saturday, September 20, 2008
Two foreigners among 60 killed in Pakistan blast
Deadly explosion has been dubbed as the ‘9/11 of Pakistan’

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- At least 60 people were killed inside and outside the five-star Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden truck into the hotel gate.

Pakistani firefighters climb the burning facade of The Marriott Hotel in Islamabad
(Photo: AFP)

The explosion occurred at 7:45 pm Pakistan time and the blast, caused by a 1000 kg explosive in a truck blew up as it was being checked by security at the entrance.

The bomb, at the Marriott Hotel, left a 20ft crater. The hotel owner said a lorry blew up as it was being checked by security at the entrance. It left a 25 foot deep and 70 foot wide crater.

The 290-room building was the scene of total carnage as the blast ripped into its facade, destroying everything in its path.

The Marriott is just a half kilometer from Pakistan's national parliament and the residence of the prime minister.

Syed Shoaib Hasan, a BBC News reporter, said, “The Marriott Hotel is one of Islamabad's landmarks, a symbol of wealth and prestige. It is a favorite with foreigners, particularly westerners.

The bomb created a massive crater in front of the hotel
(Photo: AFP)

“Emergency workers say that many people could be trapped on the upper floors of the building. But for a long time, fire fighters were unable to get anywhere near the inferno, which was fuelled by burst gas pipes.

“Although the gas was eventually shut off, the fire continued unabated.

“The rescue work was also hampered by large cracks on the inside and outside of the building. At one point workers and policemen rushed out, fearing the building was falling down.”

In March of this year, the provincial headquarters of the Federal Investigation Agency in the Pakistani city of Lahore was also hit in the same fashion.

Phone calls from panicked people across Pakistan, who wanted to know the well being of their loved ones after the blast, left the cellular phone networks jammed.

The death toll is expected to rise. The blast has left over 270 people injured.

Fires are still raging from the hotel. Firefighters are trying to extinguish the fire that has engulfed the building, raising fears that the six-storey building of the hotel may collapse.

The blast wrecked vehicles parked near the hotel, causing inconvenience to rescue operations.

Volunteers raced to help the injured, who left a trail of blood
(Photo: AFP)

A large number of people have been evacuated from the hotel but some people are still thought to be trapped in the endangered building.

Some dead bodies are thought to lay buried under the debris which is being cleared.

The Army Engineering Corps has been called in to confront the situation should the endangered building of the hotel caves in.

ANS has learnt that of 290 rooms of the American chain hotel some 150 were occupied at the time of explosion.

The government has formed an investigation committee, which has been tasked to reveal its findings in 12 hours.

TV footages showed the wrecked parts of the hotel building including the reception area, Marque Hall and the Nadia Cafe.

Likening the image of the burning building of the hotel to 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, a TV commentator dubbed the blast as the “9/11 of Pakistan”.

The explosion took place hours after Pakistan President, Asif Ali Zardari, vowed to continue fighting terrorism in his joint address to parliament on Saturday.

Reports said that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, and the Chief of Army. Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, were taking an Iftar dinner at the Prime Minister's secretariat, which is near the hotel.

Two foreigners, according to reports, including an American, are among the dead.

Some 16 crew of Saudi Airline were present at the hotel when the powerful explosion rocked it.

Media reports said the blast left 5 Saudi, 3 Danish and 3 British citizens injured.

“My luggage my car, everything is gone,” a foreigner eye-witness told Pakistan GEO TV.

Condemning the fresh explosion, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, in a brief televised address, has called upon democratic forces to help combat the scourge of terrorism.

“I call upon all democratic forces to come forward and help Pakistan combat terrorism,” he said. “Those who have lost their loved ones, I want to tell them that I am here for you. Pakistan will take care of you.”

“It was a day of celebration,” said Asif Ali Zardari, referring to his joint address to Parliament earlier in the day that went without trouble. “Cowards have turned our joy into grief,” he said.

“My heart bleeds. I buried my wife. It (terrorism) is a cancer in Pakistan which will be rooted out. We will not be deterred by such acts of terrorism. We are not scared of death.”

“We will purge Pakistan of this cancer. One day, all these terrorists will bow before you. Our determination to fight terrorism would not be dampened,” Zardari told fear-stricken Pakistani nation.

The Pakistan President is set to go to the US in a couple of days to attend United Nations General Assembly session.

He will meet President Bush on Tuesday. The two men are said to have a strategic dialogue vis-à-vis the war on terror.

Amendments in the policy briefs that Pakistan President was going to share with his American counterpart are likely in the aftermath of the blast.

Pakistan is a front-line ally of the US in its war on terror. Recent US air strikes in the Pakistani areas near the Afghan border, including a ground assault, has strained Pakistan-US relations.

Analysts say Pakistani people have never “owned” the US war on terror. Despite the casualties and damage the acts of terrorism have done to properties, Pakistani people still take it (counter-terrorism efforts) only as a “US war on terror.”

According to reports, the US President George W. Bush, while commiserating with the families who have lost their loved ones, has condemned the suicide blast, and Britain has assured its support to Pakistan in fighting terrorism.

Monday, October 6, 2008
APMA Chief vows to continue fighting for repeal of Pakistan Blasphemy Laws

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Reiterating his pledge to continue mounting efforts for a repeal of Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, Shahbaz Bhatti, the Chairman of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) has assured the family of a blasphemy-accused that the APMA would not rest until release of Dr. Robin, a Pakistani Christian homeopathic doctor who was arrested in May 2008 after he was accused of blasphemy.

Shahbaz Bhatti poses for a photo for ANS with Dr. Robin's spouse

Dr. Robin was accused of passing derogatory remarks against the beard of Prophet Muhammad.

He is currently detained in Gujranawala jail. Dr. Robin's family was forced to go into hiding as the family members of the accused cannot stay at their home after the stigma of blasphemy has been slapped on any of their family members.

The family of Dr. Robin and some 20 Christian residents of district Hafizabad had come to see the APMA Chief; Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, after Dr. Robin was accused of blasphemy. They apprised him of the insecurity they had become exposed to after Robin was implicated in a blasphemy case.

The APMA has been extending financial support to the family as well as free legal aid to Dr. Robin since the occurrence of alleged blasphemy by Dr. Robin.

The family of the accused including Veenus, 50, Tariq 42, Waseem Bhatti, 32 and Francis Masih, a relative of Dr. Robin came to the APMA office in Islamabad on October 3, 2008.

Describing the fear and uncertainty that gripped the family members following leveling of blasphemy charges on Dr. Robin, Waseem told ANS that they felt as if a roof had been snatched from them.

“We felt secure after we met the APMA Chief Shahbaz Bhatti,” he said.

“We wanted our voice to be raised. We were desperately looking for someone to steer us out of the problem we were confronting. We were praying for some help. We prayed to God and we knew our prayers were heard when we met Shahbaz Bhatti”, said Waseem.

The young Christian man went on to say that fears of sorts were assailing the family's mind after detention of Dr. Robin. They (fears) left us disturbed and helpless all the more, he said.

After incarceration of Dr. Robin, he said the family had lost the breadwinner and they were not in a position of hiring a lawyer.

“You need a lawyer to defend you even in a simple dispute. We knew we had to hire a competent defense counsel for Dr. Robin. It was again Mr. Shahbaz who extended free legal aid for Dr. Robin”, said Waseem as tears ran down his cheeks.

Waseem, who works as an animator in a local Non Governmental Organization (NGO) feared that it had become virtually impossible for Dr. Robin to run his clinic at the same locality.

He also ruled out possibility of any of his family members staying at the same place after leveling of blasphemy accusations on Dr. Robin.

“His (Dr. Robin's) family members are living in hiding. They have been able to find a roof above their heads with the help the APMA Chief extended to the family but you still feel alienated. You take time to settle down at a new place. You continue to live a tension-ridden life”, he said.

“The children of Dr. Robin have been robbed of fatherly love. Michael Rose, the youngest of Dr. Robin's children used to stay in a hostel. He does not feel comfortable staying at the hostel now”, said Waseem.

In response to a question he said that during this period of tribulation Dr. Robin had emerged as a strong Christian. He said his (Dr. Robin's) belief in Christ had only become stronger.

Tariq, a relative of Dr. Robin told ANS that Dr. Robin wished to be released as soon as possible.

He said the incident had come as a big jolt to the children of Dr. Robin.

He said they had not been able to concentrate on their studies fully after Robin was arrested by the police.

Francis, brother-in-law of Dr. Robin called for repeal of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

Citing his talks with a couple of Muslim friends, he said that they were of the view that the law should be repealed.

“My Muslim friends admitted that a thorough investigation should be made before lodging of a blasphemy-related Police First Information Report (FIR)”, said Tariq.

Tariq disclosed that he had been able to record a conversation between the complainant and some family members of Dr. Robin in which the complainant tried to do a “deal” with the family of the accused.

According to Tariq, the complainant said that he would withdraw charges against Dr. Robin if his family agreed to pay him money.

He claimed he recorded the conversation on September 19, a day ahead of the hearing of Dr. Robin's case in a lower court.

Echoing a grave concern of Pakistani Christians, who like their fellow Muslim Pakistanis want their concerns to be highlighted on national and print media, Tariq said that Dr. Robin's case only drew marginal coverage of the incident.

Lashing out at the police he alleged that the police failed to provide adequate security to Dr. Robin's family.

“If the Police had provided security to Dr. Robin's family and his vulnerable relatives then they might have decided to continue staying in Hafizabad but in the absence of any such security the family was forced to go into hiding”, he said.

In an apparent bid to support his disbelief in the police, he said that police did not take initiative for rescuing Dr. Robin's family “rather some local Christians entered Dr. Robin's home at about 3 am and rescued the family members who had become prone to attack by the angry Muslim residents of Hafizabad”.

“Do you want us to jump into fire”, he quoted a police official as saying, who Tariq and other Christian residents of the area wanted to rescue Dr. Robin's family members.

Post-arrest situation

Tariq said when he and some other members of Dr. Robin's family went to Dr. Robin's place to collect some clothes, books and some other daily use items they saw a “shocking scene”.

“Not even a single thing was at its place. There were visible signs of human presence at Dr. Robin's house. It was not hard to conclude that some people have been living at Dr. Robin's house. We saw crumbs of bread, chicken bones, and unwashed dishes.

Dr. Robin's house had been ransacked”, said Tariq, who looked scared while sketching the ransacked home of Dr. Robin.

He said that the lower court rejected a post-arrest bail petition, prompting the APMA to file a petition in Lahore High Court.

Asked who could have inhabited Dr. Robin's house after his arrest and exiting of his family members, Tariq said that the fundamentalist Muslims of the area could have maintained their presence at Dr. Robin's house. Nobody could have dared entering Dr. Robin's home if the police had been vigilant, he said.

Tariq disclosed that a small but angry Muslim crowd took out a rally in a bid to pressurize the court.

He said that participants of the rally were holding placards, which were inscribed with slogans, “Give death to Dr. Robin.”

He disclosed that the witnesses at a court hearing had submitted their written version on legal papers that Dr. Robin did not commit blasphemy.

He said he learned that Dr. Robin's lawyer also gave precedents of post-arrest bails granted to blasphemy accused in the past “but even then the judge did not grant post-arrest bail to Dr. Robin”.

Talking to the APMA Chief, Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, Veenus said that recording of the alleged conversation between the complainant and some family members further angered the local Muslims.

Thanking Mr. Shahbaz, she said she was optimistic that Dr. Robin would soon be home due to the APMA's efforts.

She said: “I urge the Christians across the world to pray for release of my husband from prison. I cannot give fatherly love to my children. We want him back as soon as possible”, she said while talking to the APMA Chief”.

The APMA Chief told ANS that he was going to urge authorities to do an in-camera trial of Dr. Robin for security purposes. An application in this regard would be moved soon, he said.

He assured the family of the accused that Dr. Robin would soon be with them.

“The APMA is concerned. It (APMA) has been since leveling of the blasphemy accusations on Dr. Robin. We stand by you at this critical juncture in Robin's and your life,” Shahbaz told the family of Dr. Robin who had come to see him at his office in Islamabad.

“It is the case of entire Christian community. When children of Dr. Robin talk to me by phone, I could feel the agony in their voices. I understand what they are living through. The APMA will do all it can to ensure expedient release of Dr. Robin”, said Shahbaz.

“We understand that the Pakistan blasphemy laws are being misused to settle personal scores. Religious enmity, prejudice and intolerance have been found behind filing of blasphemy cases in the past”, he maintained.

“God will move in His own mysterious way. Dr. Robin will be with you soon”, the APMA Chief told Dr. Robin's spouse, Veenus.

Shahbaz reiterated his pledge that the APMA would continue to extend free legal aid to the blasphemy accused.

He said the APMA would continue to struggle until the blasphemy laws are repealed.

A person is reduced to the status of a refugee in his country after blasphemy allegations are leveled against him, said Shahbaz implying to the threats the accused and his family receive after slapping of blasphemy charges.

Responding a question, he said the APMA had been providing free legal aid and shelter to the blasphemy-accused since the abuse of the law became rampant in Pakistan.

The APMA, he said, wants to see the controversial laws abolished. He disclosed that he wanted to table a bill in parliament in a bid to either get the laws repealed or see them significantly amended.

He appealed to the Christians across the world to pray for the APMA and Pakistani Christians.

“I thank you for your previous prayers and support. We need your prayers to be able to continue fighting for the rights of the marginalized and the down-trodden Pakistani Christians and other minorities”, he said.

Dubbing Pakistan blasphemy laws as a death warrant in the hands of extremists, Shahbaz called for the repeal of the law, which he said had done more harm than good since their introduction in 1986.

Monday, October 13, 2008
Pakistan 2005 quake tragedy commemorated (please use this version)
All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) school promises hope to quake-hit children

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Commemorating 2005 earthquake tragedy of October 8, 2005, the people of Pakistan have expressed solidarity with the survivors of the quake that killed some 80,000 people and rendered another 3.5 million people homeless.

Devastation after the 2005 Pakistan earthquake

Special ceremonies were held in the quake-affected areas. The participants of the ceremonies prayed for speedy rehabilitation of those affected by the earthquake.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and the Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani pledged to ensure quick and complete rehabilitation of the quake victims. As the entire Pakistan nation recalled the quake tragedy Pakistani leaders expressed solidarity with the quake-hit families.

APMA school children while talking to ANS

ANS visited different quake-hit areas and interviewed the quake affectees, who apprised ANS of their suffering after the fatal earth quake hit them.

The horrific earthquake that centered in Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered Kashmir) struck parts of Pakistan on October 8, 2005. The quake is also known as the South Asian earthquake or the Great Pakistan earthquake. It also affected parts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

It occurred at 08:50:38 Pakistan Standard Time (03:50:37 UTC) on that fateful day and registered 7.6 on the Richter scale, making it similar in intensity to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, 1935 Quetta earthquake, and the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.

The severity of the damage caused by the quake is attributed to a severe up thrust, coupled with poor construction

In the wake of this national tragedy, the Christians of Pakistan extended their generous contribution toward relief, rescue and rehabilitation of the victims of the earth-quake. Several national and international Christian relief organizations launched relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations to assist the victims of the earthquake. Leading umbrella organization of Pakistani Minorities, the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) responded to this tragedy immediately.

Rescue efforts

The horrendous catastrophe moved the heart of All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Chief, Shahbaz Bhatti. After hearing the news in the morning on October 8, the APMA Chief rushed to Margla Towers, a residential area in sector F-10 of Islamabad along with the APMA volunteers to extend help in the rescue operation.

Students and APMA teaching faculty

Leading a team of the APMA volunteers Shahbaz immediately then went to Balakot, a town in Mansehra district in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The team could not travel by vehicle any further from Mansehra due to bad weather, mountainous terrain, landslides and blocked roads, leaving them with the lone choice of walking on foot.

Some 100 APMA volunteers were divided into ten teams who went to the quake-hit areas including Muzaffarabad, Neelam valley and Balakot.

“Laying of dead bodies under the rubble gave off pungent smell that permeated in the area soon. It made us feel uneasy but we continued working and even pulled out dead bodies from the rubble with our bare hands. With bags on our shoulders we continued to walk up the mountains”, the APMA Chief Shahbaz Bhatti told ANS.

The APMA shifted the injured to the hospitals. The APMA volunteers including its Chief Shahbaz Bhatti also gave blood donation to the injured.

The APMA launched relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations with a missionary zeal and zest. Defying intense winter weather, the APMA team maintained its presence in the area for three months.

“The roads were buried in rubble and many affected areas remained inaccessible. Heavy equipment was needed to clear the roads and to rescue the survivors buried under the earthquake wreckage. Without waiting for the equipment to arrive the APMA workers started picking the rubble with pickaxes and with their bare hands in a bid to look for survivors”, said Shahbaz.

“Rescue efforts were also affected by the numerous aftershocks that continued to rattle the region and put rescue workers in danger as they searched through the wreckage for survivors”, he recalled.

Relief efforts

The APMA distributed tents, clothes, blankets, water, beds, masks and medicines to thousands of those affected. The APMA established “Tent Villages” in several areas that sheltered thousands of quake affectees.

The make-shift shelter arrangement by the APMA came as a big relief to the quake-hit residents of Balakot as well as to the people of other areas.

“We ensured staple food supplies, health care as well as other basic facilities to the people, who had not been reached by anyone due to their remote locations.” Shahbaz told ANS.

Food Kitchen

A “Food Kitchen” was also set up by the APMA to provide food to some 1,000 people on a daily basis. The kitchen was set up in October and continued to provide food to the quake affectees until Jan. 2006.

Unlike some other relief organizations who were working in the earthquake hit areas the APMA set up its base camp at Balakot, an area which saw immense quake-related death and devastation.

Citing reason for setting up a base camp at Balakot the APMA Chief Shahbaz Bhatti said: “We wanted to reach out to the people who had not been reached by others for one reason or another”.

The APMA volunteers, he said were present round the clock at the base camp to extend help to those affected by the quake.
APMA Shelters

The APMA set up some 300 shelters which were made with iron sheets, wood and other material. The APMA volunteers gave thousands of iron sheets to the people in need of shelters. APMA volunteers also extended health care to traumatized affectees.

Ikhlaq Ahmed, 26, a resident of Thala Sanghar, which is some 6 kms from Balakot told ANS that his family found a roof over their heads after the APMA provided him a shelter.

“APMA extended huge help to the quake victims. The APMA volunteers gave us staple food, blankets and medicines to several quake-hit families of the area”, said Ikhlaq.

