I have received a rare submission from Shamim Mehmood on the state of Christians in Pakistan. Pakistani Christians are very persecuted peoples by the Muslim majority. In this submission there is the appearance of Christian clergy corruption in property matters and ordination. With all the persecution experienced by Pakistani Christians it is sad the Christian leadership is experiencing this inner turmoil. Below is Shamim’s report.
Bishop Humphrey Sarfaraz Peters 10/22/19
JRH 7/9/20
Your generosity is always appreciated – various credit, check
Islamabad – Pakistan: The bishop of Peshawar, Bishop Humphrey Sarfraz [Most media spell “Sarfaraz”] Peters found in hot water – the congregation questioned his consecration as bishop after a decade.
Reportedly the bishop Humphrey Peter has been involved in selling the church properties and other proscribed provisions against the rules and procedure of the Church of Pakistan. A number of first investigation reports (FIR) stand filed against him at different police stations all around the province of Khayber Pakhtankhwa [Alternate spelling: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]. The church also questioned his consecration which reportedly does not fulfil the requirements of the Church of Pakistan’s rules and procedures.
Bishop Mano Rumal Shah
A decade ago, Humphrey Peters went to England with the help of a dimissorial letter by the then Bishop of Peshawar Diocese, Bishop Mano Rumal Shah. The letter transposed Humphrey S. Peters to the Bishop of England Diocese of Oxford to ordain him in the Holy Orders. In his letter, Bishop Shah said that one of the members of our clergy Humphrey S. Peters was among the leading critics of the blasphemy laws of Pakistan, and very active in efforts to have this law annulled because it is a great hurdle in our missionary purposes. He has written numerous articles against this law and speaks out in open meetings against the legislation. This has put the life of Humphrey S. Peters in great danger and on his request the undersigned has given him this dimissory letter for your Diocese.
Later, Humphrey S. Peters came back to Peshawar and claimed the Bishophood of Peshawar Diocese without meeting the requirements of the priesthood. Here it may be in order to give some details of eligibility criteria of a candidate for Bishop. To occupy this important position in Christian hierarchy, one must be a deacon, Presbyter Ordination by diocesan Bishop. He or she must have served as presbyter in-charge at a parish for at least six years and have minimum of a three-year theological degree from a recognized seminary. Bishop must also be in possession of a good moral character.
It is to mention that Humphrey Peters took over the seat of bishop in 2011 with the help of some associates illegally.
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Edited by John R. Houk
Text embraced by brackets and embedded links are by the Editor.
Shamim Masih (Mahmood) is a Christian Human Rights activist and journalist from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In case you are unaware, Pakistan has some of the most stringent Islamic Blasphemy Laws enforced globally among Muslims. Blasphemy Laws are often used as a financial by greedy or vengeful Muslims that trump-up false charges for one kind of gain or another.
That is the environment that Christian-Pakistani Shamim has dealt with his whole life. You can imagine Shamim’s life and livelihood might be held by a thin thread that American Christians would consider incredulous in understanding.
I am asking you to be an advocate for Shamim Masih on a financial basis whether it is a one-time gift or an ongoing monetary support. Support for Shamim just could be a glimpse of hope for impoverished Christian-Pakistanis who live constantly under the thumb of Islamic Supremacism.
SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan. First contact Shamim in case he has found an easy way to donate. I like to use Western Union sending money with this LINK to the destination of Islamabad (Contact Shamim in case he has changed cities). Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Western Union may ask for Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
JRH 5/15/17
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Give Voice to the Voiceless
By Shamim Masih (Mahmood)
Sent 5/14/2017 9:58 PM
Respected Sir,
Based on my personal experience while covering the incidents of religious discrimination and persecution of Pakistan’s minorities’ communities in the recent years. I have observed that main stream media in Pakistan do not cover the persecution and religious discrimination. So I have planned to become the voice of the voiceless people of Pakistan. Thus starting “thecovenant.tv” with the aim not only to cover the routine events, but especially to become the voice of the voiceless people in Pakistan. Some work has been done on it and much to do. I am writing this letter to you seeking the support in this regard in any sense you can either financially or morally. Please Google me as “Shamim Masih” Below is the concept note please go through it and give your input.
