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Pakistan

• 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.

• Update: Charges filed against kidnappers

  Aneela with her parents Photo from Compass Direct

  The abductors of two Pakistani Christian sisters, Saba and Aneela (click here for more information), were charged on February 21 with kidnapping, trespassing and threatening the girls' family, according to a February 26 report from Compass Direct. The charges come after the three kidnappers entered the property of the girls' parents in late December and threatened to kill the family and burn down their house. In spite of the judge's decision, at last report the local police had yet to arrest the three men.

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

   

• Christian accused of blasphemy

  Photo from Compass Direct

  A Pakistani Christian, Hector Aleem (51), is under fire after being accused of sending a blasphemous text message, according to a February 5 report from Compass Direct. On January 22, police arrested Aleem for blasphemy and abetting a crime after a religious scholar allegedly received a text message from him in November that insulted Muhammad. Although he was acquitted of the blasphemy charges at a hearing on February 2, he was not cleared of abetting. Local Christians believe the judge's decision was influenced by the approximately 150 people protesting and yelling threats outside the courthouse. Sources claim that Aleem was targeted because he directs an organization that lobbies for the rights of Christians in Islamabad.

  At last report, Aleem was detained at the Adiyala Jail in the city of Rawalpindi, where he has been denied adequate food, medicine for his heart condition and visits with his family. His family has gone into hiding due to threats from Muslim militants.

  Pray that Aleem will be acquitted of all charges. Pray for protection for him and his family. Pray that Muslims in Pakistan will come to know Christ's love through the lives of Christians (Romans 12:14, 21).

  Find out more about suffering Christians in Pakistan from thePakistan Country Report.

• Update: Christians acquitted of blasphemy charges

  Five Pakistani Christians who were falsely accused of blasphemy in April 2007 (click here for more) were recently acquitted of the charges, according to a January 23 report from Compass Direct. The district judge acquitted Salamat Masih (42), his son Rashid (16), and their three relatives on January 13 after the Muslim witnesses withdrew their testimony. The acquittal comes as a result of out of court meetings held between Muslim leaders and a representative of the Christian organization Sharing Life Ministries Pakistan. In these meetings, the Christian representative was able to convince the Muslim leaders that the alleged blasphemy claims grew from a misunderstanding, prompting the Muslims to issue a religious edict declaring the innocence of the believers.

  To learn more about the persecution of believers in Pakistan, visit thePakistan Country Report.

• Christian sisters kidnapped, raped and forcibly converted

  Pakistani Christian sisters Parvisha Masih (18) and Sanam Masih (14) face a long legal battle after escaping from Muslim kidnappers who raped and forced them to convert to Islam. In early November, two Muslim men, Muhammad Irfan and Muhammed Mehboob, convinced the girls to get into their car by offering them positions at a salon to help support their family. The girls were subsequently drugged and taken to a hotel in the city of Mianwali where they were held at gunpoint, raped and threatened with death if they attempted to escape. The next day, they were driven to the city of Karachi where they were held for several days in the home of Mehboob's brother-in-law. Both girls were forcibly converted to Islam and their names were changed. The captors then took Parvisha and Sanam to a lawyer's office, reportedly to arrange their transfer to a government shelter for women. The lawyers told the girls they could spend the night with their families, but they were instead taken to an empty house where they were drugged again and Parvisha was sexually assaulted. When Sanam heard her sister crying out for help, she was able to steal one of the lawyer's cell phones and call the police. The lawyers and kidnappers were arrested and the girls were returned to their parents.

  The Masih family anticipates a long and difficult battle for justice, as the legal system typically favours Muslims and rarely rules against alleged conversions to Islam.

  Ask God to grant Parvisha and Sanam His healing, love, and strength as they recover from these attacks, especially as they fear a future of societal rejection. Pray that those responsible will repent and come to know Jesus. Pray for wisdom for the family's lawyers.

  To learn more about how Pakistani believers suffer for Christ's sake, go toPakistan Country Report.

• Update: Christian doctor released

  Photo from All Pakistan Minorities Alliance

  Dr. Robin Sardar (55), who was falsely accused of blasphemy by a local Muslim in the district of Hafizabad, Punjab in early May (click here for more), was released from prison on November 4, according to All Pakistan Minorities Alliance. The court exonerated Sardar after the complainant stated that the blasphemy case was registered against him over a misunderstanding. He was reunited with his family but has gone into hiding in fear of retaliation from Muslim militants angered by his release.

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

• Update: girl's account of kidnapping re-opens custody battle for her sister

  Aneela with her parents Photo fromCompass Direct

  The custody battle for Saba, one of the two sisters that were kidnapped by Muslims in late June (click here), is to be re-opened based on the testimony of her younger sister, according to an October 24 report from Compass Direct. On September 9, the court ordered ten-year-old Aneela to return home but because Saba was older she was allowed to choose whether or not to stay with her Muslim husband. The family's attorneys believe she decided to stay with her captor because she was threatened and told that her family would harm her. However, Aneela recently told her uncle that they were kidnapped, raped, forcibly converted to Islam and told that they or their family members would be killed if they did not cooperate. The attorneys hope Aneela's testimony will lead to Saba's return to her family since it confirms that Saba's marriage and conversion were not voluntary.

  The feature article of the November edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter focuses on the testimonies of Pakistani Christians who are standing firm in their faith at any cost. Read their testimonies by subscribing to our free newsletter. A new DVD, Pakistani Voices, is also available for order from our online catalogue.

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

• Update: Court ruling on Christian girls kidnapped by Muslims

  On September 9, a court in Lahore delivered a verdict in the case of two preteen Christian girls, Saba Younis and Aneela Younis, who were kidnapped by Muslims in late June (click here for more details). According to a September 10 report from Asia News, the court ruled that Saba's forced conversion and marriage was "voluntary," since they claim she is 16 years old and therefore an adult. Her family insists that she is only 13. Requests for Saba to be returned home have been denied and the family plans to appeal to the Supreme Court for her custody.

  The alleged conversion of Aneela, however, was ruled "invalid" because she is only 10 years old. She has been returned to her family.

• Christian Girls Kidnapped, Forcibly Converted by Muslims in Pakistan

  Two preteen Christian girls, Saba Younis and Aneela Younis, were kidnapped by Muslims while on their way to visit their uncle in the town of Chowk Munda in the state of Punjab on June 26. Two days later, the kidnappers filed for custody of them at the local police station, stating that they had converted to Islam and that their father, Younis Masih, no longer had jurisdiction over them. It was also reported by their uncle that they had been forcibly married to local Muslim men.

  Police initially refused Masih's request to file a complaint against the abductors, claiming his daughters had "embraced Islam." With help from a local human rights activist, Masih opened a case against them. On July 12, the district judge ruled in favour of the Muslims, alleging that the girls' conversions to Islam were "legitimate" and their marriages "valid," so they could not be returned to their family. The family is reportedly planning to appeal the ruling but local Christians fear they will continue to be treated unjustly because of their faith.

  Pray that Saba and Aneela will be returned home. Pray that they will remain strong in their faith. Ask God to give comfort to their families. Pray for safety for other young Christian girls in Pakistan.

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