“We were hopeless at the time we met Shahbaz. We shared our problems with him. He delivered what he committed with us”, said the Pakistani Muslim man who said he buried six of his family members when the earth quake struck the area.

Ghulam Sarwar, 55, a resident of Hassamabad, which is some 3 kilometers from Balakot told ANS that the APMA gave food packets, iron sheets and life-saving drugs to everyone in his area.

“I lost my son and wife in the wake of the earthquake. Nobody can fill the vacuum the death of my wife and son created in my life but I am happy I have a shelter that the APMA provided me in which I am living with the rest of family members who survived the deadly earthquake”, said Ghulam Sarwar, who teaches at a government-run school at Hassamabad.

APMA School

As Saturday is a normal school day in the region, most students were at schools when the earthquake struck on October 8, 2005. Many were buried under collapsed school buildings. The APMA set up a school named ‘Balakot Rising School’ in the village Boli, which is some 4 kilometers from Balakot in 2006 to ensure that the students of the area continue to get education after the quake either reduced several school buildings to rubble or did a significant damage to them (school buildings), making most of quake-hit school buildings unable to function as schools. Since its inception the school has been providing free education to children aged 3-8 years.

ANS also visited the APMA-run school. The school children told ANS that the school provides books, school uniform, food package, shoes, stationery and transportation to the students free of charge that makes “Balakot Rising School” one of a kind.

ANS learnt that the APMA received threats from the hard-line Muslims in an apparent bid to stop the APMA from setting up a school. Undeterred by the threats, the APMA went ahead with the school project. Some 200 students are studying at the school while hundreds of students have received education at the school since 2006.

The APMA Chief Shahbaz Bhatti told ANS that the APMA intends to develop the school so that it emerges as a modern institution of higher learning “where we can shape a future generation.”

He said he would like the students of the school to get computer education as well. The quake-hit children are receiving quality education at the APMA’s school, he said.

“The APMA’s school is a hope for the orphans and the quake victims of the area to become constructive citizens,” he said.

“We are sure that the school will go a long way to promote quality education in areas where people were fast sinking in disappointment and disillusionment after witnessing massive death and destruction.”

“The school will churn out a lot of students who will promote love, peace and interfaith harmony”, hoped Shahbaz.

“Apart from imparting education to the students, the teachers at the school are making every effort to inculcate moral and ethical values among students.”

“I am convinced that the students of this school will help in the nation-building instead of playing into the hands of extremists and miscreants who do not want Pakistani children to get contemporary education. They are rather torching schools”, said Shahbaz, pointing to the rising incidence of torching of schools in Pakistan’s northern areas by extremists.

The bombing of a missionary school in Sawat on October 7, 2008 is the latest in a string of incidents that saw targeting of schools by extremists.

Talking to ANS the principal of school, Miss Munaza said: “The APMA’s school project provided job opportunity to me as well as to other teachers”.

Asked in what ways the APMA school was different than otherss in the area, she said most of the schools in the area did not have adequate teaching staff.

“Some are without electricity, others are without classrooms and electricity”, she said.

Children from Balakot as well as from the valleys of Naran, Kaghan and Paras are from among the beneficiaries of the school project, she said.

Earlier, students of the school did a tableau to mourn the death of thousands of people who lost their lives in the wake of 2005 earth quake.

Christians’ commitment to Pakistan

Besides their handsome contribution in the relief, rescue and rehabilitation of quake affectees, Pakistani Christians have always played a pivotal role in all areas including education, armed forces, medical, social sector and nation building. They have always aspired and worked for the progress and prosperity of their homeland.

Never-ending discrimination, soaring fundamentalism, unequal treatment and a myriad of other problems that they confront on a day-to-day basis never ever made them do disloyalty to the country they belong to.

Terrorism is one of the gravest challenges facing Pakistan. Pakistani Taliban inspired by the ideology of the Al-Qaeda are attacking police and military installations, hospitals, schools and even CD shops. The recent truck bombing at the Marriott hotel in the capital, Islamabad indicates their (Pakistani Taliban) growing influence in Pakistani society.

The Christians of Pakistan have also been victims of acts of terrorism. Many Christian schools and hospitals have been targeted by Islamists in the past. Instead of being revengeful or attempting to take law into their hands after being hit by any act of terrorism the Pakistani Christians have rather tried to establish peace in the country.

They have always extended their generous contribution in their respective fields with matchless dedication, uprightness and inflexible commitment.

They want Pakistan to emerge as a moderate, tolerant, progressive and forward looking nation so that it can carve out a niche of its own in the comity of nations.

The Christians of Pakistan have been serving the country in their respective fields with same degree of commitment in peace as well as in war times. A tragedy that hits this country hurts and affects them in no different way than it does to their Muslim countrymen. The Christians of Pakistan have always risen to the occasion to respond to the turbulent times that Pakistan has faced since its creation in 1947.

In line with the oath of allegiance they took at the time of their induction in the armed forces, Christian men fought for the country without caring for their lives in the two major wars of 1965 and 1971 with Pakistan’s arch-rival India. Some of these men of mettle and determination died while fighting for the country.

Christian nurses and doctors demonstrated their professional dexterity to save lives of soldiers during war-time. They tended the wounded. Christian priests would go to hospitals to pray for recovery of the wounded including the ones who had been rendered maimed or mutilated as a result of war.

Eminent Pakistani politicians including the assassinated spouse of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan former President Musharraf, the two time former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, the chief of Pakistan Muslim league-Quaid-e-Azam, Shujaat Hussain and the incumbent Prime Minister of Pakistan, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani have had their education from Christian institutions.

Name a field and you will find Pakistani Christians at work with unalloyed commitment and utmost sincerity. They return hatred with love, intolerance with tolerance, negativism with positivism.

The APMA chief appreciated the efforts and services of all national and international organizations who responded to the earthquake that brought about enormous death and destruction.

The APMA’s relief efforts were acknowledged by the government authorities and an appreciation certificate was also given to the APMA for its commendable relief services in the quake-hit areas

Concluding his talk with ANS the APMA chief prayed for complete rehabilitation of the people affected by the earthquake and vowed to continue serving the suffering humanity.

Saturday, October 11, 2008
Two Pakistani Christians accused of desecrating Quran
All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) chief calls for repeal of Pakistan blasphemy laws

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

FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian man and his daughter have been arrested by the police after they were accused of desecrating the Quran, the Muslim holy book, in Gojra, a famous village of Tehsil Jhumra in district Faisalabad in Punjab province in Pakistan.

ANS has learnt that a seven year old son of Gulsher named Amsal picked a polythene bag from the street and brought it to his home on October 8. The child gave the bag to his 18 year old sister, Sandal, who found torn pages of Quran among the contents of the bag.

Sandal gave the bag to her female Muslim neighbor, asking her to give it the local cleric.

A Muslim lady, Samina bibi, a resident of the area, had a minor clash with Gulsher’s family some time back. She had then allegedly threatened Gulsher’s family with dire consequences.

In an apparent bid to settle personal scores with Gulsher’s family, Samina alleged that Gulsher and Sandal had desecrated pages of Quran before handing them to their Muslim neighbor.

Local clerics made announcements from minarets of mosques to make the “desecration” public with a view to incite Muslims to attack the “blasphemers”.

On October 9, hundreds of angry Muslims came out of their houses after learning about the alleged desecration of the Quran. The charged mob attacked Gulsher’s house but the police managed to pull the family out of harm’s way.

The local Muslims later pressured the police to lodge a blasphemy case against Gulsher and Sandal.

A case vide, Police First Information report no. 396/2008 under section 295-B, which carries life imprisonment if convicted, has been filed against the accused by one Farooq Alam, a complainant in the case.

ANS has learnt that Farooq denied witnessing any desecration either by Gulsher or Sandal. He reportedly told the police that he had been told that Gulsher and Sandal had committed profanity.

The police presented Sandal, one of the accused, before a magistrate. Eric Sandhu, APMA lawyer and district legal coordinator of Faisalabad defended Sandal in the court.

He pleaded in the court that the Christian teenage girl is innocent and prayed the court that she be granted post-arrest bail.

The magistrate sent her to district jail Faisalabad after refusing post-arrest bail plea.

A Muslim mob maintained its presence outside the court. They chanted slogans against the accused and their family.

Talking to ANS the Chief of All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, a leading umbrella organization of Pakistan minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti said that the APMA team members from Jhumra, a nearby village, and from Faisalabad rushed to the scene of incident and rescued the endangered family with the help of the Police.

Sensing danger to the lives of the rest of family members, the APMA members have moved them to safety, Shahbaz told ANS. He said he would also take up the case with the higher authorities.

Lamenting the misuse of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, he said the law had become a death warrant in the hands of extremists, who he said were already bent upon destabilizing the country. Shahbaz called for repeal of all discriminatory laws including Pakistan blasphemy laws.

The APMA has also taken up the case of Dr. Robin, a resident of district Hafizabad and other blasphemy accused as well. Shahbaz expressed optimism that Dr. Robin would be acquitted.

The APMA Chief said that the APMA lawyers would defend the accused. He said the APMA will extend needed support and assistance to the family members of the accused.

He said that the fresh blasphemy case was a clear example of misuse of the disputed laws.

“The case is baseless, fallacious, concocted and based on personal enmity with the accused”, he remarked.

Shahbaz appealed for prayers for the protection and release of Gulsher and his daughter.

Friday, October 10, 2008
Pakistan 2005 quake tragedy commemorated
APMA school promises hope to quake-hit children

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Commemorating the devestating 2005 earthquake tragedy on October 8, 2005, the people of Pakistan expressed solidarity with the survivors of the horrendous earthquake that killed some 80,000 people and rendered another 3.5 million people homeless.

Devastation after the 2005 Pakistan earthquake

The earthquake that centered in Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered Kashmir) struck parts of Pakistan on October 8, 2005. The quake is also known as the South Asian earthquake or the Great Pakistan earthquake. It also affected parts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

It occurred at 08:50:38 Pakistan Standard Time (03:50:37 UTC) on that fateful day. It registered 7.6 on the Richter scale making it similar in intensity to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, 1935 Quetta earthquake, and the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.

The severity of the damage caused by the quake is attributed to severe up thrust, coupled with poor construction

Special ceremonies were held in the quake-affected areas and the participants of the ceremonies prayed for speedy rehabilitation of those affected by the earthquake.

APMA school children while talking to ANS

ANS visited different quake-hit areas and interviewed the quake affected, who apprised ANS of their suffering after the fatal earthquake hit them.

At the time of the terrible national tragedy, the Christians of Pakistan extended their generous contribution toward relief, rescue and rehabilitation of the victims of the earthquake.

Several national and international Christian relief organizations launched relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations to assist the victims of the earthquake. Leading umbrella organization of Pakistani Minorities, the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) responded to this tragedy immediately.

Rescue efforts

The horrendous event moved the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Chief Shahbaz Bhatti’s heart. After hearing the news in the morning on October 8, the APMA Chief rushed to Margla Towers, a residential area in sector F-10 of Islamabad along with the APMA volunteers to extend help in the rescue operation.

Students and APMA teaching faculty

Leading a team of the APMA volunteers Shahbaz rushed to Balakot, a town in Mansehra district in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The team could not travel by vehicle any further from Mansehra due to bad weather, mountainous terrain, landslides and blocked roads, leaving them with the lone choice of walking on foot.

Some 100 APMA volunteers were divided into ten teams who went to the quake-hit areas including Muzaffarabad, Neelam valley and Balakot.

“The dead bodies under the rubble gave off pungent smell that permeated in the area soon. It made us feel uneasy but we continued working and even pulled out dead bodies from the rubble with our bare hands. With bags on our shoulders we continued to walk up the mountains”, the APMA Chief Shahbaz Bhatti told ANS.

The APMA shifted the injured to the hospitals. The APMA volunteers including its Chief Shahbaz Bhatti also gave blood donation to the injured.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Blasphemy accused doctor seeks bail from Pakistan’s Supreme Court
Christians urged to pray for repeal of Blasphemy laws

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

GUJRANWALA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Following rejection of post arrest bail of a Pakistani accused of blasphemy by the Lahore High Court in September of this year, the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance’s (APMA) panel of lawyers, led by Advocate Azra Shujaat, has filed a post arrest bail petition on behalf of the blasphemy accused in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Shahbaz Bhatti addressing a rally in 2007

Dr. Robin, a homeopathic doctor, was arrested in May this year after being accused of passing derogatory remarks against the beard of Prophet Muhammad.

The APMA has since been providing free legal aid to Dr. Robin besides extending financial assistance to his family, who has been forced to go into hiding after slapping of blasphemy accusation on Robin, who was the sole breadwinner of the family.

On Saturday, October 18, while the hearing of Dr. Robin's case was underway in a lower court, a charged Muslim mob that comprised mainly of students of Madressahs (Islamic religious schools) gathered outside the court in an apparent bid to influence the court's decision. Chanting slogans, they demanded that Robin be given a death sentence.

The APMA caseworkers met with Dr. Robin in face of threats by hard-line Muslims, who want Dr. Robin to get no less than death for making alleged sacrilegious remarks against the beard of Prophet Muhammad.

“My faith in Jesus Christ has only become stronger during this difficult time. God will steer me out of this trouble," an APMA caseworker quoted Dr. Robin as saying.

Shahbaz Bhatti, Chief of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, a leading umbrella organization of Pakistani minorities, has reiterated his pledge to continue struggling until Dr. Robin is acquitted. “We’ll knock every door to ensure that Dr. Robin gets justice. The APMA would do all it can to see that Dr. Robin is acquitted," said the APMA Chief.

Blasting Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, the Christian legislator said that the laws have created fear and uncertainty among the Christians of Pakistan. The laws are dealing a big blow to efforts aimed at promoting a culture of interfaith harmony in Pakistan, he regretted.

He said the laws were also sabotaging efforts being mounted to ensure absolute religious freedom for Pakistani minorities.

Taking up a host of minorities-related issues during a meeting some months hack with Pakistan Prime Minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, the APMA Chief had demanded the allocation of special time on government TV channel for the religious programs of Pakistani minorities.

Mr. Shahbaz claimed the APMA has been giving legal aid, assistance, shelter and rehabilitation to the blasphemy-accused for several years.

He told ANS that the APMA’s legal wing has more than 100 lawyers, who he said are providing legal aid to victimized Christians.

Mr. Shahbaz went on to say that the APMA has been struggling for abolition of the disputed laws since their implementation in 1986.

“We have in the past taken out rallies, staged protest demonstrations, organized seminars, sensitized people and condemned the blasphemy laws at all forums.”

“We’ll continue to strive for repeal of Pakistan blasphemy laws. It is about time the laws were repealed,” said a firm Shahbaz who has been campaigning for scrapping of the laws for over two decades.

In his maiden speech in Pakistan parliament on Saturday, March 29, 2008, Mr. Shahbaz called for repeal of all laws perceived as discriminatory by Pakistani minorities.

Extending his thanks to Christian brethren across the world for their prayers and moral support, he urged them to continue praying for repeal of the laws, whose abuse, he said, reduced a blasphemy-accused to the “status of a refugee in his own country.”

Saturday, October 25, 2008
Pakistani Christian leader urges UN intervention for halting anti-Christian violence in India

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Condemning the egregiously shocking mistreatment of religious minorities in India, the Chief of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) and a member of National Assembly, Shahbaz Bhatti, has called upon the United Nations to ensure protection of lives and properties of minorities in India.

“Gross treatment being meted out to religious minorities in India is a cause of deep concern for peace-loving people in Pakistan and across the world,” Shahbaz said in an ANS interview.

The APMA Chief was critical of fresh anti-minorities wave that has rendered already marginalized and less-privileged minorities communities insecure and uncertain.

Shahbaz vehemently condemned attacks on Christians and torching of Churches in India. Targeting of minorities communities in India which has become a norm of the day is diametrically opposite to Indian rulers¢ claims of secularism, said Shahbaz.

Lamenting over the sporadic incidents of attacks of communal hatred in Orissa, he said some 50,000 people have been rendered homeless due to the violence.

The Pakistani Christian leader also condemned attacks on educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, assaults on pastors, priests and nuns and destruction of houses, shops and villages in Orissa.

“You cannot go on claiming to be secular and liberal when minorities in your country continue to be victimized, threatened, harassed and pressured,” said Shahbaz pointing to India, whose treatment of its minorities has become “miserable than ever.”

The anti-minorities violence has shaken the conscience of moderates, liberal, progressive and enlightened people across the globe, said Shahbaz Bhatti.

He called for immediate cessation of victimization of Indian minorities at the hands of fanatic elements and political groups.

Shahbaz said that the incidents of manhandling, hurling of threats, attacks on lives and properties of people and brazen attacks on the places of worship in India had left him deeply concerned about religious minorities in India.

“While violence continues in Orissa, on India's east coast, anti-Christian extremists have unleashed another wave of attacks on Christians in Karnataka, a state on India's west coast “At the same time, churches are under attack in Jharkand and other states, he regretted.

Violence against minorities in India has surged as the fanatic and extremist elements have gone unpunished, said Shahbaz.

He feared that violence against already vulnerable minorities will only escalate and the anti-peace elements will continue to target minorities if they were not brought to book. It is time the Indian government took stringent action against elements who, he said are causing harm to minorities in India. “Indian government should commit to taking steps to prevent further violence and end impunity for campaigns of violence and prosecute both state and private actors responsible for the attacks,” he said.

He said the religious minorities in India should have the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate their religions.

Monday, January 15, 2007
Human Rights body slams Pakistan government’s White Paper on Education

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

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Reacting to the White Paper issued by the Pakistan government on education policy the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) has termed it “highly controversial and problematic with regard to achieving universal free and compulsory education (mass literacy) and producing quality citizens through quality education”.

“The White paper fails to recommend concretely removing prejudices and biases on the account of religion, sect and gender in the curriculum necessary to creating a tolerant society and moderate social behavior. A separate syllabus of Islamiyat for Shia and Sunni (Muslim sects) has not been suggested to be removed”, questioned NCJP news release it sent to ANS via email on Monday.

“The White Paper suggests teaching Islamic Studies as a compulsory subject and the subject of Ethics for non-Muslim students which is highly objectionable because in the syllabi for Ethics, other religions are taught from Islamic point of view. Practically speaking the proposal isolates and enhances discrimination against the minorities and technically speaking tantamount to be no option because of non availability of books, teachers and bad curriculum”, said the news release.

