On March 16, more than sixty women had gathered in a church in Miskeen Musharaf Colony in Islamabad, Pakistan for prayer and fasting. According to a Pakistani source, more than 150 people attacked the women, grabbing them by the hair and torturing them as well as damaging the church property. The Pakistani news agency, Dawn, reports that the local Muslim Imam objected to the construction of the church building located about 100 metres from the mosque. The Imam reportedly led the attack on the women, along with his students. A representative from the All Pakistan Alliance, Abida Shaikh, told Dawn that the church had surveyed the neighbourhood before building. Of the seventy-five households, only eight were Muslim and none objected to the church building.
The church building was sealed by authorities following this incident. When the chairman of the All Pakistan Alliance for Katchi, Abadis Bashir Buttar, arrived to protest the incident, he was arrested by police, along with another Christian, Mian Qasim. They were released the next day on bail.
Pray for a continued ministry in this neighbourhood. Pray that those who oppose this church will see the Spirit of God working in the lives of the Christians.
For more information on the difficulties experienced by Christians 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.
Shahzad Masih and his wife Shama. Photo via Morning Star News
In 2014, Shahzad Masih and his wife Shama were falsely accused of burning the Quran. Militant Muslim leaders had incited villagers to attack the young Christian couple, resulting in a frenzied mob of hundreds participating in a series of torturous events that culminated in the believers' tragic deaths. Shama, who was five months pregnant at the time, was brutally killed along with her husband and thrown into a burning brick kiln. (VOMC's initially posted Persecution & Prayer Alert about this fatal incident may be reviewed here.)
A brick kiln factory in Pakistan. Photo: Wikimedia / Tamseel Ahmad (CC)
During a hot summer day on June 22nd, a Christian man named Sadique Masih was working at a brick kiln when he paused for a drink of water. Reaching for the nearest cooler, he took a sip. Tragically, that simple action cost him his life.
One of the believers facing blasphemy charges. Photo: Christian Daily International / Morning Star News
In Pakistan, the punishment for a blasphemy conviction is the death penalty. While no one has yet been executed under these laws, many allegations frequently result in lengthy legal battles, prolonged imprisonment, and significant other hardships for the accused and their families.
Naseem (centre) with his representing lawyers. Photo: Christian Daily International-Morning Star News
A Pakistani court has recently acquitted Naseem Masih, who was initially charged with blasphemy. According to findings based on substantial evidence, the judge presiding over Naseem's case ruled that the allegations against the accused were fabricated and that the prosecution "miserably failed to prove its case." The June 22nd ruling thankfully brings an end to 10 enduring months of wrongful imprisonment for the innocent businessman whose blindness (since birth) further compounded the suffering he experienced throughout his detainment.
Population
