This morning, the Voice of the Martyrs learned of the brutal rape of seven-year-old Sharee Komal by a Muslim man near her home in Lahore, Pakistan. Sharee and her mother live in a hut near a Christian graveyard. Just as she was preparing to leave the house in the mid-morning of May 29, Sharee's mother noticed that her daughter was missing. Thinking she had gone outside to play, she looked in the nearby graveyard, but Sharee was nowhere to be found. Seven hours later, the little girl was finally found, bruised and bleeding from a vicious rape. She told her mother that Abid Ali, who lives nearby, had kidnapped her, luring her away with a promise of buying her toys. He then took her in a dark room where he tortured and raped her. Abid Ali threatened to kill her if she revealed the crime and his identity.
Talking to representatives from All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), Sharee's grandmother Karmi Bibi said, "How these people can be so brutal to rape a 7-year-old girl? We are not safe. Next time one of our other Christian daughters will be raped and we will be as helpless as we are now. Where do we go now? The law is not even on our side."
The rape of Christian women by Muslim men is an ongoing travesty. Perpetrators are rarely arrested and almost never convicted. APMA chairman, Shahbaz Bhatti is asking that Christians around the world pray for the psychological and physical recovery of Sharee Komal and that justice be given in this case.
For more information on persecution in Pakistan, click here.
VOMC partners to train Christian women in sewing skills throughout Pakistan to provide a sustainable source of income for their families and encourage them in their faith and witness for Christ.
Religion (%) Islam (96.5), Other - Christian and Hindu (3.5)
Leader President Asif Ali Zardari (2024)
Government type Federal parliamentary republic
Legal system Common law system with Islamic law influence
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Pakistan
Pray that amendments will be made to Pakistan's existing blasphemy laws so that the country's citizens – including its children – will be protected from injustice and abuse. May our Lord's mercy and justice prevail, not only in the judiciary system but also in the hearts of the country's militants. Ask Him to transform their "hearts of stone" into hearts that are receptive to His love, mercy and the workings of His Holy Spirit – not only for the purpose of protecting the Christian minority but also for the salvation of their own eternal souls.
A 16-year-old Christian girl in Jaranwala, Punjab, was kidnapped on September 12th before being forced to convert to Islam and marry one of her captors. On the day of the attack, Diya Iftikhar was at home with her four sisters. The family's neighbours state that they saw three armed men force Diya into a white Suzuki van, which then sped away. The men have since been identified as Ghazaal Jutt, Afzal Jutt and Ramzan Jutt.
In July 2021, Shagufta Kiran was arrested after she forwarded a message in a WhatsApp group chat. The Christian woman was charged with intentionally offending religious feelings and insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. While awaiting the court process, the accused believer has remained in custody since the time of her arrest. Following the allegations, Shagufta's family received constant threats. As a result, her husband Rafique and their children have been forced to relocate multiple times in search of safety. For previously published reports on this believer's case, see this page.
A village fair in Pakistan. Photo: Wikimedia / Sarwanmemon.muet (cc)
Shail Masih and his twin brother Rahil were celebrating at a village fair on August 26th. Along with many other community members, the 18-year-old Christian brothers went on a carnival ride and threw fake currency notes into the crowd. Unfortunately, it was discovered that some of the slips of paper thrown by the participants contained Quranic verses. It was assumed by those present that the young Christian men were the ones responsible, leading to the arrest of their mother and grandfather.
On August 16th, 2023, thousands of people stormed the streets of Jaranwala in Punjab, angered by allegations of blasphemy against two Christian brothers. Due to the frenzied nature of the mob's multiple attacks, numbers vary widely; but at least 26 church buildings were destroyed, along with hundreds of Christian homes. For more details, along with video footage of the destruction, go to this report.
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