“In a multi-religious society (Pakistan) curriculum should focus on Universal human values and the religious education can be the responsibility of the family and the respective religious community institutions. We understand that it is difficult for the government to arrange for religious education of student each community according to their respective faiths, which is otherwise their right under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child signed by Pakistan (1990)”, it maintained.

“Therefore we recommend in strongest terms that religious studies should be only given at College and University levels as optional subject but not as a compulsory subject. Moreover the lessons must show equal respect to all religions, or, a reference to one religion should be avoided in all subjects”, it demanded.

The National Commission for Justice and Peace conducted a two day National Education Conference from January 12-13, 2007 in the eastern city of Lahore to discuss the standard of education, curriculum and education policy in the country.

The participants of the conference included educationists, heads of schools and human rights activists

The NCJP in its release said that the time given for Feed Back to the people was extremely short therefore we strongly demand that the time for feed back should be extended from January 15 to March 15, 2007.

“The goals set out by the government regarding Mass literacy, Quality education and Higher Education will continue to be in jeopardy, if education is not seen and implemented as a birth right of all Pakistanis. The cost of education has to be brought down by making adequate budgetary allocation. While we appreciate the role of International donors, we strongly feel that peoples’ education cannot be left at the mercy of private sector and foreign donations. We demand that the budget allocations for education be increased to 8 to 10 % of the GDP. The resources should also be spent on improving management infrastructure and methods”, it said.

It went on to say that besides measures for making teaching a respectable profession by providing teachers with good working conditions and emoluments, it would be important to stamp out corruption, mal functioning and indiscipline in the education departments before any education policy can bring some dividends.

“The current literacy drive is focusing enrollment of all school age children, which is basically a good approach. However in the absence of long term and broad based policy on mass literacy the drop out rate has been enormously high (over 50 per cent) which is failing the scheme. A serious consideration needs to be given to this issue”.

“We recommend that education in mother tongue should be extended to primary classes as recommended by the UNESCO”.

“We also condemn the recommendation 2 on page 44 of the White paper and recommend that a uniform syllabus should be introduced in all schools”, it said.

Those who spoke in the conference included Group Captain (Retd.) Cecil Chaudhry, Dr. Alwin Murad and the executive secretary of NCJP Peter Jacob. A source in the NCJP said that Catholic Bishop of Rawalpindi and Islamabad diocese Rev. Anthony Lobo while flaying the government education policy said that it lacked vision and nothing could come to fruition when it lacks vision.

It merits mentioning here that Archbishop of Lahore diocese Lawrence John Saldanha on July 24, 2006 had written an open letter to Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf wherein he made some five recommendations for education ref

Tuesday, January 16, 2007
‘My son has been falsely implicated in a murder case,’ says a Pakistani Christian

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

Dr. Zafar, who insists his son is innocent

KHUSHAB, JOHARABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Christian man, whose son was convicted by Sessions judge Khushab Rao Sultan Ali Tahir on December 7, 2006 in a case involving murder of a Muslim man in September 2002, alleged on Sunday that his son had been falsely implicated in the case.

“My son was not even nominated in the Police First Information Report (FIR) no 124/2002 on the September 21, 2002 offence under section 302/395 of Pakistan Penal Code at police station Mitha Tiwana district Khushab. My son was implicated in the case following lodging of the FIR on a supplementary statement by the complainant, Muhammad Ismaeel,” said Dr. Zafar who approached ANS on Sunday, January 14.
Thursday, January 18, 2007

Muslim student’s opposition to construction of a chapel is uncalled for

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

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The filing of a petition in the High Court by a Muslim student against construction of a chapel on the campus of the University of Peshawar on the plea that it will fan “sectarianism” reflects on the scale of religious intolerance in a multi-religious state of Pakistan.

According to the Asia News, the student, Masood Khan’s attorney, Khurshid Khan, presented the petition on the plea that “having a Church in the university was un-Islamic and would fan sectarianism.”

Before the trouble started for his son, Zohaib Zafar, Dr. Zafar said he was running the Mariam Hospital under the aegis of a non-governmental organization in Joharabad.

Christian youth, Zohaib Zafar, convicted in the murder case

He said the unfolding circumstances following implication of his son in the murder case forced them to leave the place and the work he was doing.

Fearing trouble, he said his daughter Zobia Zafar, his spouse Najma Zafar, and his son Zia Zafar, had flown to Malaysia and their case for asylum is pending with United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). He said while he was living in a Christian village at present his son was living in a city away from him.

He added ever since the case his family life had been ruined and “we are suffering from acute tension”.

Names of the accused including Hassan Akhtar, Muhammad Ayaz, Ali Sheraz and two unidentified people featured on the FIR and “my son Zohaib Zafar was implicated in the case later by the way of a supplementary statement made by the complainant,” he said.

According to the FIR the above named accused went to Sharif (deceased) house at 9:15 pm on September 20, 2002 and said they wanted to hire his taxi no 7616/LOM for Noorpur.

The complainant stated in the FIR that no return of his brother on that night prompted him to launch search for him.

According to the information in the FIR when he approached Girote Chowk he met one Khalid Zia who told them he had seen a car that had met accident.

The complainant said in the FIR he found the dead body of his brother with his throat slit. He (the complainant) went to the Police Station at Mitha Tiwana and named the above accused without mentioning the Christian youth, Zohaib Zafar.

In a supplementary statement following lodging of the FIR the complainant claimed that Zohaib had also accompanied the accused and he had viewed him standing at a short distance.

Ismail, the complainant as well as the brother of the deceased stated in the court: “Ali Sheraz, Muhammad Ayaz, Hassan Akhtar, Khalid Shafi and Muhammad Aamer came in a taxi while the other two accused Azeem and Zohaib Zafar boarded in the Suzuki car”.

Ismaeel’s brother Hanif, said in the court that he saw Hassan Akhtar, Ali Sheraz, Muhammad Ayaz, Khalid Shafi and Muhammad Aamer present near the door while Zohaib Zafar and Azeem (the accused) were standing at a short distance with a car and they identified them.

He maintained in his statement that while the other accused took Sharif in a taxi no 7616/LOM saying, “Zohaib Zafar and Azeem also went after them in a separate car.”

While recording his statement in the court Zohaib Zafar stated: “My name is not mentioned in the FIR. The description given in the FIR has no resemblance with me. I have no relationship or friendship with other accused persons and absolutely I have no motive against the deceased. I am from different caste and religion. I was never put to identification test. All the prosecution witnesses are related inter se and they have falsely deposed against me.”

The defense lawyer argued that it was an unseen occurrence and prosecution relied upon circumstantial evidence, which is of weak type of evidence. In this instant case there was no identification parade although two accused persons were nominated unknown in FIR.

“The features of two unknown persons were although given in FIR but there is no effort on the part of prosecution to identify remaining accused Zohaib Zafar, Aamer, Azeem and Khalid Shafi through identification parade or before court”

He further argued that the complainant and Prosecution witness are bothers of the deceased and interested witnesses and they cannot be considered witnesses. He further argued that the investigation officer investigated the case dishonestly.

The Police claimed that the accused including Zohaib Zafar led them to a place from there they recovered a dagger, registration of car and driving license of the deceased.

The defense lawyer however, argued that recoveries were fake and fictitious where no public witness was joined from locality.

“Alleged recoveries of blood-stained daggers were effected after 15/16 days from an open place accessible to everybody and such recoveries after a considerable delay is of no legal significance particularly when there was no grouping of the blood which was available on daggers and other recovered articles from place of occurrence or shown to be recovered on the instance of accused,” the defense lawyer argued.

Session Judge Khushab Rao Sultan Ali Tahir in his judgment observed: “The case of Zohaib Zafar is identical with co-accused Aamer. He is not nominated in FIR but he was also seen along with co-accused Aamer and Ali Sheraz in the company of deceased Sharif at all the three places and time by three different set of witnesses. The crime weapon was also recovered on his instance, which was stained with human blood. He also got recovered registration of car and driving license of the deceased. Zohaib also made extra-judicial confession before Atta Muhammad s/o Ghulam Muhammad. The prosecution has sufficiently produced evidence in the shape of last seen, extra judicial confession, recovery of dagger and articles belonging to deceased from accused Zohaib Zafar. There is no motive on the part of the complainant and other prosecution witnesses to falsely implicate Zohaib Zafar or Muhammad Aamer in this case. The prosecutor also succeeded to prove case against Zohaib Zafar accused beyond any shadow of doubt.”

He maintained: “Consequently n the light of discussion, observations and findings the accused Al Sheraz (juvenile) Zohaib Zafar (juvenile) and Muhammad Aamer (adult) are hereby convicted u/s 302 (b)/34 Pakistan Penal Code for causing Qatle-Amad of Muhammad Sharif deceased with their common intention and sentenced imprisonments for life as Tazir for each. Each of them will also pay a compensation of Rs 100,000 to legal heirs of deceased Muhammad Sharif u/s 544-A of Cr.P.C. in default each accused with suffer six month S.I”.

Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) Lawyer Justin Gill lodged appeal on 16-12-2006 on behalf of the petitioner against the judgment made by Session Judge Khushab Roa Sultan Ali Tahir in High Court on 7-12-2006.

“a) The appellant is innocent and has no any concern with the alleged murder. b)The learned trial court has badly failed to appreciate the evidence available on the record and while passing the above said judgment Honorable Trial Court has not applied its judicious mind c) That it was a blind murder and no eye witnesses has ever appeared before the learned trial court in support of the prosecution version even otherwise the evidence of Waj Takker and extra judicial confession is a weakest type of evidence which cannot be made a base for awarding the capital punishment to the appellant. d) That prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond any shadow of doubt e) That if the above said judgment and conviction is not set aside and petitioner s not acquitted then petitioner should suffer irreparable loss and great injustice would be caused to the appellant”, said the section of the appeal under a heading entitled grounds.”

North West Frontier Province’s Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani had laid foundation stone for the construction of the Church in a ceremony on December 19, 2006, it said.

One wonders what could have prompted the student to oppose construction of the chapel on the university’s campus. Does it have to do with his raising in a conservative Muslim family? Or his affiliation with a radical religio-political party? or his bias against Christianity which may have taken its genesis due to either pejorative material against Christianity in the text books or violent hammering of the local Muslim priest against Christianity? or his espousal to a Taliban-like rigid version of Islam?

Whatever brought his anti-Christianity sentiment to this pass the position that he has taken against construction of the chapel is out rightly regrettable. The student and those Pakistani Muslims who see erection of a chapel or Church as not just must allow some soul-searching to see how fair their stand is on the issue in question. Perhaps the construction of the chapel in the academic groove came as an aberration to him (Masood Khan) given the dismal fact that they are absent in government run schools and universities in Pakistan where most of the universities have mosques constructed on their campuses.

Extremist elements have been sabotaging efforts of Brother Nazir Masih, 67 of Islamabad who wants to construct a Church in sector G-8/2 on a plot allotted to him by Capital Development Authority (CDA) for construction of the Church.

“a) Every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion; and
b) Every religious denomination and every sect therefore shall have the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institution.

(Article 20, Constitution of Pakistan)
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or community with others in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
(Article 18, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

If the court gives its verdict in favor of the petitioner it would not only be gross injustice with religious minorities but at the same time it would become a precedent, discouraging establishment of chapels on the campuses of government-run educational institutions in the future. It will leave the Christians students of the particular university disappointed who would like to go and offer their prayers in the chapel. It will only help hawkish elements among Pakistani Muslims to up their agenda of fanning hate in the name of religion. In the past they have been a “dazzling success” with it.

If the prophet Muhammad could allow a delegation of minorities who is said to have visited him to offer prayers in a mosque then how could the student justify his stance that construction of chapel in the university would fan sectarianism? In presence of such a hostile and fundamentalist climate one is apprehensive that even if the court gives go ahead on construction of the chapel it will remain vulnerable to attacks by the student as well as by the radical Muslim students or even off campus students. Those who are aware of the nefarious motives of the radical Islamists in Pakistan may not find it hard to appreciate as to why a matter of building of the chapel could be made such a graver issue. It is what they are there for. If optimism and enlightenment had prevailed with the student he would have restrained him from going this far.

Construction of mosques, temples and churches in educational institution may rather come as classical example of inter-faith harmony. Forman Christian College in the eastern city of Lahore offers wonderful example of interfaith harmony since it has it on its campus some three mosques and a chapel.

The saner among Muslims should least encourage such elements who, are bent upon stoking religious hatred in Pakistan to peak. Non-governmental organizations claiming to be working upon forging inter-faith harmony should take note of this serious issue since its absence has far-reaching implications on Pakistani religious minorities who already feel discriminated against in a number of ways. Why is it that the so-called liberal politicians did not make statements in the media condemning the move of the student? Why is it that leadership of hardline religious alliance is silent on this issue? Does their silence not encourage the particular student and those of his ilk?

They (leaders of religious parties) make sermons on respect for humanity and religions when an attack on Islam is made in the west or elsewhere in the world. When they do so their callous indifference on issues as graver as opposition to the construction of a chapel at home only makes one believe that they are only pursuing a dual agenda and are in fact the main actors contributing to the air of religious animosity in Pakistan. The cricketer-turned politician and the chief Pakistan Tehrike-Insaf (Movement for Justice) Imran Khan’s silence on this issue also leads one to believe that he is also a pseudo-liberal politician.

He is otherwise quick to slam incidents involving injustice with Muslims anywhere in the world. The leadership of the two mainstream political parties of Pakistan -- Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan Peoples Party -- flay the incumbent regime for their own vested interests. Their leaders when invited to minority functions make hollow claims and promises for helping safeguard their rights but they rarely offer any practical help. Their sham concern for religious minorities is more vocal and extremely uproarious when they are out of power. It is an open secret that there was no difference in the marginalization of the religious minorities in their stints in power.

The minority MNA Asia Nasir did a good job taking up some issues concerning Pakistani Christians including attacks on churches in the National Assembly, the lower House of Pakistan Parliament. She would do good if she again rose to the occasion and condemned the attempt of the student aimed at stopping construction of the chapel in the varsity of Peshawar. The other minority representatives should also rise above their differences or party dictates and must condemn the unwelcome development unanimously. The minister of state for religious affairs Mushtaq victor instead of dancing to the tunes of his PML-Q bosses should also take up the matter with the authorities concerned. He must exercise his influence, if he has any, to ensure that the construction of the chapel sees the light of the day.

Thursday, January 18, 2007
Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy granted Post Arrest Bail

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

FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Christian youth who was accused of desecrating the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, in September 2006, bas become the first person accused of blasphemy in the history of Pakistan to have ever been granted post arrest bail. It took place on Wednesday, January 17, 2007.

“With great joy I want to inform you that Shahid Masih aged 17 falsely accused of 295 B has been granted post arrest bail today (Wednesday) by additional district and sessions judge, Mr. Muhammad Tanveer Akbar of Faisalabad,” Masih’s Lawyer, Khalil Tahir Sandhu informed ANS via email on Wednesday.

Shahid Masih was arrested on September 11, 2006 after a man called Muhammad Arshad had accused him of desecrating the Quran. It was stated, in the allegation, that he stole the Quran and afterwards torched it. The case was lodged at the Saddar police station. The alleged date of occurrence was September 10, 2006.

“This is first time in the history of Pakistan that a person accused of 295 B Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) has been granted post arrest bail. I have taken him (Shahid Masih) from District Jail and now he is settled now in some secret place because there is a danger to his life and his family,” said the Christian lawyer in the email he sent to ANS.

“The judge agreed with my arguments and wrote in the verdict that there is no direct evidence against Shahid Masih and there is only circumstantial evidence, which is weakest evidence in the eye of law,” he said in the email.

Christian Lawyer, Khalil Tahir Sandhu, who also happens to be Director Adul Trust, said in his email that he has defended other blasphemy accused as well. Sandhu has been defending blasphemy accused pro bono since 1997.

“The case is fictitious. According to Evidence Act article 38, 39, 40, 43 the statement of any accused cannot be used against any other accused neither in favor nor against him. Therefore, implication of my client in this case is violation of law," Khalil Tahir had told this correspondent in an interview after Shahid Masih’s arrest on Sunday, October 1, 2006.

“My husband Munawar, a labourer is the sole breadwinner of the family. He earns Rs 100-150 per day. Implication of Masih in blasphemy case has compounded our economic woes”, said Shaid’s mother Alice, 80 on Sunday, October 1, 2006.

“When I went to see my son in lock up he kept weeping all the time”, she had then told ANS.

Coordinator of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) Joseph Francis had told ANS on October 1, 2006 that his centre’s fact finding had revealed that Shahid Masih was innocent and a blasphemy case had been invented against him.

Saturday, January 20, 2007
Pakistan acquits mentally ill Christian accused of blasphemy
Christian lawyer says his work brought threats on him

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

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A mentally challenged Pakistani Christian man who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court on blasphemy charges in 2004, was acquitted by Lahore High Court on Friday, January 19, 2007.

Khalil Tahir, defense counsel of Shahbaz Masih, told ANS about the acquittal of Masih in an exclusive interview on Friday.

Khalil Tahir with Shahbaz Masih

Shahbaz Masih was an escapee from Government hospital for psychiatric diseases in Lahore, Pakistan. He was admitted to the hospital on August 23, 2000 after being diagnosed with Bipolar Effective Disorder. He fled from the hospital on September 4, 2000.

But a trouble of a more horrific magnitude was awaiting him as he was charged with torching pages of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, by a prayer leader of the Imam Masjid Mosque, Qari Muhammad Rafique, a resident of 8, Ismail Park Street, Faisalabad.

The complainant wrote in the application that he submitted to the Police Station on Sargodha Road, Faisalabad, that he was teaching the Quran to students at the mosque when he heard the voices from the nearby graveyard. The complainant went on to say in his application that, as he came out of the mosque with two Muslim men named Muhammad Jamil and Muhammad Ali, they saw that Masih was trampling upon pages of Quran and was throwing them on the graveyard after having torched them.

The Police First Information Report (FIR) number 315/2001, under section 295-A and B of Pakistan Penal Code, was lodged at the police station and, as a consequence, Masih was arrested on June 4, 2001.

The Muslim cleric along with Muhammad Jamil and Muhammad Ali, the prosecution witnesses handed over the cross-wearing Masih to police after subjecting him to a thrashing.

The defense counsel of the acquitted Christian told ANS that Muhammad Sajad, Sub-Inspector of Police, partially investigated the case and sent Masih to the District Jail at Faisalabad after challenging him.

