On March 17th, Pakistani federal agents took 24-year-old Arsalan Gill into custody on accusations of blasphemy. The charges allege that the Christian believer was responsible for sharing blasphemous content in Facebook groups. His arrest takes place amid a rising number of cases involving entrapment, whereby organized militant groups specifically target members of the country's religious minorities.
Arsalan was arrested when he returned home from his job as a sweeper in Mughalpura, Lahore. The young man's family members were able to speak with him briefly the next day. During one of the conversations, Arsalan explained to his brother Suleman that an unknown person had added him to two Facebook groups without his knowledge, and that he had no idea what type of content was shared on those pages.
Religious rights advocates believe that the accused follower of Jesus is most likely another victim of organized groups that are deliberately deceiving Christians in order to have them charged with blasphemy. (More information about this concerning trend is available here.)
Pastor Imran Amanat with LEAD Ministries Pakistan has issued a warning to the country's Christian youth, advising them to exercise extreme caution when using social media platforms such as Facebook or WhatsApp. "These platforms have become fertile grounds for malicious individuals to exploit unsuspecting victims, particularly young Christians, and trap them in false blasphemy cases," he cautioned. To review other reports addressing the challenges facing Christians in Pakistan, go to our country profile.
- Please uphold Arsalan in your prayers as he faces these accusations, asking that this detained young man and his family would be sustained by God's peace, strength and comfort.
- May the Lord also provide Arsalan and his family with the necessary financial resources so they will be equipped to overcome the legal challenges ahead.
- Further, pray that God will work in and through members of the government commission, a political group that has been established to investigate these anti-Christian "vigilante groups," in order to bring about justice for Arsalan and our many other accused Pakistani brothers and sisters in Christ.
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