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Pakistan

  • Update: Blasphemy charges against teenager dropped

    The Islamabad neighbourhood where Rimsha Masih
    and her familiy lived until the girl's arrest in August.
    Photo: Open Doors News

    The charges against Rimsha Masih, a teenager accused of blasphemy in Pakistan, were dropped on November 20th due to lack of witnesses. Rimsha, who was accused of burning sacred Islamic texts, spent three weeks in an adult prison before being released on bail in September (for more information, click here).

    While the charges have been dropped, concern remains for Rimsha's safety. She and her family have been living at an undisclosed location since her bail release.

    Thank the Lord for Rimsha's release! Pray that He will comfort and encourage her and her family. Pray for their safety and protection. Pray that other Pakistani believers will be emboldened to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with their neighbours, despite possible risk.

    Go to the Pakistan Country Report to learn more about Pakistan's persecuted Church.
  • Update: Pakistanis accused of blasphemy fight for freedom

    Shahbaz Bhatti, who was assassinated, speaks at a
    press conference with Younis Masih’s wife, Meena.
    Photo: All Pakistan Minorities Alliance

    While Pakistani believer Younis Masih awaits word on his appeal against the death sentence he received for blasphemy, Pakistani teenager Rimsha Masih is scheduled to return to court to face blasphemy charges.

    Younis, a husband and father of four, has been imprisoned for the past seven years on a false charge of blasphemy (for more, click here). His family has been forced to flee their home, and Younis has been attacked by other inmates while in prison. His lawyer survived an apparent attempt on his life and has also been threatened.

    Rimsha, who has also been unjustly accused of blasphemy, will soon be returning to court in Islamabad (for more, click here), and her lawyers are pushing to have the case dismissed.

    Please pray that Younis and Rimsha will both be freed and returned safely to their families. Please pray that their lawyers will be protected and will persevere despite personal danger. Praise God for these faithful believers and pray that He will use them to draw others into relationship with His Son.

    For more on the persecution of Pakistani Christians, go to the Pakistan Country Report.
  • Christian woman abducted, forcibly converted

    Please pray for the safety of Christian women in Pakistan.

    Shumaila Bibi, 24, is just one among hundreds of Christian women and girls in Pakistan to be kidnapped and tortured into converting to Islam over the past several years. On September 24, Shumaila was on her way home from work when her kidnapper, Muhammad Javaid Iqbal, 26, forced her to go with him. Shumaila had previously shunned Muhammad's advances and his marriage proposal.

    The next day, Muhammad and his relatives took Shumaila at gunpoint to a lawyer where she was told to sign statements declaring she had converted to Islam and had married Muhammad. When she refused, she was drugged. While she was unconscious, the lawyer used Shumaila's thumb prints on the documents.

    For days afterwards, Shumaila was sexually abused, harassed, and forced to study the Qur'an and the precepts of Islam. She was eventually able to escape on October 5 and return to her parents' home. Muhammad then told police that Shumaila had been kidnapped by her parents, and officials upheld his complaint because of the marriage and conversion documents. Shumaila's father, Mansha Masih, 68, now risks imprisonment for his daughter's "abduction." The National Commission for Justice and Peace has taken up his defence.

    Ask God to bring about justice for Shumaila and her father. Pray for the safety and protection of all Christian women and girls in Pakistan who risk being kidnapped and tortured for their beliefs. Pray that God will encourage, strengthen, and deliver those being held against their will. Pray that Muhammad and his family members will come to know Jesus Christ.

    For more on the plight of Pakistani Christians, go to the Pakistan Country Report.
  • Update: Blasphemy allegations continue

    Muslims protest after hearing that Asia Bibi,
    another Christian woman accused of blasphemy,
    might be granted clemency. She was not.

    The High Court in Islamabad has delayed the trial of Rimsha Masih, a mentally challenged Christian girl charged with blasphemy, while another young follower of Christ has been accused of the same offense.

    The Court will take until November 14 to decide if the case against Rimsha will be dismissed. Three witnesses who had earlier testified that the mosque leader, Khalid Jadoon Chishti, had planted fabricated evidence on Rimsha have since recanted (for more, click here). The Muslim leader is now free on bail, and prosecutors have reportedly said they will not try him on blasphemy charges.

    In Karachi, a16-year-old Christian boy and his family are in hiding following accusations the young man sent text messages denigrating the Prophet Muhammad. Protesters broke into the family's house and burned all their furniture and appliances. Ryan Stanten has been charged under the blasphemy law, although it has been reported the boy's friends are responsible for sending the messages.

    Please pray that the case against Rimsha will be dropped. Pray this case will discourage others from making false accusations. Please pray for the safety and strength of Ryan and his family. Please pray for a mighty flood of justice in Pakistan (Amos 5:24).

    For more on Pakistan's suffering Church, please visit the Pakistan Country Report.
  • Update: Setback in teen's blasphemy case

    The court case for Rimsha Masih, a Pakistani Christian teen accused of blasphemy, has been postponed until October 17 (for more information on the accusations, click here).

    Meanwhile, the case has taken an unexpected turn as three witnesses whose testimony could absolve Rimsha have changed their statements. The three had earlier testified that the mosque leader, Khalid Jadoon Chishti, had planted fabricated evidence on Rimsha. However, they have since claimed they made the accusations under police pressure.

    Please pray that Rimsha and her family will rest in the Lord who works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed (Psalm 103:6). Ask the Lord to grant wisdom to those defending her. Pray this case will result in positive changes to the legal system in Pakistan. Pray that Christians in Pakistan will not give into fear, but will look to the Lord for their strength.