Khalil Tahir disclosed that Masih was kept in isolation cell. He said that the beating he had received concerned police officials who felt it was unjust that a man of unsound mind was kept in the isolation cell. He said Masih was tried in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge for Faisalabad, Muhammad Shahid Rafique. After a lengthy cross-examination during the court proceedings, the Christian advocate of Lahore High court said he was able to establish that statements of the prosecution witnesses were contradictory.

He maintained that he also produced before the court Shahbaz Masih’s certified certificate from the hospital where he was undergoing treatment before he fled, had left no doubt on his being psychiatrically disordered.

He said he was hugely disappointed when the Additional District and Sessions Judge convicted and sentenced Shahbaz Masih to life imprisonment on September 25, 2004 despite the fact, he said, “That I had produced in the lower court, Dr. Pervez Ahmad, consultant psychiatrist from Punjab institute of mental health in Lahore, who stated on oath in the court of Shahid Rafique Additional Sessions Judge Faisalabad on January 17, 2004 that Shahbaz Masih was a genuine patient of Bipolar Effective Disorder…” The doctor, Khalil said, gave his statement as defense witness.

Advocate High Court and Executive Director Adal Trust, Khalil Tahir

Khalil Tahir who also happens to be the director of the Adal Trust (Action Against Discriminatory Laws) told ANS that he had been defending the marginalized people pro bono since 1997. He further told this correspondent that the verdict of the Judge was also in contravention of the article 84 of Pakistan Penal Code that, he said, says that a person of unsound mind could not be convicted.

Tahir also said that the verdict of the judge must have been influenced by the presence of hundreds of fanatic Muslims in and outside the court premises. Most of them, who maintained their menacing presence outside the court, he said, were armed.

When asked if the sentence of life imprisonment to his client by the lower court ever dented his morale, the lawyer responded that though it came as a shocking judgment to him, he was confident that Shahbaz Masih would be acquitted by the High Court.

He lodged an appeal in the Lahore High Court under section 410 Criminal Procedure Code against the impugned judgment and he pleaded in the appeal that the judgment be set aside and the falsely accused Shahbaz Masih be acquitted of the charge. The criminal appeal no was 1599/2004, he said.

That appeal was entrusted to Justice Muhammad Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry; Justice of the Lahore High Court, and January 19, 2007 was fixed as the date of the hearing.

Director ADAL Trust, Khalil Tahir Christian Lawyer, seen with then Madam High Commissioner to UN, Ms. Mary Robinson at Geneva Switzerland

A jubilant Khalil Tahir told ANS that, after hearing his arguments, the Judge of the High Court accepted the appeal and set aside the impugned judgment of Lower court and acquitted Shahbaz Masih "honorably" on January 19, 2007.

Masih’s elder brother, Ishfaq, while talking to this correspondent by phone, said that the time for his brother as well as for his family after the blasphemy charges were leveled against him, has been “trying.” He said that he, and the rest of his family members, have been living in a grip of fear and uncertainty. When asked to give details he said that fanatic bearded Muslims would follow him when he would go to attend the court hearings.

“One day two bearded men chased me as I was about to board a bus,” he said. “When I sensed that they were following me, I decided against boarding that bus and instead waited to board in another bus. My fears were realized when I saw those men standing closer to me.”

Asked if they ever harmed him physically, he replied in the negative, but added that it would give him agonizing tension. “My mother, who he named Shamim, had a poor eye sight and became mentally sick after arrest of Shahbaz Masih. She was scared and she was always asking when Shahbaz would come home.”

In order to console her sick mother, Ishfaq said he would try to make her feel good by telling her that Masih (Shahbaz Masih) was in hospital and he would take her to visit him.

Ishfaq maintained that all of his family members, including himself, were very happy at the honorable acquittal of Shahbaz Masih. He said what marred their happiness was the fact that their mother had become “mentally lopsided.”

He said he and his family still sensed fear from the radical Muslims. They could still make an attempt on Shahbaz life though the court has freed him, he feared.

“I am thankful to God and to Advocate Khalil Tahir and all those who helped us in our difficult time”, said Ishfaq.

The Lawyer’s work brought threats on him

The executive director of Adal Trust, Khalil Tahir Sandhu told ANS he established the trust in 1997. He alleged he has been receiving threats since 2001.

He alleged that telephonic threats were also given to his spouse. Narrating problems he faced at that critical and stressful juncture of his life he said security was provided to him for three months and his children suffered educational loss as they did not go to school fearing any possible untoward eventuality.

When asked why he did not stop defending blasphemy accused in the face of threats Khalil said: “I will not discontinue my work even if I have to sacrifice my life. This is my commitment with my Lord”, he vowed.

He said hurling of threats on him also continued when he was defending Ranjha Masih, a Pakistani Christian who was accused of blasphemy and was acquitted by High Court on November 10, 2006.

He said he also received threats from some fundamentalist Muslims during the trial of a Christian boy, Anjum, who he said had died from the five day long torture on the boy by his captors.

Pakistan Blasphemy Laws condemned

Terming Pakistan blasphemy laws as draconian and blasting other discriminatory laws, Khalil Tahir urged the international community and international human right concerns that they should take up these issues with Pakistan government to ensure repeal of all black discriminatory laws which he said were being widely misused against the lowest of low in Pakistan.

Quran study gives Muslim students cutting edge

He said Muslim students who memorize Quran, Muslim holy book, by heart are entitled to award of 20 additional marks. He said this comes as a huge disadvantage to Christian students who do not have any such option of passing a Bible Study Test to claim the 20 marks. He maintained that when it comes to getting admission in educational institutions for higher studies the Christian students often fail to make to the merit lists due to this reason. He called upon concerned authorities to look into the matter and allow passing of Bible Study course to Christian students so that they could also claim additional 20 marks.

Khalil dubbed it as systematic discrimination to which he said Pakistani Christian students were exposed to. It is about time that it drew to its end, he stressed.

Christian prisoners are discriminated against

The executive director of Adal Trust pointed out that while Muslim prisoners get six month remission in their sentence passing some Quran study test while no such option was available for Christian prisoners. The concerned authorities he said should also let them (Christian prisoners) have six month remission in their sentence by studying Bible, he remarked.

Objecting to Article 17 of Evidence Act of the constitution of Pakistan he said according to the article the evidence of a female is considered half. Why a woman’s evidence is considered half when she gives birth to a “full evidence,” questioned Khalil, implying that she is the one who gives birth to male children.

Khalil said if he were a Supreme Court Lawyer he would have lodged writ petitions in the Supreme Court seeking award of 20 additional marks to Christians students on qualifying a bible study test and remission of six months in sentence of Christian prisoners on qualifying a Bible study test.

However, he said the writs could be lodged in the Apex court of Pakistan but for that to materialize he said Adal Trust needed prayers and financial support, saying the Muslim lawyers demand hefty fees.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007
‘God heard my prayers,’ says Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy

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

Shahid Masih

FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Young Pakistani Christian man who was accused of blasphemy in September of last year and was given post-arrest bail on January 17, 2007, has attributed his release as an answer to his prayers while he was in jail.

17-year-old Shahid Masih, while talking to ANS at his home on Monday, January 22, said it was a “hard time” for him when he was accused of blaspheming the Quran, the Muslim holy book.

“When the police were taking me to the police station I kept declaring my innocence but they didn’t listened me,” he said.

Shahid Masih’s defense counsel Khalil Tahir Sandhu, who was also present at Masih’s house at the time of the interview, termed Masih’s booking as “good for his safety.”

Explaining why Masih’s arrest went in his favour after he had been accused of Quran sacrilege, Khalil maintained that if he had not been arrested, the situation could have “spiraled out of control” and Masih might have landed into a more pernicious situation “since the enraged crowd comprising hundreds of Muslims outside Masih’s house were chanting hate slogans demanding his arrest.”

Shahid Masih said since the time of his arrest he had been extremely concerned about his household.

“The looming fear of any possible harm coming to my family kept me tense while I was in the jail,” said the impoverished Christian youth.

The Christian youth was charged with profaning Quran, Muslim holy book by the complainant Dr. Arshad Masood who lives in Masih’s neighborhood.

Masih appeared to be in a grip of fear at the time of interview and was not feeling comfortable.

In reply to a question, Shahid Masih, who has got 12 siblings, told this correspondent he would work in a small factory where cartons were made. He said he would bring home some Rs 4000 (Approx US dollar 66.6) every month.

“My household now does not let me work since life is not same for me”, he said, implying to the possibility of hard-line Muslims attacking him.

Masih’s arrest had meant that he could not contribute to his family budget. Shahid’s mother, Alice and father, Munawar Masih, who were also present at the time of the interview, said that their son’s arrest made life more difficult for them on the socio-economic front.

Shahid told ANS during his detention, the jail officials asked him to do labor such as digging and cleaning.

Khalil Tahir Sandhu, Shahid’s Defense Counsel and the Executive Director of ADAL Trust (Action against Discriminatory Laws) slammed jail authorities expecting any accused to do labor unless and until his guilt was proved.

“When I first read the Police Information Report against Shahid Masih, I had got to know that it was a concocted case where a Muslim man Muhammad Ghaffar, also an accused in the same case, had charged Masih with Quran sacrilege,” he said.

When asked to elaborate, the leading Christian lawyer told ANS that the blasphemy case against Masih was invented because it was in contravention of the Law of Evidence Act, articles 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42.

According to the said law, he said the evidence of one accused could not be used either in favour or against the other accused.

Editor’s Note: ADAL Trust, in an email written to our correspondent, claimed that in the history of Pakistan, Shahid Masih was the first person in accused of blasphemy to have been released on bail but, in fact, a few other people accused of blasphemy have also bailed out by the lower courts. They included Naseem Bibi from the district of Kasur who was also bailed out in April 2006.

Thursday, January 25, 2007
Pakistan Christian leader to contest Presidential Election
He says, “CLAAS has encouraged Christian lawyers to defend those accused of blasphemy”

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

Joseph Francis seen with Director of the Jubilee Campaign, USA, Ann Buwalda

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Despite the fact that constitution of Pakistan specifies that only a Muslim can become President of the country, the President of the Pakistan National Christian Party, Joseph Francis, has announced that he is planning to contest the next presidential election against Pakistan President, General Pervez Musharraf.

“I have decided to contest Presidential elections,” said Joseph Francis in an ANS interview on Friday, January 19. “I will only believe that the religious minorities in Pakistan have equal rights if I am allowed to contest the presidential elections.”
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Is Christian persecution a blessing in disguise?

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

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Increasing persecution of Christians across the globe is a cause of grave concern. Sadly, Christians today are facing worst degree of persecution than followers of any other religion across the world.

The warped masterminds of atrocious forms of persecution against Christians perhaps think that they would be able to mislead His sheep but paradoxically even the horrendous forms of persecution have only made the victims further cement in Him. Sufferings in His name only help them draw mammoth strength to carry their Cross every day without any fear. Persecution, of course, looks awkward by it appearance but in its core lies the intangible blessings. Fruits of persecution are sweeter than honey. It looks like a honeycomb, which looks rough and tough from the outside but contains it in the sweetness that nature has not given to another thing.

Francis said that when a Muslim candidate got elected to the US congress, he was given right to take the oath on the Quran, the Muslim holy book. If a Muslim winner in the United States is allowed to take oath on the Quran, then, he asked, why should I be stopped to contest a presidential election her in Pakistan?

Francis, who is the National Director of the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), said that his decision would test the announcements of President, General Pervez Musharraf, of ensuring constitutional rights to the religious minorities in the country.

Francis Terms CLAAS as a "Platform for Christian Lawyers"

Before 1992, he said that Christian lawyers did not have the courage to defend Christians accused of blasphemy. But then CLAAS provided the platform and the Christian lawyers in Pakistan have demonstrated that they were no less talented than the Muslim lawyers.

Referring to the case of Salamat Masih, a Christian accused of blasphemy (1993-1995), he said that after this, many Christians accused of blasphemy were defended by the Christians lawyers from the CLAAS platform.

He said that he regretted that the Police had so far failed to arrest all the accused named in the Police First Information Report (FIR) for attacks on a church in Sharkpur, some 35 Kms from the eastern city of Lahore. The veteran Human Rights campaigner alleged that local officials were “backing” the accused.

He went on to say, “In my opinion 2006 has been worst vis-à-vis human rights abuses. A church in Sharkpur was attacked twice during the year. Of the 35 accused, named in the Police First Information Report (FIR), only five have been arrested. After blasphemy cases, forced conversions emerged as a major threat to the religious minorities.”

Shedding light on the performance of CLAAS during the last year Francis said the body used all legal resources at its disposal. He said that CLAAS ensured that the accused, who were trying to get interim bail in the Sharkpur church attack case, were not able to.

“We have decided to file a writ petition calling for including the District Nazim in the investigation,” he said.

Francis pointed out that from October 1999 to 2006, some 85 blasphemy cases were registered in all. Of these cases, he said, 58 were against Muslims, 5 against Hindus and the rest were filed against Pakistani Christians.

He then said that ten people accused of blasphemy were killed while their cases were being tried in the courts. Of these ten, four were Christians and the rest were Muslims. The Human Rights activist said that although life for all people, irrespective of their religious allegiance, was not same after they had been accused of blasphemy, but the life becomes “way harder for Pakistani Christians accused of blasphemy.”

CLAAS Achievements in 2006

The National Director of CLAAS told ANS that CLAAS lawyers during 2006 had helped acquit some four Christians and five Muslims of blasphemy charges. He also named Ranjha Masih, who served some eight years and seven months imprisonment before the High Court acquitted him on November 10, 2006, as being among those who were extended legal aid and assistance by CLAAS.

“Fighting for the cause of the voiceless in Pakistan”

Responding a question, the CLAAS National Director said that they experience pressures of sorts, saying they would not make them stop what he called “fighting for the cause of the voiceless in Pakistan.”

Expressing his dissatisfaction about President Musharraf’s claim of reforming Madressahs (Islamic Religious Schools), Joseph alleged that the religious schools were promoting religious militancy. He said that Pakistan government needed to “do more on this count to rid the country of this menace.”

Francis then revealed that the US Senators and Congressmen committee of the US have invited him in the USA on January 29 where he said he would have the privilege of meeting the US President, George W. Bush, over breakfast.

He said earlier he had met President Bush two times in 2003 and 2005.

Asked what issues he was going to take up during his meetings in the US he said he would take up all issues confronting Pakistani religious minorities.

Answering a question he said he would believe President Musharraf’s claim of enlightened moderation as true if he was allowed to contest the presidential election in 2007. He alleged it was Musharraf who had let religio-political alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) rise to the political scene for the first time in the history of Pakistan.

When ANS asked him how he felt on the inclusion of a religion column in new machine readable Pakistani passports, Francis said he did not mind the insertion of a religion column in the new passports. “I am proud of being Christians and hence I least mind my religious identity appearing on the passport,” he said.

He then called for the repeal of the “element of bias against religious minorities in Pakistan text books,” saying that the very presence of the pejorative material in the text books “was influencing the impressionable minds of students negatively.”

Terming the Pakistan English media as “balanced” he alleged that many newspaper columns written in Urdu, Pakistan’s national language, were “littered with hate-promoting material.”

Francis added, “Even the programs that are presented on electronic media do not show the true spirit of Christianity.”

When asked why the incidence of filing blasphemy cases was greater in the Pakistani province of Punjab, he said it was due to the fact that most of the militant religious organizations had their bases in the province. He said that although Musharraf had banned some militant organizations, “they have emerged under new names.”

Francis, in the interview, then called for increase in the minority seats in the Upper House of the Pakistan Parliament.

CLAAS Sets Up Law College in Pakistan

Francis told ANS that the Trinity Law College Pakistan, located in the eastern city of Lahore, was set up with financial assistance of HMK, a German donor organization in 2005. He said the inauguration ceremony of the college was held on November 19, 2005.

“It is part of community development,” he said. “No nation or country could develop without education. Our people find it hard to get jobs. They cannot even think of government jobs. They face discrimination so we went ahead with setting up the Trinity Law College.”

He said CLAAS lawyers were taking the classes voluntarily at the college adding that only one teacher was permanent. He said they were expecting foreign faculty to teach at the college who, he said, would come from Germany, Korea and the USA.

Francis said volunteer teachers from Jubilee Campaign, USA, a prayer partner of CLAAS, had delivered lectures to the college’s students.

Joseph Francis receiving award from Advocates Asia

He said only four students had been enrolled in the college. In July, 2007, he said that the students would go to South Korea for one month training. In October, he maintained the students of the college would go to Jordan to attend the Advocates Asia Conference.

It will be attended by law students from some 80 countries and they would be some 200-300 people, he added.

“Advocate International is a US based Human Rights Organizations which has Christian lawyers as its members from 190 countries. Advocates Asia and Advocates Europe are its chapters,” he elaborated.

He went on to say that Advocates International meets every four years whereas Advocates Asia and Europe meets every year. CLAAS is a member of Advocate International, USA and is partner of Advocate Asia, he said.

Citing the reason for the small number of students enrolled at the college, Francis said that the college had not yet been registered with the University of Punjab. He added that the registration was “underway” and expressed optimism that the college would be registered with the University of Punjab by May 2007.

In the Law College we are going to teach Pakistan law. Other than that we are going to offer Human Rights, Women Rights and Civil Society, he said while responding to a question.

Francis said that the college would be open to both Muslims and Christian students. Christian students, however< could be given scholarships to help them acquire law education, he stated.

“We have given full scholarship to our four students who are currently studying at the Law College with the help of our partners. Three Christian girls and a male student are studying at the college,” he informed.

He stressed the need for Christian women becoming lawyers. “Women feel relatively easy to discuss their problems with female lawyers,” he explained.

When educated women come in this field “the women in the remote areas would get encouragement,” he said.

CLAAS’s Future Goal

National Director of CLAAS, Joseph Francis, said he was mulling over setting up a degree college for Christian women in Yohannabad, Lahore.

He said the Christian women from the nearby areas including Nashtar colony, Glaxo Town, Hamza Town, Asif Town 1, Asif Town 2 would also benefit from the college Francis wants to set up.

CLAAS’s credibility and popularity is growing and more and more people as friends and supporters “are joining hands and this we see as a huge encouragement,” said Francis.

Persecution should come as no surprise to Christians

Persecution dates back to Jesus Christ’s times and should come as no surprise to His believers today as they know that the world that hated their Master would also look down upon them for their allegiance to the one who ensured their salvation by laying down His life. Believers in parts of the world where they are relatively more vulnerable to persecution perhaps learn more what it takes to be a Christian than their brothers and sisters who open their eyes in predominantly Christian states.

