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Pakistan

• Muslims attack Christians

  Photo from Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan

  Christians in the village of Bahmaniwala in Punjab province, Pakistan, were attacked by Muslims on June 30 after a believer allegedly committed blasphemy against Islam. When Sardar Masih (38) and his son were returning home on their tractor on June 29, they asked a reportedly intoxicated Muslim man and his nephew to move their motorbikes which were blocking the road. Enraged that a Christian gave them an order, the two grabbed Masih and began to beat him. Later that evening, a group of 15-20 Muslims attacked Masih's family and damaged his home. His tractor was ruined and his brothers sustained serious hatchet wounds. The Muslim man filed a report with local police and told a Muslim religious leader that Masih had blasphemed.

  The next day, a Muslim cleric used the local mosque's loudspeaker to call Muslims to attack Christians. That evening, more than 500 Muslims looted and damaged over 100 homes, burned vehicles and attacked believers. Electricity and water supplies were also cut off. Dozens were injured, including women and children who were reportedly sprayed with acid. One of the women who was beaten miscarried. Muslims have registered blasphemy cases against 11 believers.

  Ask God to enable Christians in Bahmaniwala to grow in Christlikeness through their trials (James 1:2-4). Pray that persecutors throughout Pakistan will be challenged by the consistent testimony of Christ's followers and be drawn to Him.

  To find out more about the persecution believers endure in Pakistan,
  click here.

• Christian woman facing blasphemy charges

  Asia Bibi and her family

  Thirty-seven-year-old Asia Bibi was recently arrested by police on allegations of blasphemy in the village of Ittanwali, Punjab province, Pakistan. On June 19, some of the Muslim women who work with Bibi on a farm owned by a local Muslim engaged in a heated discussion with Bibi about Islam. Bibi told them that Christ died on the cross for their sins and asked them what Mohammed had done for them. "Our Christ is the true prophet of God and yours is not true," Bibi said. The Muslim women became angry and began to beat her. Some men then locked her in a room. Muslims announced from mosque loudspeakers a plan to punish Bibi by blackening her face and parading her through the village on a donkey. Local Christians informed the police, who took Bibi into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. At last report she was being held at a police station in Nankana city and local Christians were urging the police not to file blasphemy charges. However, police claim that they must go forward due to pressure from local Muslim leaders.

  Pray that Bibi will be released. Pray for strength for Bibi's family. Ask God to give boldness to Christians in Pakistan as they witness to their Muslim neighbours.

  To find out more about how believers suffer for Christ's sake in Pakistan,click here.

• Christian girl kidnapped

  Sajida Masih, the mother of a 12-year-old Christian girl who was kidnapped in the village of Hanif Kot, Gujranwala district, Pakistan and forced to marry a 37-year-old Muslim man, is embroiled in a legal battle to recover her daughter, according to a June 4 report from Compass Direct. On February 23, Muhammad Imran abducted Huma Masih after threatening to kill her, her aunt and her parents. Sajida was ridiculed by police when she sought their help. After three days, officers finally filed the report but listed Huma's age as 16, the legal age for girls in Pakistan to marry. Imran subsequently demanded nullification of the report, claiming Huma converted to Islam and married him of her own will. He also submitted a fake birth certificate which listed her age as 18. Local Muslims have since tried to extort money and labour from Sajida in exchange for information on Huma's whereabouts. At last report, a hearing was scheduled for June 11.

  Pray that Huma will be returned to her family. Pray for wisdom for the family's lawyer. Pray that those who prey on Christian girls in Pakistan may experience repentance and salvation.

  To find out more about how believers suffer for Christ's sake in Pakistan,click here.

• Update: Christian denied bail, threatened with death

  Photo from Compass Direct

  Hector Aleem (51), a Pakistani Christian facing charges of abetting blasphemy (click here for the details), was denied bail on April 30, according to a May 6 report from Compass Direct. The judge dismissed the bail application out of concern for Aleem's safety after the complainant's attorney reportedly stated at the hearing, "If the judge does not punish Aleem according to the law, then [we] will kill him ourselves." Aleem's lawyer has requested that future hearings be closed to the public, as he fears that Muslim militants may try to harm his client. At an earlier hearing on April 25, approximately 185 Muslims protested outside the courthouse. At last report, Aleem remained in detention at Adiyala Jail in the city of Rawalpindi.

  Click hereto learn more about the ongoing opposition facing Christians in Pakistan.