    For more on Pakistan's suffering Church, please visit the Pakistan Country Report.
  • Militants burn church building

    The burned exterior of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
    Photo: VOM USA

    On September 21, a mob of several thousand militant Muslims attacked St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Mardan City, Pakistan. The attackers, armed with rifles and kerosene, overwhelmed security guards and broke into the church. They destroyed Bibles and prayer books, desecrated the altar, and set fire to the church building and several surrounding homes and buildings. The mob was returning from a protest against the YouTube film, "Innocence of Muslims."

    The attack on the 82-year-old church building lasted for five hours. The church staff was able to flee, but those who lived on the campus lost all of their possessions. The attackers spray-painted the words "God is great," "Oh God help us," and "Love our prophet" on the church steeple.

    The day after the attack, church members and other local Christians gathered in front of the burned buildings to express their disappointment at the local government for failing to protect their church. On Sunday, September 23, more than 1,000 people -- many more than the church's usual congregation of 300 -- attended a prayer meeting at the church site.

    Pray for the protection of Christian communities in Pakistan and in other nations where protests are continuing. Praise the Lord for the faithfulness of the many believers who gathered together to worship Him. Pray that their conduct will act as a witness for Him.

    For more information on Pakistan's persecuted Church, please visit the Pakistan Country Report.
  • Update: Teenager's case goes to juvenile court

    Rimsha, accused of desecrating the Qur’an,
    faces her next court hearing soon.
    Photo: Al Jazeera Commons

    Rimsha Masih, 14, a Pakistani teenager who was accused of desecrating the Qur'an, faces her next hearing at a juvenile court on October 1.

    Rimsha has a mental age younger than 14 years old, and some reports indicate that she has Down Syndrome. Accused of desecrating the Qur'an in August, Rimsha was released on bail earlier this month. Her accuser has since been arrested himself for blasphemy after a witness claimed he planted burned pages of the Qur'an to implicate Rimsha (for more on Rimsha's case, click here).

    Please pray that God will grant wisdom to Rimsha and all those involved in her case. Pray that she will be acquitted of the charges. Pray that this ordeal will draw Rimsha and her family members closer into relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray that God will comfort Rimsha and others like her in Pakistan who have been falsely accused of blasphemy.

    For more information about persecution in Pakistan, please visit the Pakistan Country Report.
  • Update: Continue to pray for persecuted family

    Walter and Gladys' wedding photo

    A Christian man in Pakistan who faced charges of blasphemy has requested prayer as he and his family members continue to face threats and opposition.

    In May 2007, Walter Fazal Khan, who is in his 80s, was arrested after one of his servants accused him of burning pages of the Qur'an (for more, click here). An angry mob also attacked his home and Walter's wife, Gladys, was threatened with death unless she converted to Islam. She passed away the following month.

    Although Walter was released on bail shortly after his arrest, his family continues to face persecution and threats. They have lost their home and are forced to conceal their whereabouts.

    Please continue to pray for Walter and his family. Pray that they will remain steadfast in the Lord and that He will give them the strength they require (Philippians 4:13). Pray that God will blind the eyes of those who wish to harm them. Pray for other Christians in Pakistan who are facing opposition and false charges because of their faith.

    For more on the opposition the Church faces in Pakistan, please visit the Pakistan Country Report.
  • Update: Christian teenager released on bail

    Hundreds of Christians have had to flee Rimsha's neighbourhood.
    Please also pray for them.

    Rimsha Masih, 14, a Pakistani teenager who was accused of desecrating the Qur'an, has been released on bail (for more on the charges, click here).

    Rimsha was granted bail on September 7, but could not leave the prison until adequate security was arranged. Two days later, she was transported in an armoured vehicle to a helicopter that flew her to a secret location where it is hoped she will be safe from Muslim militants calling for her death. She is scheduled to be in court again on September 16 and is expected to be acquitted. However, even if acquitted, Rimsha will likely remain in danger.

    Thank the Lord that Rimsha has been released on bail. Pray that God will encourage her and her family during this difficult time. Pray that those who oppose Christians may experience repentance and salvation, just as Paul did (Acts 9:1-19).

    Go to the Pakistan Country Report for more on the persecution our brothers and sisters face in Pakistan.
  • Update: Christian girl remains imprisoned; accuser charged with blasphemy

    Rimsha Masih has been accused of desecrating the Qur’an
    Photo: Muhammad Ghouri, Flickr

    Rimsha Masih, a Christian Pakistani teenager who was accused of desecrating the Qur'an, has been in prison for two and a half weeks. After several delays, the high profile blasphemy case is now scheduled for September 7. Rimsha is believed to have Down's Syndrome and is deemed to be 14 years old (for more information, click here).

    A witness has testified that the leader of his mosque, Khalid Jadoon Chishti, had falsified evidence to implicate Rimsha. He claimed that Chishti had added pages of the Qur'an to a bag of burned rubbish used as evidence against her to strengthen the basis for the blasphemy accusation, and that he had instigated both the complainant's charge and the mob aggression that followed.

    On September 2, Chishti was himself charged with blasphemy under section 295B of the Pakistan Penal Code, and is currently in police custody. It is further alleged that he and others from Rimsha's neighbourhood on the outskirts of Islamabad have been promoting anti-Christian sentiment in recent months.

    Please pray the Lord will protect Rimsha and her family. Pray for a favourable outcome on September 7. Pray that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Ask the Lord to use this case to promote religious freedom for all in Pakistan. Pray that Christians in Pakistan will be the light that draws their neighbours to Jesus (Matthew 5:14-16).

    For more on the opposition the Church faces in Pakistan, please visit the Pakistan Country Report.

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