Scale of Christian persecution is higher in Islamic countries

In Islamic Republic of Pakistan for instance where Pakistani Christians are persecuted under pretext of one discriminatory law or another still testify to Christ and brave all sufferings in His name. It would not be wrong to assume that for them (Pakistani Christians) as well as for the persecuted Christians across the globe the monster of persecution is in fact a blessing in disguise for them. It ripens their faith in Him, dawns upon them the stark reality that they have to bear world’s hatred as a ransom for their allegiance to Him.

Ranjha Masih, a Pakistani Christian who was acquitted of blasphemy charges by High Court on November 10 after serving 8 years and seven month in imprisonment spoke of torture and attempts by many Muslims on converting him to Islam in his testimony he gave to Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) but Masih stood steadfast to his Christian faith during his imprisonment.

Though condemnable by all means persecution helps its victims develop a more personal and deeper relationship with God. It may be akin to a pot where faith is tried and tested and it is perhaps during this phase of trial and tribulation in His name the sufferer gets deeply rooted in Him. Abundant blessings and fruits lie in wait for all those who suffer persecution in His name.

Hundreds of believers give their lives only because of their Christian faith. Some are shot dead, others critically tortured and yet others are given to animals as a “pleasant” sacrifice to the gods they worship, which is the terrible form of persecution.

The volatile Muslim temperament breeds violence

The Christian faith has been relatively satirized to a greater degree in media than other faiths. Jerry Springer the Opera and Da Vinci Code are cases in point.

The printing of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in the west was interpreted as an attack on Islam by the Muslim world that triggered string of violent protest rallies across the world. In Pakistan alone five people were killed in Pakistan during staging of anti-cartoon protest demonstrations.

The hard-line elements in the Muslim world that are always quick to hijack such issues to further their hate agenda made insane demands on their respective governments to grind their own axe. The demands ranged from calling back of Muslim diplomats, to boycotting western products.

Religious minorities in predominantly Muslim countries bear the brunt of hatred following occurrence of any incident perceived by Muslims as an assault on their faith. Muslim wrath subsides at attacking, stoning and torching of churches, plunging the oppressed Christians in grip of fear and insecurity.

Fruits of Persecution

Early Church faced persecution to its fullest. They were thwarted by Romans to propagate the faith they held so lovingly to their breasts but it did not falter them from their faith rather they spread the word more convincingly to all four corners of the world.

Persecution indeed is like a blood to a Christian life. How could the world be evangelized by this raw bunch of believers who knew nothing about knowledge but about fishing and trading?

They were so scared from the world that they locked themselves up from the fear of authorities after Christ was crucified. It was then the heavy blow from the world which stirred them up and enlivened their hopes that they stepped out not only from that locked room but from Judea, Samaria and then to the end of the earth.

Persecution unfolded the wrapped blessings, they never knew it then all they knew was that world hated them. It was exactly what their master told them once “If the world hates you, you know it hated me before it hated you”. (John 15:18).

Persecution on Christians is prophetic. We know why it happens? Because Jesus suffered hostility from sinners against Himself first and Bible calls Him “First Fruit” and “First Adam” .So those who follow Him, will suffer it as well.

Does that mean we give our faith away? Does that mean hide our Christian faith? Of course not but like Apostle Paul we ought to say “But we are not of those who draw back to perdition but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. (Heb. 10:39). Persecution should not be a stumbling block to a believer.

It is often linked to Christ’s second coming. Christians throughout history are the suffering lot and in every time and age Christian persecution brought the thought of Christ’s second coming.

In the days of Nero persecution on Christian was so rampant that Christians thought that it was the end of the world but that was not the end and persecution on them became a ceaseless series of torture and torment which will finish only when Christ will appear in His second coming to take His bride back to Father’s place, which will be the picture of perfect peace, joy, and Happiness.

Persecuted Christians become the fervent followers of Christ. Apostle Paul is the prime example of this, whose chronicles of persecution did not deter him from pursuing Christ on the contrary; it rather put the imperishable zeal to work for Him by whom he was persecuted. Those persecuted do not live for this world then, their focus, their lives, their standard, everything changes for them just in the ticking of the clock that regardless of their pain and agony they set their eyes on the author and finisher of their fate--- Jesus Christ.

Life is a precious gift of God. It is not earned by silver or gold but those who taste the spice of persecution are the more productive and fertile for the Kingdom of God than those who do not.

The blessed savior once said “He who loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt 10:39).

The life of the persecuted Christians as whole becomes the Fifth Gospel and open, living, and walking testimony to the world, because those who are persecuted do not shame to present Christ to the world. Their lives yield fruits for the body of Christ. They become the occasion of bringing people to Christ.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Pakistan court acquits six Christian prisoners

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

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Six Christian prisoners who are said to have been falsely implicated in a murder case some 10 years ago have been acquitted by Lahore High Court on Feb 16, 2007.

ANS learnt about the acquittal of the Christian prisoners through an email sent to it by Sharing Life Ministry’s Chief Coordinator, Sohail Johnson on Saturday, Feb 18.

Slamming the delay in justice reaching to the prisoners the SLMP in its news release said: "Poor prisoners awaited 10 years for justice."

Six Christian men named Akram, Sooba, Rakha, Samuel, Jan and Nazar are relatives to each other, it said.

It went on to say that the men were implicated in a murder case registered vide Police First Information Report (FIR) No. 608 on December 3, 1997 offence under section 302/395 PPC with police station Ferozewala District Sheikhupura.

The session judge concluded the case and awarded death sentence to Rakha son Bark while rests of the accused were handed down life imprisonment, it said.

Rakha was detained in District Jail Sheikhupura, Samuel and Akram were detained in Central Jail Lahore. It maintained that Nazar, Sooba and Jan were detained in Central Jail Faisalabad.

The Ministry in its news released claimed they have been extending financial assistance to the families of the six men implicated in the case.

Monday, March 5, 2007
Debate over Jesus’ crucifixion features on India-based TV

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

Dr. Zakir Naik

MUMBAI, INDIA (ANS) -- India-based "Peace TV" on Sunday, March 4, aired a program in which Dr. Zakir Naik of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) presented the Islamic belief that Jesus was raised alive, whereas an Arab Christian pastor, Ruknuddin Henry Pio, stressed that Jesus was crucified.

The program entitled, "Was Jesus really crucified?" was organized with the cooperation of the India Gospel Mission and the Islamic Research Foundation, India.

The President of the IRF, Dr. Zakir Naik, said that observation of the Roman soldiers over Christ's death on cross could be mistaken. He said they were not medics and did not have equipment to determine whether or not Jesus Christ was dead. To support his Islamic belief that Jesus had ascended to heaven, he maintained that even modern doctors could commit error of judgment while pronouncing someone as dead. In cases it so happened that doctors pronounced somebody as dead when he hadn't died, he argued.

Flouting the concept of the trinity in Christianity, he said that nowhere in the Bible had there been a mention of the trinity. The verse closest to the theme of trinity has been mentioned in the First Epistle of John, he said.

A question and answer session started after Pastor Ruknuddin and Dr. Zakir Naik spoke on the theme of the program. Richard, a Christian participant in the program asked Naik how he could negate Jesus' resurrection when it had been detailed in all of the Gospels.

Naik told the questioner that Muslims believed that Jesus was raised alive. Richard's gestures suggested he was not satisfied by Zakir's answer. He had wanted to ask more questions of Naik but time limitation did not allow him to pose those questions.

When Pastor Henry spoke abut Jesus' authority over forgiving sins it elicited many questions from the Muslim participants, some of whom became emotional while asking questions of the pastor.

A Muslim male participant asked Pastor Ruknuddin what would happen if a man who whose sins were forgiven after he believed in Jesus had committed an act of terrorism or rape the next day.

Responding this question, the pastor said if someone believed in Jesus genuinely the fruits of faith would be shown by his life. His life would be changed, he remarked. Noting that his questioner was still unsatisfied he cited example of a Christian man, who he said had converted to Islam only to gain custody of his child from his spouse.

When a woman participant drew the pastor's attention to the crimes committed by Christians, the pastor told her that some Christians wore the label of true believers of Jesus on their forehead but, in fact, they had not truly accepted Jesus. He admitted that some time back he used to be a nominal Christian too.

An emotionally charged Muslim participant named Iftikhar sought a black-and-white guarantee of not being tried in India if he killed him (the pastor) after accepting Jesus Christ today. The man used the title of "Mr." for Jesus while asking question.

"Dr. Zakir Naik quoted various verses both from the Quran and the Bible. “You have quoted none from Bible", he said rudely. After noticing that the questioner was failing to keep his temper cool one of the program organizer warned him against making personal comments.

The hall where this program was conducted was heavily crowded with Muslim participants and the number of Christian participants was very slim. Rapturous applause came on the heels of each answer given by Dr. Zakir Naik, but there were few hands to clap when the pastor gave his answers.

Matthew, a Christian participant of the program, asked Zakir Naik how he could negate crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ when it was a historical fact.

Naik said he could provide him double the historical evidence supporting the notion that Jesus had not been crucified. Citing Surah Al-Imran 3:55, he said Allah (God) raised Jesus Christ alive.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
New inmates fill Christian prisoners’ space for worship

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

RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The Christian inmates of Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, March 21, did not take their meals as a token of protest against the filling of their worship space in the jail by recent flux of detainees, ANS has learnt.

The Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) has alleged that the jail became overcrowded after the Police dumped many people in it who it said were taking part in the protests against suspension of Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The Chief Justice was suspended on March 9 on charges of abouse of office. The incident sparked unprecedented constitutional crisis in the country. Lawyers’ fraternity has been condemning suspension of the Chief Justice from the day one. The lawyers’ protests became more poignant as opposition parties of the country have also waded into the row.

In its news release the ministry said that instead of resolving the Christian inmates problems, the Jail Superintendent Saif Ullah Gondal tried to smother the prisoners’ demand by rebuking them.

Citing unnamed sources the ministry said that the Christian prisoners were facing persecution for their demand to offer prayers in assembly.

It said when the Chief Coordinator of the ministry, Sohail Johnson contacted Deputy Superintendent of the jail, Noor-ul-Hassan Bhagela to learn about the situation he was told that the Christian prisoners were not facing any problem in offering prayers in a congregation.

The Christian prisoners would continue to stage hunger strike until their demand for offering prayers in assembly was heeded, it said.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Pakistani Christian man booked under blasphemy law
Muslim mob manhandled him

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

SHEIKHUPURA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Pakistani Christians continue to bear the brunt of the country’s blasphemy laws as yet another Christian man has been booked for allegedly tearing and setting ablaze the pages of the Quran, the Muslim holy book.

Qaisar Mehmood, the complainant, charged Amanat Masih, 45, a resident of village of Nabi Pur Virkan in the district of Sheikhupura, with desecrating and setting on fire pages of the Quran as part of an occult practice to win over a lady named Shamim at the insistent of a Muslim man, Liaqat Ali.

A case was registered against Masih vide Police First Information Report (FIR) No. 277 on March 23, 2007, as an offence under section 295-B with the police station in the Factory Area of Sheikhupura.

Masih, a laborer, and his family earlier had lived through hard time when his son Waris, 26 was falsely implicated in a theft case in September 2005. Masih invited the “wrath” of influential feudals of his village as he decided not to approach them for getting his son released from the jail.

This only led to a surge in the scale of alleged hatred the landed influentials of the village had against him as Amanat would not bank on their help, unlike the other villagers living on the bottom rung of the society.

Amanat is said to have got his son released from the jail by the dint of his own efforts, prompting the village feudals to fabricate a blasphemy case against him in a bid to subdue him.

Most of the Christians living in grinding poverty often come as an easy prey to their Muslim opponents who only have to slap blasphemy charges on them to send them behind the bars.

As the nation was celebrating Pakistan Day on March 23, 2007 hundreds of Muslim villagers attacked Masih’s house. They allegedly subjected him to physical abuse amid choruses of indignation that he had committed blasphemy by allegedly tearing and torching the pages of the Quran.

“Even the police officials failed to strike a balance between their reason and emotions while investigating the blasphemy cases as well as whilst controlling the violent mobs”, the Director of ADAL Trust (Action Against Discriminatory Laws), Khalil Tahir Sandhu told ANS.

The Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) that launched a probe into this case quoted Masih’s wife Zohra Bibi, 43, as saying that the mob also robbed her of 50,000 Pakistan Rupees (US$833.33) which she had kept for the expenses likely to be incurred on her daughter’s wedding.

Zohra, a domestic servant has been living in a grip of fear since March 23. She warned the ministry’s investigating team against gleaning facts.

“A human rights organization that earlier visited me were threatened with consequences if they did not distance them from probing the case”, the SLMP quoted her as saying.

Masih’s children include Waris, 26, Delawer, 24, Baber, 22 and a daughter, Rukhsana, 20. Masih’s wife told the SLMP that she was concerned about the safety of her daughter under the current circumstances.

The ministry said in its news release that their findings revealed that Masih had terms with Liaqat and he also had a relationship with Shamim but alleged that the complainant had distorted the facts to implicate Masih in the blasphemy case.

The SLMP has long been campaigning for the provision of prayer rooms for Christian inmates in Pakistani jails.

Monday, April 2, 2007
Islamists radicals release women accused of being ’prostitutes’

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Three women accused of being prostitutes have been released from a fundamentalist madrasa (Islamic religious school) in central Islamabad after being forced to "confess" their sins, UK based The Guardian newspaper has reported in its March 30 Special Report.

According to the report one of the three women, Shamim, who was also said to run a brothel, was made to confess her sins in a press conference organized by her captors.

"I apologise for my past acts and promise that in future I will live like a pious person", The Guardian quoted her as telling reporters at the religious school named Jamiah Hafsa Madressha.

It went on to say that the alleged brothel owner after her release said she had given the statement under duress.

"I could only escape after telling reporters what they wanted me to say. Otherwise there seemed to be no power in the world, including President Musharraf, who could free us," the Guardian quoted her as telling ARY television.

The women accused of being prostitutes were imprisoned inside Jamia Hafsa under guard by thousands of burka-clad women clutching bamboo staves.
Photograph: AP

It said Police appeared helpless to save Shamim, her daughter, daughter-in-law and six-month-old granddaughter after they were snatched from their home and imprisoned inside Jamia Hafsa under guard by thousands of burka-clad women clutching bamboo staves.

It quoted Shamim as saying that a gang of young men broke down her front door, ransacked her house and dragged her back to the madrasa with a rope around her neck. Inside the madrasa, burka-clad female students abused the four captives, calling them "kaffirs" or infidels, said the report.

"We would prefer to turn to Christianity. At least the Christians would be able to provide us with some protection," The Guardian quoted Shamim as saying on Thursday night, March 29.

It said the three women and baby were now in protective custody.

It quoted critics as saying that the anti-vice drive highlighted how little control president Pervez Musharraf had over radical seminaries, even in Islamabad.
In a report published this week, the International Crisis Group said the government's madrasa reform programme was a "shambles", it said.

The report said that several thousand young men and women, many from poor backgrounds in rural areas, live in Jamia Hafsa and another all-male madrasa, where they are fed, clothed and given a radical Islamist education.

The schools are part of a complex of religious buildings centred on the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, which has been illegally built over the years on government land in one of Islamabad's wealthiest neighbourhoods, it maintained.

The burka-clad female students came to prominence in January when they invaded public children's library in protest at government plans to demolish the Lal Masjid, said the report. It said the students still occupy the library but claim outside children are free to come and borrow books.

It further said that recently, male students have warned local shopkeepers to stop selling music and even petitioned passing motorists to turn off their car radios. Combined with Taliban attacks on towns in the tribal areas, Pakistan's moderate majority is worried, it said.

"The ill wind of religious extremism, confined no longer to some forgotten nook, is threatening to rend the very fabric of society as we know it," it quoted Pakistan English daily newspaper, "Dawn" as saying.

Both schools are run by the radical clerics, Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his brother Abdul Aziz, who aim to replace Pakistan's frail democracy with strict Sharia law, it said and added that on Friday, city police vowed to arrest Mr Ghazi and two dozen other students for the kidnapping.

The report quoted Shamim as saying that she would seek refuge at foreign embassies because "they [the Islamist radicals] warned of severe consequences if we speak against them".

"Unless she's a British citizen there's nothing we can do from a consular point of view," The Guardian quoted a British High Commission spokesman, Aidan Liddle as saying.

The report said that a Jamia Hafsa spokesman, Bint-e-Abdul Wahid, warned the government to take prompt action against other brothels. "Otherwise we will handle the matter ourselves," the report quoted the religious school's spokesman as saying.

Thursday, April 5, 2007
Teens’ dispute transmuted into blasphemy accusations
Muslims attack Christian colony, harass residents

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

TOBA TEK SINGH, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Fresh charges of blasphemy were slapped on five Christians, including an 11 year old boy, after the alleged worsening of a dispute between Christian and Muslim teens on a play ground in the district of Toba Tek Singh in Pubjab Province, Pakistan.

The police arrested Salamat Masih, one of the five Christians accused of passing derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad on Sunday, April 1, the Pakistan Christian Post (PCP) has reported.

The Police are launching raids to arrest the remaining four Christians named in the Police First Information Report (FIR), the story said.

“It was a minor dispute among Christian and Muslim teens on a playground as Daniel, an eleven year old son of Salamat Masih refused to play with two Muslim youths who became enraged and attacked him,” the PCP quoted the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) as saying.

It quoted one Abdul Ghaffar, a Muslim resident of TobaTek Singh as stating in the Police FIR that the Christian men intercepted his nephew Faisal when he was going to attend a religious procession that was being held in a nearby Madressha (Islamic Religious School) to mark the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad on Sunday, April 1.

According to the PCP report the Christians were accused of desecrating a sticker inscribed with captions that glorified Prophet Muhammad. It also quoted the complainant as saying in the Police FIR that armed Christians made forcible entry into his house and passed insulting remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

“The Christians had done nothing. It is totally a fabricated case against innocent Christians”, the Asia News quoted a Catholic Priest, Fr. Bonnie Mendis as saying.

The PCP report quoted the SLMP as saying that thousands of infuriated Muslims pelted the Christian colony with stones to vent their spleen against alleged blasphemy.

“The situation is very tense for Christians of the locality as Muslims are in power. This area is well known for Muslim militant groups. It is very much possible that Muslim extremists may attack churches any time”, the report quoted Nadeem, a Christian resident of the colony as telling the SLMP.

