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Pakistan

• Christian Man Tortured Into False Confession

  

  On February 13th, Haroon Ayub Masih and his friend Salamat Mansha Masih were accused of blasphemy after reading the Bible out loud at a public park in Lahore, Pakistan, and then offering a Christian book to a Muslim man. Haroon and his family escaped into hiding, but Salamat was arrested (read more).

• Death Threats Against Released Christian Teen

  

  On March 1st, Nabeel Masih's lawyer successfully argued that there was no evidence of blasphemy committed by the teenage Christian, resulting in his release from a prison in Pakistan on March 18th (read more). He was then swiftly taken into hiding for his protection from militant crowds demanding his death.

• Two Christian Nurses Accused of Blasphemy

  

  On April 9th, Maryam Lal and Navish Arooj were directed by a senior nurse to clean up the walls of the Civil Hospital in Faisalabad, Pakistan, by removing any wall hangings or stickers found. When the Christians did as they were told, they were accused of desecrating wall hangings containing verses from the Quran. The two nurses have now been formally charged with blasphemy against Islam.

• Young Christian Released on Bail

  

  A young Christian who was convicted of blasphemy in 2018 at the age of 16 has been granted bail by the Lahore High Court in Pakistan. Nabeel Masih was accused after allegedly "liking" and sharing a picture on Facebook which was deemed disrespectful to the Kaaba (sacred shrine) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. He was sentenced to ten years in prison.

• Two Christians Charged with Blasphemy

  

  Two Christian men were reading the Bible aloud at a public park in Lahore, Pakistan, on February 13th when they were confronted by opposing Muslims. According to reports, Haroon Ayub Masih and his friend Salamat Mansha Masih were approached by Haroon Ahmad and his friends, who told the evangelical believers to stop what they were doing. Haroon Ayub and Salamat then offered them a Christian book titled, Water of Life.

• Kidnapped Girl Returns to Family

  

  On Saturday, December 5th, 2020, police in Faisalabad, Pakistan, found 12-year-old Farah Shaheen chained in the home of Khizar Hayat. Five months earlier, Khizar had kidnapped her, taken her to the local mosque to be converted to Islam, and then forced her to marry him. According to police, the dark marks on her ankles indicated that she was chained for most of her time in captivity.

• Nurse Beaten After Blasphemy Allegation

  

  A Christian nurse, known for her Gospel singing, has been charged with blasphemy against Islam. Tabitha Nazir Gill was accused by a co-worker on January 28th after a dispute.

  The head nurse at Sobhraj Maternity Hospital had issued orders that nurses were not to receive any cash from patients. When one of the nurses was seen collecting money, Tabitha reminded her of the policy; at which time, Tabitha encountered an attack and then was accused of inciting violence, along with blasphemy. Video footage has been released showing Tabitha being beaten, tied up, and locked in a room until police arrived.

• Facebook Post Leads to Hundreds Fleeing

  

  On December 22nd, a lay pastor in the Charar area of Lahore shared a faith-based post on Facebook that some local Muslims considered blasphemous. When he realized the response, Pastor Raja Waris apologized, and it appeared that the issue was resolved. However, word spread throughout the community and hundreds of Muslims began protesting, demanding that Pastor Raja be beheaded.

• A Healing Journey Ahead for Arzoo Raja

  

  On October 13th, Arzoo Raja was abducted from her family home. She was forced to convert to Islam and marry her kidnapper, even though she was only 13 years old. On November 5th, a court ordered that her age be determined and, in the interim, she be moved to a shelter. (More information on this incident is available here.)

• Hope for Young Teen Forced into Marriage

  

  According to Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, the Sindh High Court has ordered that Arzoo Raja, a 13-year-old Christian girl, be recovered by police and moved into a shelter. This comes almost a month after she was abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married against her will to a 44-year-old Muslim neighbour.