PAKISTAN: Toronto Star Reporting that Some Christians are converting to Islam

Every day I scour the news headlines of the world for items about persecution of Christians.  Usually, they are  stories of Christians who have been attacked or killed because of their faith, Christians who persevere in the most difficult of situations, or of governments who are standing up for the religious liberty of Christians in their country…or who are not. 

Today, I read a disturbing headline in the Toronto Star that was none of these, “Some Christians in Pakistan convert fear into safety”.  In short, the Star reports that substantial numbers of Christians in Pakistan are converting to Islam in the hope of finding a refuge from the growing persecution of Christians. Reading through the article, it struck me that the battle we wage is not only for the increase of religious freedom around the world and preventing the torturous treatment or deaths of so many faithful Christians. Our fight is also for the souls of our persecuted brothers and sisters – although no one can judge the sincerity of such conversions occasioned through duress.

Sadly, not only is persecution increasing, but in the face of this, more believers are living in fear for their lives.  

 If you look at the Open Doors World Watch List for 2011's top 50 countries where persecution of Christians is active, you can only wonder what kind of similar decisions are being made by Christians elsewhere who are living in unimaginable situations.  Labelled, ostracized socially, limited in their ability to provide for their families, threatened with torture, or ultimately with death, what would you do? If you are a mother or father – what would happen to your family if you or your spouse were suddenly taken? Or, more challenging, what would you do to prevent the torture of one or more of your children because of your faith in Christ?  

Living in this kind of fear must bring with it a daily temptation to walk away from faith in Christ, especially if it seems the only way to ensure safety for self and family.

It’s no news; persecution of Christians is rising sharply around the world, prompting weekly protests by religious liberty groups, the Vatican and governments around the world. Many of the current hottest of the “hot spots” are where Christians are a minority in an Islamic dominated country.

In some countries the addition of Blasphemy Laws, created to protect the Islamic religion, has, according to recent news reports, become a way for Christians to be unfairly and unjustly targeted, jailed, attacked, and even killed. All one needs to do if unhappy with a Christian neighbour is accuse them of blasphemy and the unwanted neighbour is likely to be removed.

The Star article states that, in Pakistan,

“…an allegation of blasphemy shouted in the streets can, in an instant, whip a crowd into a frenzy and lead to assaults and dubious arrests.”

One of the better known examples is that of a Christian young woman, Asia Bibi. The story reports that,

“…while working in the fields last June, she was sent to fetch water. When some of the other women refused to drink it because it had been carried by a Christian, a spat ensued about the merits of both religions. The other women later went to a cleric and complained that Bibi had blasphemed the name of the Prophet Muhammad.

A complaint was filed and Bibi was charged, convicted, and given a death sentence.”

Last fall, politician Salm Taseer, the governor of Punjab, who fought for the rights of minorities in Pakistan, began to campaign on Asia Bibi’s behalf. Early this year, the debate about Pakistan’s blasphemy law reached a fevered pitch, and on January 4, Governor Taseer was assassinated by a member of his own security detail – who was later hailed by many in Pakistan as a hero.

Is it any wonder that so many Christians living in Pakistan are fearful for their homes, their ability to provide for their families, their lives, or their family member’s lives when such a clear message of non-tolerance of Christians is voiced from their neighbours and their countrymen?

As Canadians who live in a place of freedom that Christian citizens of Pakistan can only dream of, we are challenged to act on their behalf. Some ask how?

First, we need to pray for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan – that they would find support and safety, and that their hearts would be unchangeable in their decision to follow Christ. We need to pray that the Government of Pakistan would stand up for the rights of all of their citizens, even the minorities.

We might also contact our own Members of Parliament and representatives of government to encourage them to speak out against the human rights abuses and violations of religious freedoms being committed daily.

We also need to stand up for continuing religious freedom for all in our own country.

In the surging wave of persecution, many lives are being challenged by the very real needs of self and family. God help them to stand firm.  And God help us to do all we can on their behalf.



SAVING NEHA: A Journey from Persecution to Hope and Freedom

I was moved to tears today as I read the story of a little girl named Neha and her family from Pakistan, victims of persecution for their faith.  In 2004, at the age of two-and a half, Neha suffered a brutal rape. An unimaginable crime committed because her Christian father, who was pressured numerous times by co-workers, refused to convert to Islam. The attack on his daughter was a punishment for his refusal. Besides the gruesome emotional scars, this attack so badly maimed her little body that it left her without the ability to urinate properly or the hope of bearing children.

Following protests, a prominent Pakistani human rights activist, who later would become the country's first Christian Minister of Minorities Affairs, brought Neha’s attack and her family’s plight to the attention of Pakistan's national media. He helped Neha obtain medical care and forced the justice system to ensure that her attacker was prosecuted. Two years after the rape, the man who so savagely violated Neha was sentenced to life in prison.

Sadly, the trial and conviction of the rapist ultimately only triggered further victimization of Neha's family. Munir Masih, Neha’s father, claimed that the owner of the dairy farm where he worked had tried to get him to drop the charges and threatened to kill his family if they did not.

Since 2007, the Munir family has lived in hiding, moving from safe-house to safe-house, fearing for their lives.

In Pakistan, Christians make up roughly two percent of the estimated 175-million Pakistanis, the vast majority of whom are Muslim. As Christians, Neha’s family were considered second-class citizens, and had to fight just to get medical care for Neha and her sister -- despite the sexual assault.

The story is a tragic one, but as I read of how God used various Christians as key players in the rescue of Neha’s family, I found hope.

For three years, a Christian human rights activist worked on a plan to safely bringing the family to Canada.  He personally made the trip to Pakistan to escort the family from their safe house of hiding on a nerve-wracking trip to the airport, evading discovery by extremists. 

Also during that time, he appeared before a Canadian Parliamentary Subcommittee on Human rights, introducing the plight of the family to the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.  Mr. Kenney was moved by the family’s struggle, and was instrumental in providing the family with special Resident Permits.  This type of permit is rarely issued, given on a case-by-case basis, and particularly when lives are in danger.

Upon their arrival in Canada, a Christian family in Toronto adjusted their own life, schedule, and comfort in order to welcome the seven-member Masih family into their home, no small effort with teenage children of their own.

Finally, a Toronto-based church stood behind the rescue with prayers and much needed finances.  In addition to set-up costs, clothing, and toys, the flights for the family alone rang in at $20,000.  The church also provided Neha’s father with a job as a maintenance worker setting the family on a better financial footing for the future.

As a mother, it was impossible not to become emotional about Neha.  During one video story, with the family now safe on a plane to Canada, I can hear Neha’s laughter – such a beautiful contrast to the tensions of their life of persecution in Pakistan, now behind them.

Since their arrival in Canada in December of last year, Neha seems to be adjusting well to her new life.  She is receiving the medical attention she needs to properly heal from her physical injuries. Only God and Neha know how much emotional healing she will require in the days and years to come.  But for now, we celebrate how God stirred and brought together a network of dedicated and selfless people to move on her and her family’s behalf.

No longer in fear because of what they believe, the family is enjoying a new freedom, with reason to hope for a safe and secure future as Christians in Canada.