“The Christians ran to save their lives and some of them hid themselves in their houses but even then the Muslim extremists kept on hurling stones”, it quoted a woman activist Iram Gill as telling SLMP.

The report went on to say that the alarming situation forced closure of the missionary schools in the area. It said the Muslim students of the Degree College Toba Tek Singh had wanted to take out a rally but Police’s intervention failed their intent.

In the wake of the volatile situation it said the police have been deployed outside all Churches in the area to help avert any possible untoward eventuality.

Fearing trouble about five percent of the Christian residents of the colony have fled to safety, it said. It also cited the Christian residents’ mistrust in the local police.

“They are feeling very insecure. They are frightened”, the story concluded.

Saturday, April 7, 2007
Muslim cleric threatens suicide attacks

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

ISLAMABAD: An emotionally charged madressah youth screams slogans against perceived immorality in the capital as a pile of CDs and cassettes burns near Lal Masjid on Friday. -- Dawn

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A hard-line Muslim cleric has threatened to unleash a wave of suicide attacks if the Pakistan government tries to counter his bid of enforcing Islamic laws in the federal capital through vigilante Islamic courts that he announced he would set up.

Maulana Abdul Aziz made the threat while addressing the Friday congregation in the Lal Masjid (red mosque) located near the city centre of Islamabad.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Take away the tool of vengeance from Muslims!

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

PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The fresh allegations of blasphemy against some five Christian residents of Toba Tek Singh, a less-privileged district in the Punjab province of Pakistan is a jarring reminder of how the country’s blasphemy laws are being abused by unscrupulous Muslims for settling personal scores.

Their (blasphemy laws) menacing presence is indeed a cause of concern for the vulnerable segments of the society including members of the religious minorities’ communities of Pakistan, who have been paying a hefty price since the introduction of the draconian laws seen as controversial and discriminatory against the religious minorities by the rights groups. It is indeed regrettable that despite the significant damage they have done the scourge of the blasphemy laws continues to victimize people. Ironically most of the blasphemy accused, if not all, could not even imagine committing blasphemy.

“The government has been saying that an operation against us is the last option, I want to tell the government that suicide attacks are our last option,” the Reuters News Agency quoted him as saying.

Maulana Aziz, the chief cleric of the Lal Masjid, flexing his “religious muscles” in a Taliban-like fashion, set a one-month deadline for the government to ensure closure of music shops and bordellos.

Last month, the cleric's quest for eroding “immorality” resulted in imprisonment of three women accused of being prostitutes in Jamia Hafsa, a radical religious school that is being run under his patronage.
Aziz reportedly said the religious school students will take action themselves to stamp out vice from the capital if the government failed to do so.

“Our youths will shake their palaces with their suicide attacks,” the Reuters News Agency quoted him as telling Friday congregation at the mosque.

“They should not take the law into their own hands; this will create lawlessness in the country. We will not allow them, I will not allow this,” the Reuters News Agency quoted Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf as telling a convention on Friday.

Pakistan's leading Human Rights Activist, Asma Jehangir, reportedly said a rally would take place in the eastern city of Lahore on April 19 to condemn the cleric's moves.

In January 2007 a Pakistani Christian woman, Martha Bibi, was accused of blasphemy when she reportedly requested the return of building materials she had lent to a group of Muslims building a mosque. In the month of March one Amanat Masih, a Christian man from a village in district Sheikhupura of the Punjab province of Pakistan was held for alleged blasphemy.

Daniel, an eleven-year-old boy is from among the five Christians accused of blasphemy in a fresh blasphemy case registered during this month. Like others the fate of the Christian teenager hangs in the balance. Even if declared innocent the ‘blasphemer stigma’ will make life even difficult for the poor young man.

The list of the blasphemy accused is likely to swell as it has over the years, if the pernicious laws are not repealed. The radical religious fanatics of course would not like the controversial laws to be scrapped. Their ‘dexterity’ in exploiting peoples’ religious sensibilities with the help of the potent tool of vengeance—the Blasphemy Laws--------has been “remarkable”. They are quick to ring out provocative speeches and shouts from the loudspeakers of mosques exhorting their followers to attack Churches in the wake of levelling of blasphemy accusations against some Christian.

The SanglaHill tragedy is a case in point. The existence of the blasphemy laws affords them an opportunity to incite their followers’ sentiments in the name of the religion. Sadly, presence of the blasphemy laws means continued marginalization and oppression of the members of the religious minorities’ communities.

Accusations of theft, dacoity, rape, swindling or arson may not send the accused as swiftly to a prison as the allegations of blasphemy can in Pakistan. Even the Police who have acquired the notoriety for apathy, corruption and arriving late on the scene of crime arrest the blasphemy accused promptly.

It is argued that the accused is taken in police custody for his safety. The arrest of the ‘blasphemer’ helps pacify the complainant and often a large army of local supporters. It (the arrest of the accused) also marks the initiation of hardships for the accused and his family. If past is any guide the lower courts convicted and sentenced the blasphemy accused, leaving the complainants, clerics and the supporters euphoric. Conversely, the accused continued to rot in the jail and in many cases it took several years before the accused were acquitted by the High Court. The High Court’s verdict of acquittal of course can’t undo harm already done to the accused. Ranjha Masih, a Christian man accused of blasphemy was acquitted by the High Court in November, 2006 after some eight years and seven months incarceration. Blasphemy stigma can always provoke a Muslim fanatic to take life of a man who has been acquitted by the court.

There are three worth-mentioning points vis-à-vis blasphemy accusations. One, given his relatively fragile socio-economic standing in the society how come a Christian or a member of some other religious minority community can dare committing blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad or desecrate the Quran, the Muslim holy book, let alone doing that publicly. It is an open secret that the members of the religious minorities are already confronting a plethora of problems on social, economic and political fronts. Why would they like to invite trouble for themselves and for those associated with them by offending their dominant countrymen especially the fiery Muslim clerics who do not let go any chance of preaching hate against people of other faiths? Where would a marginalized non-Muslim Pakistani citizen bring this audacity to commit blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad?

The likelihood of his committing blasphemy in a predominantly Muslim country is next to impossible. Isn’t it strange that a sanitary worker who does not even have the gall to raise his voice against delayed payment of his salary or a Christian tenant of an influential Muslim landlord who has only learnt submission all his life or a Christian woman servant who ekes out her humble income by doing house chores would commit blasphemy? Strangely enough, they may commit ‘blasphemy’ but they do not have nerves to fight for their inalienable rights.

The abuse of the law has become so widespread that even the insane took the hammering of the controversial law. Islam places a high premium on Huqooq-al-Ibad (the rights of people). One wonders why the Muslim complainants lodged fake blasphemy cases against Sohail Masih, an insane man from Rawalpindi, Shahbaz Masih alias Kaka and Naseem Bibi of unsound mind from district Kasur of Punjab province of Pakistan. Ostensibly, the Muslim complainants in each of these cases did not even seem to have an iota of compunction in making life even difficult for those who already had daunting odds stacked against them on health front.

Two, why is it that the “blasphemers” pattern of committing blasphemy is uniform. If non-Muslims commit blasphemy quite often in Pakistan then why is it that the fashion in which they are said to have allegedly committed blasphemy is same? Do the worn-out accusations in every blasphemy case’s First Information Report not reinforce the widespread notion that most of the blasphemy cases are contrived merely to penalise the victim by invoking the draconian laws? Following leveling of the blasphemy charges life for the victim and his family takes a turn for worse.

Three, Pakistani non-Muslims are non-violent. Even amid worst of pandemonium ever created by the Muslim mobs at the behest of their firebrand Muslim clerics Pakistani religious minorities’ communities including Christians have kept their tempers cool. One argues if Pakistani Christians did not commit blasphemy during anti-cartoon or anti-Pope protests why would they resort to committing blasphemy in the absence of any provocation by Muslims. Many a times they let peace reign rather than opting for a tit-for-tat move when their religious sentiments are hurt either in the wake of attacks on churches or a terrorist attack on a missionary school or by the painting of cross on Pakistani roads.

When some alleged injustice is done with Muslims in the western world, angry Muslim mobs spearheaded by the radical Muslim leaders commit blasphemy of horrendous magnitude by setting churches to fire, desecrating altar and torching religious books placed in the Church that becomes victim of the Muslim fury.

At the height of caricature issue of the Prophet Muhammad last year, the Danish flag bearing a cross, was painted on Pakistani roads. It was run over by motorists and pedestrians alike. If contrasted against registration of the baseless blasphemy cases this horrible desecration of cross was committed in a broad day light and this continued to happen for a couple of months. Why this despicable incident did not draw any condemnation from among those Muslim politicians and religious leaders who claim to be moderate? True, people were enraged since their sentiments had been hurt by the controversial drawings but they could have registered their protest in other ways too.

It was obvious enough that the anger was being let out against Denmark or against other western countries the protesters and their instigators must have given it a thought that the cross is a universal symbol of Christianity and the Christians across the globe highly venerate it. It is about time the conservative and myopic Muslim religious leaders preached love, peace, harmony and tolerance rather than advocating hate in their sermons and speeches.

Sunday, May 13, 2007
Family takes refuge in Malaysia after Christian youth implicated in a murder case

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

KHUSHAB, JAUHARABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The sister of a Pakistani Christian youth, who was implicated in a murder case in September 2002, has said that their family had moved to Malaysia fearing that the Muslim elements who implicated her brother could also cause harm to them.

Zobia Zafar, 22, told ANS that her brother's name was not nominated in the Police First Information Report. "He was later implicated in the murder of a Muslim man on a supplementary statement", she said.

Zohaib Zafar

"My brother, Zohiab Zafar is innocent and his life has been ruined already because of what he has had to face. We need justice for him and we will fight back till we don’t get it", she told ANS.

Zobia who was studying medicine in Russia could not continue her education following the trouble her family faced after her brother's implication in the case.

"We have now a refugee status here in Malaysia. We have applied in United Nations High Commission for Refugee's office in Malaysia for Asylum. We are not allowed to work. My two brothers, my mother and I are living in a rented room", said Zobia.

Elaborating on the problems she and her family faced after they arrived in Malaysia she said the most serious of the problems was non-availability of accommodation. One of our family friends arranged a room for us to live.

"We had to share a room in someone else’s house as we were not able to pay full rent. The other inmates were Muslim teen-agers and when they came to know that we were Christian they started creating problems for us. They used to mess up the kitchen before we would come. They would also misuse our household things. They didn't like our presence in the house because of us being Christians. They did not like that we pray in house and read and keep Bible".

"So they talked to the landlord and we were forced to vacate the house. It was again a difficult time for us, but by the grace of God we got a rental room however we are sharing the house again. These people who we share the house with don't really bother what religion we practice."

She said her mother, Najma Zafar, was a staff Nurse "but she cannot work in Malaysia because she has a refugee status here."

She confessed she was feeling very uncomfortable while giving interview as “it is agonizing to recall all that happened with our family."

The 22-year-old said her family would like to seek asylum in a Christian state. When asked what forced them to move to Malaysia she said the radical Muslims would chase her family members in the cities they would go. “We ran for our lives and took refuge here", she said.

She told ANS following implication of his brother in an allegedly false case her father Dr. Zafar sent her two elder brothers to Pakistani city of Faisalabad fearing that the opponents could also cause them harm.

She maintained her brothers were later advised to move from her aunt's house in Faisalabad. They were forced to take shelter in several places to stay away from the harm's way. Zobia Zafar claimed her father received several threatening notes from the opponents when he would go to the court in connection with hearings.

“Life here has not been easy as we are not allowed to work. I recall the days when life was so different as my father was a successful businessman in Libya, Middle East and Japan", she recalled.

"We are experiencing mental torture and are living in a grip of fear and insecurity. It is indeed painful. Our lives have been virtually paralyzed. We are forced to live this life just because we are from Christian community", she said.

Asked if the problems she mentioned led to strengthening of her and her family's Christian faith she said she had never lost hope in God.

"When we arrived in Malaysia the same day we went to St. John Cathedral Church in Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur and prayed to God for His mercy. We still go to the same Church and pray to God to hear our prayers", said Zobia.

Replying to a question she said they would get to know about their appeal for asylum which they lodged in the UNHCR office on June 14. When asked why her brother Zohiab Zafar was implicated in the murder case when he had not committed it. She said the influential Muslims had implicated in the case because of his being a Christian.

"The influential Muslims can do what they please", she confided in ANS.

Left to Right: Zeeshan Zafar, Zobia Zafar, Mrs. Najma Zafar and Zia Zafar.

Talking to ANS Zobia's father Dr. Zafar said that despite the fact that his son Zohaib Zafar is innocent he has been languishing in jail for five years. He said they had appealed in High court. “The fundamentalist Muslims who have implicated my son in the case are using their influence to ensure that the appeal stays pending for a long time", he alleged.

"We feel discriminated against as my son has been implicated in a false murder case", he said.

Zohaib's incarceration he said led to dispersion of family. My spuose Najma Zafar, daugher Zobia Zafar and sons Zia Zafar and Zeeshan Zafar were forced to fly to Malaysia to seek sanctuary there.

Mr. Zafar said he was running a 20-bed hospital in Joharabad called Mariyam Hospital. He said a large majority of the Muslims were the beneficiaries. " However, I have come to know following implication of my son in the case that Muslims only support Muslims", he regretted.

Dr. Zafar disclosed he was scared from the radical Muslims who he said could attack him at any time. I am living in Pakistan to ensure that my son is acquitted. He is innocent", he said.

"I appeal to Human Rights Organizations to look into our matter and help us get asylum. The discrimination-ridden system has ruined our lives", he said.

"My Children who were supposed to be in colleges are now living a highly insecure life in a country where they have a status of refugees", said Zafar.

Zafar said he would run an NGO called Progressive Social Welfare Society. He claimed he also conducted seminars on women rights and minorities rights under the aegis of the NGO.

Paul told ANS that the PMTA was established last year. When asked what made him launch struggle for the rights of minority students and teachers, he said that the experiencing of problems on religious grounds during his student, as well as professional life, prompted him to take this initiative.

Elaborating on the problems, he said he faced a real tough time in 1996 when he taught at the Gojra Government College. He said that the then Principal of the college would discriminate against him on religious grounds.

He revealed that he needed a bodyguard for his own safety. “I had to request a gunman from home department,” he said. In the wake of US invasion of Afghanistan he said the students of Government College in Faisalabad boycotted his classes.

“The line on the dais [from which he spoke] read, ‘Non-Muslim teachers should not teach,” Professor Anjum Paul confided in ANS.

Disclosing yet another difficult phase in his teaching career a couple of years ago, he said he translated a column from English to Urdu written by Professor Rafiullah Shah in which he quoted Imam Abu Hanifa as saying that the practice of renting out houses in Muslim holy city of Makkah Mukarama in Saudi Arabia as well as the concept of Monarchism were un-Islamic. He said the professor also quoted Imam Abu Hanifa as saying that Family Planning was not forbidden in Islam.

“When I made mention of Professor Rafiullah’s article in one of my lectures to Bachelor of Arts Students they protested and refused to attend my class. This kept me from going to college for a week,” he said.

Pointing to the “New Scheme of Studies” by the Curriculum Wing of the Pakistan Ministry of Education, Paul said the subject of Arabic was now offered as an optional subject which, he said, was compulsory for all the students earlier.

He said the PMTA had conveyed its reservations on Education Policy/Curriculum reform by writing a letter to Arif Majeed, the Joint Educational Advisor Government of Pakistan on Feb 26, 2007. ANS obtained the copy of the letter that criticized government for giving the option of additional 20 marks on memorizing the Quran, the Muslim holy book. In the letter PMTA also called for appointment of teachers from religious minorities to teach the subject of Ethics, which under the new Scheme of Studies has been termed as a compulsory subject for non-Muslim students whereas Islamiyat (Islamic Studies) is a compulsory subject for Muslim students.

“A non-Muslim cannot teach Islamiyat (Islamic Studies) in the education sector but them why has government launched a policy to recruit teachers from the minorities at the school, college and university level before the implementation of this policy,” the letter questioned.

“Minority students have to appear in Islamiyat due to the unavailability of books and teachers. Secondly they fear that if they appear in the subject of Ethics then there will be discrimination with them by the examiners,” it said.

The PMTA Chief told this correspondent that he wanted Pakistan to emerge as a progressive and moderate country in line with the vision of founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Referring to the speech of Jinnah in the first constituent assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947, Professor Anjum called for teaching of values including equality, love, tolerance, acceptance and harmony in the educational institutions.

He said they believed in “Religion for all or none.” Anjum said every Pakistani student should have the option of studying his respective religion in the academic grooves. He maintained the absence of the same is the contravention of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child signed by Pakistan in 1990.

Religious education according to one’s respective faith is a Right under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child signed by Pakistan (1990), he pointed out. The PMTA brought this grave matter to the notice of Ministry of Education but it did not turn its hair to make provision for offering religious education to students belonging to religious minorities, he informed.

“The students from religious minorities communities are forced to study Islam; values of Islam and Islamic heroes. There is disgracing and degradation of the teachings and values of other religions through propagation mainly in the subjects of social sciences and especially in Urdu and Social/Pakistan Studies,” he said.

“PMTA was expecting a ray of hope but is disappointed to learn that Ministry of education has done nothing but to disappoint religious minorities through this New Scheme of Studies. It is as biased as the previous Education Policies against religious minorities of Pakistan,” he maintained.

Pakistan will violate UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 by implementing such a discriminatory policy, he warned.

“Meri Kitab (My Book) is taught in grade 1. Its first 6 chapters out of 18 are totally based on the teachings of Islam. Kindly keep in mind that this is not the book on Islamic Studies. What impression these Text Book Boards are leaving in the innocent minds and souls of these students of minorities? Four other books are of Civics and Pakistan Studies Grade 11 and 12 .These books have also been updated in general along with recommendations to remove prejudicial matter.

“PMTA is sorry to say that Pakistani Text Book Boards are playing role of cleric in preaching Islam without caring or respecting other religions. Shall someone allow one’s son or daughter to go to educational institution just to learn hatred, prejudice and discrimination for being minority? There are not lessons on harmony, peace, tolerance, human rights and humanity in the curriculum in general. The ultimate result is before us as we see intolerance in the over all society. We harvest what we grow. It is the curriculum that lay the foundation of a nation .Ministry of education is responsible for the construction or destruction of the minds of the people. A new world is possible if possible steps are taken by the curriculum wing to change the fate of the nation. Serial Name of book Grade Edition Updated Pages Total pages of book 1. Meri Kitab (My Book 1 Jan.2005 21 02 40 2. Civics 12 Jun.2005 521 39 293 3. Civics 11 Jan.2006 202 14 279 4. Pakistan Studies 12 Feb.2006 276 31 257 5. Civics 12 Experimental 2006 301 24 118, said the letter the PMTA wrote to Ministry of Education.