• Muslims attack Christians following blasphemy accusations

  On May 1, a mob of approximately 500 armed Muslims launched attacks on Christians in the village of Chak, Punjab province, after five local believers were arrested for blasphemy. The Christian men were accused of breaking into a government-run primary school for girls a week earlier and smearing a page of the Quran with ink and gum. They were also accused of leaving a message on the blackboard that linked one of the men, a well-known social activist, to the scene. The militants, angered by the alleged blasphemy, vandalized homes and threatened believers with death. Muslims from a neighbouring village tried to burn down the houses of the accused men but were stopped by authorities. Twelve Christian families have since fled the area in fear.

  Pray that the arrested Christians will be released. Pray that the assailants will come to repentance and salvation. Pray that Pakistani Christians will know God's care and provision.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Pakistan,click here.

• Christian girl raped and murdered

  A nine-year-old Pakistani Christian girl was gang-raped and murdered on April 9, according to a May 2 report from The Christian Post. Nisha Javid was abducted while walking near her home in Essangri village, Punjab province. Her battered body was found two days later in a canal. Although the police were initially involved in the search for Javid, they have since taken little action in apprehending the perpetrators. Christians believe the attack, which occurred the day before Good Friday, was an attempt to frighten and intimidate the Christian community.

  Pray for the Javid family as they grieve. Pray that, in their sufferings, they will know Christ's abounding comfort (2 Corinthians 1:5). Pray that those responsible for this attack will be brought to justice and turn to Christ in repentance.

  Learn more on how Christians suffer in Pakistan.

• Taliban attacks Christian community

  A mob of Taliban militants attacked the Christian community in Taiser Town, near the city of Karachi in Sindh province on April 22. Armed men approached a group of Christians who had gathered to remove insulting messages from the walls of a church building and local homes. The graffiti included the words "Long Live the Taliban" and demands for Christians to pay a tax imposed on non-Muslims. A mob soon gathered and gunshots were fired indiscriminately into the crowd, seriously injuring three Christians, including an 11-year-old boy, Irfan Masih. The attackers then ransacked several homes belonging to Christians, burned Bibles and beat believers. Two Christians who resisted the militants were reportedly executed in front of their families. Masih died five days following the attack. The Pakistani government recently allowed the Taliban to establish Islamic law in Swat Valley, North-West Frontier Province and Christians in Sindh are concerned that their province could be the next to fall under Taliban rule.

  Pray that, in the aftermath of this attack, Pakistani Christians will remain unshaken from the work the Lord has given them, trusting Him to bring eternal results (1 Corinthians 15:58). Ask God to give healing to those injured. Pray that those mourning for the martyred believers will find comfort in Christ.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Pakistan,click here.

• Update: Christian men acquitted of ''blasphemy''

  Photo from Compass Direct

  James Masih (67) and Buta Masih (72), two Pakistani Christians who were sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of "blasphemy" in November 2006 for allegedly burning pages of the Quran (read more) were acquitted on April 16. According to an April 21 report from Compass Direct, the men claim that the allegations against them were fabricated in response to a land dispute between James Masih and a Muslim neighbour. According to their lawyer, the men will not immediately be able to return home due to safety concerns. In Pakistan, Christians accused of blasphemy, even those who are acquitted, often face pressure and violence from Muslims.

  To learn more about the ongoing opposition of believers in Pakistan, click here.

• Update: Blasphemy charges dropped against Christian

  Photo from Compass Direct

  A Pakistani investigator has ruled out a charge of "blaspheming Islam" against Hector Aleem (51), a Christian man accused of sending a blasphemous text message in November (click here for more information). The charge was dropped due to evidence that the message came from an unlisted phone number and not Aleem's. However, a charge of abetting blasphemy was retained against him, raising concern that he could still be targeted by Muslim militants for his alleged connection to the charge. He remained in Adiyala Jail in Rawalpindi at last report.

  To learn more about the ongoing persecution of believers in Pakistan,click here.

• Christian killed, other believers injured in mob violence

  One of the believers injured in the attack Photo from Pakistan Christian Post

  A  Christian woman was killed and at least 16 people injured in an attack on the predominantly Christian village of Sangowali, Punjab province on March 2. According to reports from Sharing Life Ministries Pakistan, the attack was led by a local Muslim, Waseem Butt, in retaliation for charges of robbery and assault placed against him by a Christian family in late February. At approximately 8:00 p.m., Butt and a group of his Muslim friends and family members attacked a Presbyterian church and the homes of believers nearby. Attackers kept ambulances away by firing shots into the air. Shakeela Bibi was beaten in the head with a bamboo rod and succumbed to her injuries before reaching the hospital. Other believers, including Shakeela's mother-in-law, remained in hospital at last report.

  Pray for those mourning the loss of Shakeela. Ask God to help those affected by the attack remain steadfast as they suffer (Revelation 2:10).

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Pakistan,click here.