Professor Anjum cited various excerpts from the Islamic Studies textbooks to substantiate the element of religious bias in them.

He told ANS that in class 7 Islamic Studies text book line 12 of page number 29 said: “Write a letter to your non-Muslim friend and convey him message of Islam.” He went on to say that the question no 5 of the Exercise says: “Name the unfortunate rulers who remained deprived of blessings of Islam?”

Citing chapter 2 of Islamic Studies book for class 5. entitled as Imaniyat aur Abadat (Faith and Prayers), he said in the section entitled “Eidain” (religious festivals) of the same chapter page 18 line number 4 says: “Generally the other nations remain engaged in rubbish business during their festivals. (In their religions) there is no expression of relationship with God or His worship. Contrary to these two religious festivals of Islam on the one hand provides opportunity to Muslims for recreation and happiness while on the other hand they provide an occasion for fellowship, help and care of the needy.

“Non-Muslim students should have the facility to study their religion. Subjects like Ethics and Civics should not be slapped on them,” the PTMA chief remarked.

Professor Anjum said the Muslim students get a cutting edge over minority students by getting additional 20 marks by memorizing Quran, Muslim holy book. Asked if his association sought the award of the 20 marks for non-Muslim students by passing some religion based test the PMTA chief said he was opposed to this practice in principle.

Professor Anjum Paul said he was going to send recommendations to the Ministry of Education as well as to President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

The PMTA Chief told ANS he wrote a letter to Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf wherein several demands were made. ANS obtained the copy of the letter, which called for representation of educationists from the Minorities in the Curriculum Revising Committee 2006 that has recently been constituted. Role of educationists and educational institutions of the Minorities is before all.

“We humbly request you to find a soft corner for the educationists in the Committee so that there may be better recommendations for the success of your revolutionary reforms in the education sector,” it said

The letter called for the substitute subjects for the students belonging to Minorities instead of Nazra, Arabic and Islamic Studies which are compulsory for all the students up to grade viii belonging to any religion.

It also made the demand for recruitment of teachers belonging to Minorities to teach the subject of Ethics.

“PMTA also requests to introduce the subject of Ethics in a pure sense where there are the teachings of the religions that exist in Pakistan so that the students may also know their religions from grade 1 as Islamic Studies and Arabic are compulsory subjects from grade 1,” said the letter.

It said that religion should be taught only in the subject of ‘Religion’ otherwise there is discrimination of students belonging to Minorities on the basis of religion.

“Students are innocents and sometimes they are misled from their religion. It is therefore requested to pay special attention in the subjects of Urdu and Social Sciences where there is too much preaching of Islam”, it said.

“PMTA requests to write correct information in the text books instead of disinformation and misinformation .If it is necessary to write about the teachings and cultures of the Minorities in the text books, then educationists from the Minorities must be consulted.

“PMTA requests to use the word ‘Minorities’ instead of ‘Non-Muslim’ which is used mostly in the text books. This is discrimination of Religious Minorities of Pakistan. ‘Non-Muslim’ is not a religion in any sense. The term ‘Minorities’ has been used in the Objectives Resolution and in the Constitution of Pakistan 1973”
.
“PMTA requests to replace the biased material against the Minorities in the text books. And to add chapters on interfaith harmony to promote national integrity. PMTA requests to review some of the messages by the highest authorities in the text books and to encourage all the students in the messages instead of paying special attention to Muslim students only. Text book are to be read by all Pakistani students belonging to any religion, race or caste”, it maintained.

“PMTA requests to present the true picture of the Minorities and the national heroes who have been ignored intentionally especially in the era of General Muhammad Zia-ul-haq. Role of Minorities has been totally ignored in the text books that causes disharmony in the society .Thus it is very important to present the role of Minorities in the Pakistan Movement and their services in the different fields as the role of Muslims has been presented in the text books. Minorities have played vital role for Pakistan and it is on the record”

“PMTA requests to use the word ’Masihi’ instead of ‘Esai’ in the text books if it is necessary to write because Christian use the word ‘Masih’ after their name not ‘Esai,’” said the letter.

PMTA for Substitute Syllabus for Minorities’ Students

The PMTA Chief told ANS he wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz and Federal Minister for Education, Ashraf Javed Qazi ,on June 14, 2006 in which he raised questions including 1. Why Islamic Studies, Arabic and Nazra are compulsory subjects for the minorities’ students from the Prep class instead of teaching their own religions? If it is so then why not Hebrew, Hindi, Persian and Punjabi for the students belonging to minorities? 2. Is this not discrimination and violation of human rights that a student from the majority religion studies ones’ own religion and minorities’ students have to study Islam to which one does not belong? 3. Why all students are taught Islam in Social Sciences such as in the subjects of Urdu and Social Studies in the text books. In which students belonging to minorities have to negate the teachings of their own religions? 4. What do you say about the first 6 chapters out of 18 of grade 1, subject Urdu, edition January 2005 which express all about Islam and Muslims but have to study by all the students? Copy attached herewith. 5. Why there are not substitute subjects for the minorities’ students against Islamic Studies, Arabic and Nazra and in this regard have the educationists from the minorities been ever consulted? 6. Why the subject of Ethics is optional in the grade 9th and 10th while Islamic Studies compulsory to the post graduate level for Muslim Students? 7. Why Ethics and not religious studies prepared by the educationists from the minorities? 8. Is national integrity and social harmony possible when that is not created in the minds of the students who are the future and pillars of the nation?

Call for Treatment of Civics as a compulsory Subject

The PMTA chief told ANS he wrote a letter to the Minister of Education Punjab, Mian Imran Masood, on September 29, 2006 in which he demanded that the subject of Civics be offered as a compulsory subject at the intermediate level.

ANS obtained the copy of the letter in which Anjum Paul wrote:

“… I have come to know by the authorities of the Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education Faisalabad that in the Scheme of Studies there is the subject of Civics as a compulsory subject for the minorities’ students. But I am sorry to say that the students are kept ignored deliberately about this subject and ultimately they have to appear in the subject of Islamic Studies which is a compulsory subject for Muslim students but is applied even to the Minorities’ students”.

“In this regard I want to draw your kind attention towards a case of Govt. College Samundri, Dist. Faisalabad where a Christian Student Mr. Haroon Masih wanted to replace Islamic Studies during the session of 2006.Now he is studying Civics instead of Islamic Studies. Pakistan Minorities’ Teachers Association (PMTA) requests you to issue an order to all the Boards of Intermediate & Secondary Education of Punjab to issue circulations to all the heads of the Colleges and Higher Secondary Schools to change the subject of all the Minorities students to Civics as a compulsory subject who are studying in those respective institutions until arrangements are formulated of Religious Studies of their religions.”

“Secondly, to write the subject of Civics in the compulsory subjects on the admission form so that Minorities’ students may choose the subject of Civics. Thirdly, to write the name of other religions in the column of the religion on the admission form and all the other documents, as there is written Muslim and Non-Muslim. Non-Muslim is not a religion in any sense as he/she may be a Christian/Hindu/Sikh/Buddhist/Parsi or belonging to any other religion. it has been observed that the Minorities students are mentally tortured with this word. Fourthly, to make possible arrangements for the availability of books of Civics so that students prepare this subject well in time. PMTA is hopeful that prompt action shall be taken in this regard so that the entire Minorities’ students who appear regular or private in the annual examination 2007 will appear in the subject of Civics as a compulsory subject”

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.

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.

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.

Friday, May 18, 2007
Brick Kiln Owner Causes Injuries To Father Of Former Worker

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

KALATHI, SHEIKHUPURA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Muslim brick kiln owner inflicted injuries on the father of a Christian laborer who dared working on the land of another Muslim man in the village on May 14 after deciding to quit working as a brick kiln laborer some fifteen days ago.

Liaqat Masih

Liaqat Masih, 18 would work as a laborer at a brick kiln in his village Kalathi in the Sheikhupura district.
Masih's daily wage amounted to approximately Rs 300 (US$ 5) however he was paid on weekly basis under an arrangement that he would get half of the week's wages while the rest would go toward his debt retirement.

Liaqat said he realized that despite the fact the half of his week's wages were not paid to him yet the amount he had outstanding with his employer showed no signs of abating.

Dita Masih shows his injured back to ANS

This prompted the Christian laborer to stop working for the brick kiln owner, Mushtaq. Not realizing in the least that his decision would plunge him into trouble he went to work on the fields of one Muba Virik. His previous Muslim employer arrived there and started manhandling the Christian youth.

When his father, Dita Masih tried to stop Mushtaq from thrashing his son they struck his back with an agricultural implement used for digging.

“They took me hostage. They moved me to a place where they blindfolded me. I was taken to a police station where I was detained for a night", said Liaqat while describing the price he had to pay for deciding against working for Mushtaq.

Liaqat and his father, Dita Masih approached Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) on May 15, as the police had not filed a First Information Report against the accused.

The CLAAS National Director Joseph Francis condemned the incident. He said CLAAS would ensure that the poor Christian youth gets justice.

“Blasphemy laws have been repeatedly used by Muslims to settle personal scores against Christians. And even the mere accusation - false as they most often are, have resulted in Christians languishing for years in prison, their families being forced into hiding and their properties confiscated, and even if one day found innocent and released, facing lynch mob justice”, it said.

It said that Bhandara argued that all Pakistanis are equal citizens regardless of religious affiliation, and thus all should be treated equally under the law. “But rather than seeking to repeal the current blasphemy laws - an effort that has been shot down on every attempt, Bhandara sought only to make blasphemy illegal against Jesus Christ, Buddha, and central figures of other religious faiths.

It went on to say that Bhandara was immediately booed by the mullahs (Muslim clerics) of the MMA opposition parties, and received a verbal thrashing by Sher Afgan Niazi, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.

“The sacredness of our way of life that is more than mere religion must not be touched upon by anyone. This is the parliament of an Islamic State, not a secular one. No one can dare to present a bill here which hurts the sentiments of Muslims”, the released quoted the minister as saying.

“It is not only against the rules and the Constitution but it also is tantamount to challenging the injunctions of Qur'an and model life of the last Prophet (PBUH)”, it quoted Frarid Paracha, representing the MMA religious alliance as saying.

It said that Bhandara replied that his amendment bill sought only that protection available to Muslims under the law should also be provided to non-Muslims. The bill was sharply and unanimously voted down, it said.

It said that later that same session, Pakistan's government took another giant leap backward for fundamental human rights and religious freedom. The “Apostasy Act 2006” draft bill was sent to the National Assembly by the opposition MMA.
Gen. Pervez Musharraf's ruling government did not oppose the bill, and it was sent to standing committee. If passed the Apostasy Act would sentence Muslim men to death for committing “apostasy” (leaving Islam and converting to Christianity or another religious faith), and Muslim women to life in prison, it feared.

The release also made mention of the bill’s high and low lights which included Section 4 which states that apostasy may be proven either by the accused “confessing” to the offense, or by the testimony of two adult witnesses. Unfortunately in some Pakistani courts non-Muslims are prohibited from testifying, and throughout Pakistan police are notorious for forcing confessions under brutal torture, it said.

Section 5: states that the apostate should be given at least 3 days, and as many as 30 to return to Islam. If he refuses, he will be sentenced to death. Section 6: states that even where the apostate returns to Islam, the Judge can sentence him to up to 2 years imprisonment “for the original crime.” The accused faces prison for leaving and returning to Islam up to 3 times. Upon the 4th offense, however, a death sentence is mandated regardless of whether the apostate returns to Islam.

Section 8: proposes the suspension of all the apostate's property rights and even rights of apostates to their own children. If an accused male is sentenced to death, his property will be transferred to Muslim heirs. The rights of a female apostate will remain suspended until either she repents and returns to Islam, or until her death.

Section 9: states that apostates lose custody of any minor children in their care or guardianship - including their biological children. The children are awarded to Muslim relatives.

It said the draft bill has been denounced by many in the religious community, including the Archbishop of Lahore, and would clearly solidify Pakistan's position as one of the world's worst violators of fundamental human rights and religious freedom.

“This situation is unfortunate and sad and this bill is contrary to the principle of freedom of choice. Because international human rights charters give every individual the right to change his or her religion according to his or her conscience, we hope and pray that this bill will not be passed”, it quoted Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha, head of National Commission for Justice and Peace and chairman of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference as saying.

“Passage of this bill would usher in a new age of religious bigotry in a country that prides itself on being a strong and committed ally in combating global terrorism. Laws such as this would only serve to engender further extremist behavior, “ it quoted Institute on Religion and Public Policy President, Joseph K. Grieboski as saying.

The U.S. and the western world must not sit idly by while Pakistan prepares to charge full-force into even greater abuses of religious minorities, and blatantly refuses to protect or even recognize an individual's fundamental right to change his or her religion, it said.

It went on to say that not only has the Islamic Republic of Pakistan benefited from positive press about its “moderate” and even “progressive” President and the country being an “ally” to the west, but it accepts with open arms a tremendous amount of financial aid - particularly from the United States.

“Shame on the U.S. government if it soft-pedals yet again (in International Human Rights and Religious Freedom Reports), the outrageous abuses of human rights and religious freedom in Pakistan. We can be appreciative of Pakistan's “friendship” in the war on terror, but not at the deplorable cost of turning a blind eye while our “friend” puts men and women to death for their religious faith. U.S. officials and all our true allies must demand that Pakistan's Apostasy Act 2006 be “put to death,” it said.

Friday, May 18, 2007
86 year old Christian woman forcibly converted to Islam
Conversion comes after her husband is accused of blasphemy

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

Left to Right: Advocate Aneeqa Maria, Member of EU North West England, Sajjad Haider Karim, Joseph Francis and Eliene of Jubilee Campaign Netherlands

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The 86 year old wife of a Christian man, who was accused of setting the Quran, the Muslim holy book on fire on May 9, has been forcibly converted to Islam.

National Director CLAAS Joseph Francis while talking to ANS.

This was stated by the National Director of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) in an ANS interview on May 15.

Walter Fazal Khan, 84, a retired section officer got into trouble when his driver, Raja Riaz, accused his master of torching the Quran

Walter remarried Gladdis after demise of his first wife. Three of their four children are abroad while one of their son Najam is living in Pakistan.

"With mutual consent the couple allowed Gladdis' nephew Raja Riaz who has converted from Christianity to Islam to live in their house and serve as a driver. The records reveal his Christian name as David", Francis told ANS.

Left to Right: Advocate Aneeqa Maria, Mrs Lousie, Dutch Parliamentarian of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Joseph Francis.

Some time back Gladdis gifted all her property to her son, Najam. This angered Raja Riaz who allegedly plotted to trap Walter Fazal Khan in a bid to get Gladdis property.

Raja filed a case against Najam and the court had fixed May 10 as the date for hearing. Francis quoted Raja Riaz as saying in his petition he moved in a civil court that Gladdis is a widow and Najam had confiscated her property illegally. He alleged that Raja had wanted to kill his master on May 9 so that he could prove Gladdis as a widow in the court on May 10.

In line with his alleged plot, Francis revealed that Riaz' daughter set Quran to fire on May 9 while his son clamored to attract the attention of the people of the area. "At that time Walter was taking bath. The Police arrested him as he came out of the washroom with a towel wrapped around his waist", Francis told ANS.

Francis regretted that Walter's house has been occupied by a Muslim cleric, who he said wants to build a Madressah (religious school) there.

He alleged Raja in collusion with Muslim clerics had forcibly converted Gladdis to Islam. She is kept in her house which has been occupied by a cleric now, he said. We are trying to recover Gladdis through High Court, said Joseph Francis.

When ANS asked him what CLAAS was going to do to help some 500-600 Christians of Charsadda district confronting the threat to convert to Islam, Francis said they were soon leaving for a fact-finding mission in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. "This indicates Talibanization of Pakistan has set in motion".

Condemning the six party religious alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) sponsored Apostasy Bill he feared if the bill became law it would pose a serious threat to the forcibly converted Christians " who we recover through High Court".

"We are deadly against the bill. Every Pakistani citizen should be free to adopt any religion he wants." "There are non-believers in Christian states shall they kill them," he argued. He said even the atheists are not immune from God's blessings. Joseph termed the bill as inhuman.

To a question he said they had long been campaigning for the repeal of Pakistan Blasphemy Laws.

"The blasphemy law continues to be abused because of its vague formulation, which allows arbitrary enforcement. In addition, it only takes the testimony of four Muslims to bring about a conviction. It is not worthy that in several cases complaints have been made on the insistence of local clerics or members of the Islamic parties. The motives are varied and some seem to be purely because the accused is a member of minority faith. In other cases, this fact is exacerbating by economic or professional rivalry", said an excerpt from the paper Joseph Francis read on March 28, 2007 while addressing UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. He handed a copy of the paper to ANS during the interview.

Francis said he had apprised the members of the European Parliament of the situation confronting Pakistani Christian in his address on April 19, 2007.

He said he highlighted the constitutional discrimination with religious minorities in Pakistan besides updating his audience on Blasphemy Laws, Hudood Laws, Law of Evidence, Fundamentalist groups, minority prisoners and forced conversion.

On April 18 in Amsterdam he said he met with members of Dutch Parliament as well as members of ruling United Christian Democratic party and its ally Christian Union party. He said he also held talks with members of Labour Party.

"We appealed to them to give refugee status to the ones who have been acquitted in forced conversion and blasphemy cases", he said.

"Today Christian girls, especially minors are the prime targets of Muslims, who in order to get admission in paradise abduct these girls, rape them and escape from the law …forcibly convert them to Islam", Francis said while addressing the European Parliament on March 19.

In the wake of 9/11, the 7/7 London bombings and Danish cartoon issue of the Prophet Muhamamd he said fanaticism and religious militancy had registered a rise.

Extremist groups he alleged were reorganizing in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.

He said he was going to Germany to attend HMK General House meeting on June 18. "I will highlight the issues pertaining religious minorities there. I want to see the Christian community united on a single platform. They must set aside their personal differences and forge unity in their ranks".

He regretted the Church in Pakistan was being divided due to so called Churches and Bishops.

Asked why the Christian representatives in parliament were not highlighting the issues concerning religious minorities he said: "Why should they speak since they are not representing Christians. They are rather representing their own parties."

Reacting to Lal Masjid Islamabad's cleric’s move of torching CDs to enforce Islam he said CLAAS out rightly condemned it. He called for probe to determine the source of Lal Masjid administration's funding. "They want to create a state within state in Pakistan," he alleged.

He said the Lal Masjid had been built illegally. If a Church had been standing there it would have been flattened, he said.

During the term of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he said several Churches were demolished which he said were thought to be illegally constructed. During demolition of China basti (slum) near Model Town a Church was also razed", he recalled.

In Sheikhupara Pastor Noor Alam was killed and his church was demolished in 1998, he informed, adding that several churches were demolished in Kasur too.

He said after 9/11 and 7/7 London bombings the trend of Muslims confiscating Christians' properties hiked. He said Christians were allotted land in Dehrakabad, Munda Chowk district Multan in 70s in Pakistan Peoples' party tenure.

The Christians tilled the land. Now influential Muslims including Rai Mansaf Ali, Member National Assembly and Superintendent of Police Multan are snatching the land from the Christians and rendering them landless, he alleged. We have to pay for Rs 27 lacs to pay as lawyers' fee for 270 such cases, he said.

He said Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf's statement that Pakistan ex-cricket coach Bob Woolmer would have gone to heaven if he were a Muslim came in sharp contrast to his oft-repeated concept of enlightened moderation.

Pakistan President had made this statement while talking in a Geo TV's program "Aaj Kamran Khan Key Sath" (Today with Kamran Khan)

Friday, May 18, 2007
Christians remain steadfast amidst threats to convert to Islam

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Defying the threats the Islamic radicals hurled at them that they should either flee the town or face dire consequences, the Christians of Charsadda have responded to the ultimatum of conversion given by the Islamic extremists with a declaration that they were ready to sacrifice their lives for Jesus Christ but would not deny Him.

This announcement was made in a press conference organized by All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) at Islamabad. The Christian Community leaders of Charsadda and Murdan, Pastors, Bishop Anthony Lobo, minority members of Assembly and Chairman, All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti addressed the conference, said APMA news release.

Christians in a Pakistani town of Charsadda in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, 35 Kilometers from Peshawar, the Provincial capital of North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan, received threatening letter with an ultimatum of 10 days to convert to Islam or face dire consequences and bomb explosions. The deadline of the ultimatum expired on May 17, 2007, it said.

"We strongly condemn the threatening letter and ultimatum given to Christians of Charsadda. Christians of Pakistan can not be intimidated through coercive means; we can die but can not compromise on our faith. We are Patriotic citizens of Pakistan and can never bow down before Islamic militants and extremist forces," it quoted APMA Chief Shahbaz Bhatti as saying.

"Government of Pakistan is responsible for the protection and safety of its citizen. Therefore government must ensure the safety of Christians at Charsadda and take strong actions against those who are spreading violence, religious extremism, hate and terrorizing the minorities and women in Pakistan."

It quoted him as saying that the religious extremists and misguided zealots were attacking video, audio and barber shops. "They are terrorizing and harassing minorities and women. These pro Taliban extremists are committing violence in the name of religion to impose their own radical Islam and Talibanization by force, which is worrisome particularly when these extremists are taking law in to their own hands, blowing themselves as suicidal bombers and policing the society".

"Christians and other minorities of Pakistan are already facing institutionalized and constitutionalised discrimination; many innocent Christians are incarcerated and killed and many become target due to the misuse of blasphemy law by the extremist elements. Attacks on Churches, Christian schools and other institutions have been experienced by the Christians of Pakistan in the past few years and now the up rise of vigilante groups and the threats have further aggravated the situation. In these circumstances, the government is unable to control the violent activities of militant organizations in Pakistan or provide protection to its citizens", it quoted Bhatti as saying.

"Christians are migrating from their ancestral homes due to increased apprehension of bomb attacks by militants. It must be remembered that no religion can be propagated by the use of sword", the news release quoted Bishop of Rawalpindi/Islamabad Anthony Lobo as saying.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007
German donor organization donates equipment to a Pakistani institution

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

SARGODHA, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A German donor organization has donated modern equipment worth 500,000 Euros ($672,329.00 USD) to a Pakistani Christian polytechnique institution for men in the hopes that the introduction of the state-of-the-art equipment will help the institution draw more students to it.

Franz Neblich and Saleem John pose for ANS in Industrial Automation Lab

A German volunteer, Franz Neblich, who took the initiative of equipping the Sargodha Institute of Technology (S.I.T) with modern equipment, stated this in an ANS interview on Friday, May 25.

S.I.T faculty member Ashar is seen briefing the students about pneumatics and hydraulics

When asked to explain how the PLC technology was quicker and efficient than the conventional technology he said that due to this technology, the circuit was now available in the form of a software program.

He told ANS that the S.I.T was founded in 1958 by the cooperation of German volunteers and Dutch clergy. After the departure of the German volunteer teachers and experts he said the institution was transformed into what he called a “Technical Museum”.

Left to Right: S.I.T. Principal, Robinson Daniel, German volunteer Franz Neblich and S.IT faculty member Saleem John

Speaking to ANS, Robinson Daniel, the Principal of the school, said the number of students studying in the institution was 33 when he joined the institution in July 2002. He disclosed that the institution was at the verge of closure then. He pointed out that the input from the students’ fee was very negligible at that time. He said his resolve to improve the situation yielded fruits as the number of students now stood at 360 including some 80 hostel students.

He said he also focused his attention on the production side. “We started making furniture for the schools of Diocesan Board of Education (DBE)”.

Selling of the furniture made at the institute to the DBE’s schools helped improve the financial side of the institution, he said. He informed that some 100 Christian and 200 Muslim students were currently studying at the institution.

He agreed to the suggestion that poverty and lack of awareness were keeping the Christian men from joining the polytechnique institution which he said would now rank from among the best institutions of the Punjab Province after installation of Industrial Automation Lab, Hydraulic Pneumatic Lab and Advanced Electrical/Electronics and Telecommunication lab.

A faculty member of the S.I.T., Mr. Saleem John who assisted Franz in setting up the said labs and the equipment expressed his optimism that installation of the equipment will help students do well in their career.

“The students of the S.I.T are fortunate that they have now access to the modern equipment which is available in German Polytechnique institutions. I hope the students will do better in their practical life after learning to handle the newly-installed technology”, he said.

He said he had also visited the institution last year. “I had then conducted Teacher Training sessions on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)”.

He disclosed a German donor organization MISEREOR had donated funds for the latest equipment. He said the cost of the equipment was almost the same as it was incurred on setting up of the institution some 49 years ago.

Friday, June 1, 2007
Christian Nursing students in Pakistan accused of blasphemy
Christian Principal of the School of Nursing suspended

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- At least four Christian nursing students of the nursing school situated in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in the capital Islamabad have been accused of desecrating Quranic verses, ANS has learnt.

According to a news release from the Christian Study Centre in Rawalpindi, the nursing students including Edna, Seemab, Kanwal Bakhtawar, and another Christian student, whose name could not be ascertained, were accused, of desecrating Quranic verses placed in the classroom.

It quoted some sources as saying that the incident of alleged desecration of the Quranic verses was disclosed on the morning of May 17 whereas some said it was made public on May 28.

It went on to say that the matter remained at low-profile until Friday, June 1 when the students of the nursing school and college voiced their protest against the alleged blasphemy by chanting slogans. It said some ground and paramedical staff also joined the protesting students.

The Principal of the Nursing school, Ms. Stella, and a teacher, Fazila Khokhar, along with the students accused of blasphemy were suspended immediately in the wake of the incident, it said.

The Police First Information Report (FIR) has not been lodged yet against the accused. It maintained that the suspended principal of the nursing school attended the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) committee’s meeting that is probing the matter.

"We request all friends to pray for the girls, teacher and principal, so that God may keep us in His safe hands and also for our Muslim friends so that they may remain cool and resolve the matter through negotiation," said a spokesperson for the Christian Study Centre, Rawalpindi.

Some 150 Muslim clerics gathered outside the hospital on Friday. In view of the charged atmosphere, security in and around the hospital has been beefed up, it said.

Monday, June 4, 2007
Pakistan Minister condemns blasphemy accusations against Christian students
Christian lawyer claims that Police First Information Report is ‘fake’

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

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The Minister of State for Minorities affairs has termed the accusations of blasphemy leveled against four Christian nursing students of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) a conspiracy by the hard-line elements to pit Christians against Muslims.

Talking to ANS by phone on Sunday, June 3, Professor Mushtaq Victor said a fringe of extremists was foiling efforts to promote culture of enlightened moderation in the country.

The alleged blasphemy at the school of nursing took place on May 17. After passage of some two weeks, some 300-400 students of the School and College of Nursing gathered at the institute's premises to vent their spleen against the alleged blasphemy on Friday, June 1.

Mushtaq Victor, who visited PIMS on June 1, said the charged Muslim students of the nursing school and college and the paramedics were shouting slogans against the alleged blasphemy. He said the enraged protesters flung threats at Christian nursing students who have been accused of desecrating Quranic verses placed in the classroom.

The Minister claimed the protesters calmed down as he arrived at the scene of protest. He went on to say that he held talks with the Principal of the College of Nursing, Col. Azra, who he said also doubted conspiracy by some vested interests to implicate the Christian students in the blasphemy case.

“If someone is witness to the alleged sacrilege then he should state it in writing and also lay his hands on the Quran, the Muslim holy book,” Mushtaq quoted her as saying.

The Minister said he told the Principal that Christians were “loyal citizens” and “could never think of committing blasphemy.”

Professional jealousy behind accusation not ruled out

Asked if professional jealousy by Muslim faculty members against Christian faculty members could have triggered blasphemy accusation, the Minister did not rule out the possibility. He said he had learnt that some Muslim faculty members as well as the Muslim students of the institution in the past had accused the Christian faculty members of favoritism toward the Christian students.

He disclosed some 35 Christian nursing students were enrolled in the institution this year and this may also have angered the biased elements in the college. Condemning the protest of the Muslim students that he said also drew some 35 burqa-clad (veiled) women students from the radical Islamic religious school, Jamiah Hafsa, at 3:30 pm on June I. Mushtaq Victor said the protest was illegal, adding, “They should not have done it.”

Christian students deny knowledge or involvement

The Minister said he talked to the Christian boarding school students as well as day nursing students and asked them if they had knowledge of the alleged blasphemy. “All of the girls unanimously denied knowledge or involvement in the alleged blasphemy,” he said.

The minister said the Christian nursing students were in a grip of fear. He said one blasphemy accused, Edna Delton, was about to faint. “I called her mother, who serves as a nurse at PIMS, and advised her to take her daughter home,” Victor told ANS.

He maintained he had asked the accused to leave because the mosque at the premises of PIMS was only 100 yards away from the school of nursing. He told ANS that death threats had already been hurled at Edna. “I thought it was wise to send her home because if some fanatic had killed her all of us would have been in the line of fire,” said the Minister.

Elaborating on his efforts to defuse the tension at the medical institution, the Minister said he held talks with the Executive Director of PIMS. He said he suggested the executive director that the Christian nursing students should be paid their stipend money despite the fact the school had been shut for two weeks. He said directives to this effect were issued there and then.

He said the executive director also informed him that they had formed an inquiry committee on June 1, which would present its findings within three days. He said he expressed his reservations on lodging of the First Information Report (F.I.R.) when the inquiry was underway. He said the executive director told him that they had lodged the F.I.R to pacify the enraged students and staff members of the institution.

Asked if the filing of the F.I.R had made the blasphemy accused more vulnerable to threats, the Minister agreed and said that there was no need for filing the F.I.R since it was an institutional matter and should have been resolved within the confines of the institution.

Rules bypassed in filing of the F.I.R.

The Minister lamented that the rules governing filing of the F.I.R regarding a blasphemy case were bypassed. He informed that no F.I.R. of a blasphemy case could be lodged without the orders of the Sessions Court Judge.

He said it also required approval of the Superintendent of the Police. He said the Minister of health and the Federal Minister of religious affairs, Ijaz-ul-Haq condemned the negative approach from the Muslim hardliners. He said he had dispatched a report regarding the incident to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. The Minister said Pakistan President was a strong advocate of inter-faith harmony and promotion of culture of tolerance and moderation in Pakistan.

When ANS asked the minister why it was that the incidents like hurling of threats on the Christian residents of Charsadda and Mardan were made to convert them to Islam and why was it that the blasphemy laws were being widely misused despite government's claim of promoting interfaith harmony. The Minister said that only a “handful of Muslim fundamentalists” were pursuing their radical agenda. “Extremists make only 5 percent of the population the 95 percent people are moderate,” he claimed.

He said that President Musharraf has been impressing upon the need for interfaith harmony in his every speech. He hailed Musharraf for introducing electoral reforms, saying it was Musharraf who rid the minorities of Separate Electorate System. When his attention was drawn to the critics who view the Proportional Representation System as discriminatory with the minorities, he said in some countries including Sri Lanka and Germany the entire parliament was based on proportional representation.

He said he was thankful to the President for backing the initiative of Interfaith Dialogue and Research Centre (IRDC). Mushtaq who happens to be the Chairman of the IDRC said they were trying to educate the youth of the country.

Reacting to the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) announcement of moving an application in the Supreme Court for the repeal of Pakistan blasphemy Laws, he said he doubted as to how far they could succeed with it.

Citing current uproar in the country following suspension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on March 9, he said it was not a proper time for lodging such an application in view of the current legal issues in the country.

He was of the view that the minorities' representatives instead should launch an Advocacy Campaign with the legislators of the Lower House of Parliament, the National Assembly and Upper House of the Parliament, the Senate.

Khalil Tahir Sandhu

He urged the extremists and fundamentalists to shun their nefarious agenda and instead work for the progress, prosperity and solidarity of Pakistan. He said he had called the Christian Lawyer, Khalil Tahir Sandhu to Islamabad to take the case. He hailed Sandu for his commitment to the cause of the oppressed. He said he appreciated the fact that the threats could not dent the commitment of the Christian lawyer to raise the voice of the voiceless in Pakistan.

Christian lawyer sees ulterior motives behind blasphemy accusations

Talking to ANS, Khalil Tahir Sandhu, Executive Director of Action against Discriminatory Laws (ADAL) Trust, said that he would rather call the Police First Information Report as “Fake Information Report”. He told ANS that the blasphemy case was lodged vide F.I.R 166/2007 under section 295 B of the Pakistan Penal Code. He said the report was lodged on May 27, 10 days after the occurrence of the alleged blasphemy at PIMS.

When asked to put a timeline on resolution of the case, he said he hoped it would be resolved through dialogue soon. Alternatively, he said he would move an application in the High court for the quashing of the F.I.R . Nobody has been named in the F.I.R, he said.

He said there was no direct evidence and nobody was eye-witness to the alleged blasphemy. He said he was also going to attend the departmental inquiry meeting on June 4, Monday at PIMS.

“I only see ulterior motives of the vested interests behind implication of the Christian students in the blasphemy case,” said Sandhu, who has taken this case pro bono. He said the case is altogether fabricated and concocted.

He added that the law demands that the standard of the evidence should be as hard as the sentence. This is Islamic law as well, said Sandhu, who maintained the absence of the evidence in the F.I.R only lent credence to his assessment that it was a fabricated case against the Christian students.

Sunday, July 1, 2007
Muslims apologize over June 17th violence

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

FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A compromise has been brokered between Christian and Muslim residents of 248 RB, a village in the Pakistan province of Punjab, some 20 miles from Faisalabad city, following the violence of June 17th.

The Muslim residents of the village had attacked the Christian residents on both June 16 and 17 in a bid to stop them from staging an evangelistic convention that was slated for June 17.

ANS interviewed both Christian and Muslim residents of the village on Saturday, June 23. Speaking to ANS, Shahzad Masih, Secretary of the Convention Committee, said that some Muslim residents made forcible entry into the home of Christian, Sardar Masih’s home, and left his son Shahbaz Masih and daughter Nabeela injured.

He linked the attack to the convention that was scheduled for June 17th, adding that the Muslim attackers also ransacked Masih’s house.

“They had launched the attack to harass the Christians”, he remarked.

Nazir Masih is living through psychological trauma after his head injury

ANS learnt that the June 16 attack failed to dent the determination of the Christian residents and they continued preparing for the June 17th evangelistic convention.

Not knowing that they had yet to confront Muslim fury of a graver nature the Christians went ahead with their plans of staging the convention.

“We were sweeping the Church at 5:00 PM on Sunday, June 17th, when a Muslim mob comprising of 41 men stopped us from dumping the trash. They were armed with axes, clubs and guns”, said Shahzad Masih.

In reply to a question, Masih said that choir rehearsals had angered the Muslims. He said that the Muslims equated the hymns to those of “ordinary songs”. He said that the Muslim residents mocked the believers who had gathered for rehearsals for the well-advertised June 17th event.

Christians’ Houses Attacked

A section of Sardar Masih’s ransacked house

Shahzad maintained that the angry Muslim mob attacked some four Christian houses. They pelted the Christian residents of the houses with glass bottles and bricks. ANS learnt the assailants made forcible entry into the Christians’ houses and violated the sanctity of the four walls of the houses. The situation forced several Christian families to flee the village to safety. Expressing his disappointment over June 17th attack, Shahzad said that they had arranged two buses to ferry believers and evangelists from different cities of the province of Punjab.

Shahzad said they had brought a rented trailer for use as a stage. The Muslims, he said, had threatened to set it ablaze.

“The incident hurt the religious sensibilities of the Christian residents. They are in a grip of fear and uncertainty after June 17 attack,” he said. “We had secured permission from the head of the local government for staging the event, he informed.”

The Christian residents of the village showed ANS shards of glass and bricks that caused injuries to some eight Christian people including two women. Those who were injured on June 17th included Gulzaran bibi, Nabeela, Shahbaz Masih, Imran Masih, Nazir Masih, Maqsood alias Kolhu, Shamoun, Ijaz Masih, Arif Masih and Sharoon.

Injured Christians talk about Muslim attack

Shamoun, a Christian youth said: “We were preparing for the evangelistic convention when we came under attack. Our elders and many Christian men had gone to the house of the Nazim [local government head] for reconciliation after the June 16th attack. We were few and unarmed. They hurled bricks and stones at me causing me head injury. Two of my