Kind Regards,
Shamim
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SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan. First contact Shamim in case he has found an easy way to donate. I like to use Western Union sending money with this LINK to the destination of Islamabad (Contact Shamim in case he has changed cities). Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Western Union may ask for Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
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Give Voice to the Voiceless
During the recent decade, it is observed that the national main stream media does play down incidents of religious discrimination and persecution of Pakistan’s minorities communities. This is partially due to government’s ‘requests (read orders)’ to newspapers editors and TV channel heads not to highlight or give extensive coverage to such issue as “they bring a bad to the country.” The other factors of lack of coverage of minorities’ communities is the fact that main stream channels are not very keen on giving a voice to the voiceless. There are only a handful of journalists belonging to minorities’ communities working in the mainstream media but they too are unable to project the plight of their people effectively as they have little or no say at all in editorial matters.
There is a dire need to produce more journalists from such communities’ train them professionally and provide them with a platform in the national media from where they can bring forth the issues facing their people as well reports persecution and discrimination meted out by the majority.
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[Blog Editor: Below is the text of an attachment sent along with the Shamim email. The attachment text is similar to the text of the Covenant Communication Shamim-profile page. Since there are some differences, I’ll stick with the attachment text which is a bit more detailed.]
He has vast experience of highlighting political and social issues. He has been covering the legislations at Parliament house to sectarian violence, covering from the UN Secretary General press conference to bombing at worship places and burning the Christians’ colonies accusing blasphemy. He has also interviewed the Federal Ministers and the Ambassadors in Pakistan. He was the first one to write for the Christian minor girl, Rimsha, falsely accused of blasphemy, who later got international attention.
He is ambassador of “Parliament of the World’s Religions” in Pakistan (https://parliamentofreligions.org/content/list-parliament-ambassadors). As a social reformer/peace maker, he has been arranging different seminars/conferences to promote peace and harmony between people from different faith, culture and background. He is a blogger and can be reached at http://oiwerk.blogspot.com/
Now days; I’m also working on new areas/proposals to promote peace and harmony at the media house, www.thecovenant.tv.
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SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan. First contact Shamim in case he has found an easy way to donate. I like to use Western Union sending money with this LINK to the destination of Islamabad (Contact Shamim in case he has changed cities). Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Western Union may ask for Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
________________
Edited by John R. Houk
Some links by the Editor. Text enclosed by bracket is by the Editor. The Western Union contact support data is by the Editor.
‘The Covenant Communications’ inspires to be Pakistan’s leading independent web-based TV channel, and magazine by using the dynamics of media, diplomacy and peace to provide neutral and objective analysis of domestic, regional and international issues.
This especially focuses on issues like interfaith harmony, dialogue among communities, cultural diplomacy, religions, peace, extremism, dynamics of various conflicts and domestic politics. Our special emphasis remains on safeguarding the rights of sidelined community in Pakistan like children, women and non-Muslim communities in Pakistan by highlighting their issues effectively in the mainstream media.
‘The Covenant Communications’ team welcomes contributions in any form ranging from opinion pieces, reports highlighting various events connected to inter-faith harmony, domestic abuse, domestic politics, development issues and issues related to Pakistan’s domestic and foreign policy, development project descriptions and advertisements.
Our team comprises dedicated individuals who believe in creating space for dialogue and multicultural and inter-religious exchanges to know each other better. You are welcome to add fuel to ‘The Covenant Communications’!
Shamim Mahmood (Masih) addresses marriage and divorce reforms for Christians in the Pakistan legal code. The tenor of Shamim’s report is to bring Pakistan law into the 21st century with a focus on women’s rights pertaining to marriage and divorce.
I’m a bit old fashioned choosing to agree with the New Testament:
31 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality[a] causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Footnotes:
a Matthew 5:32Or fornication
Matthew 5:32Or fornication
Keep Your Marriage Vows
10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
In full disclosure, I have been divorced. My first wife divorced me because my Christian beliefs did not coincide with the lifestyle she desired to live. I remarried in 1990 and have had a long happy Marriage to this very day (minus a few marital spats along the way).
Now addressing the issue of domestic wife and child abuse/battery. I definitely do advocate a married remain together when one inflicts violence upon another, even though the New Testament does not provide for consequences for such marital abuse for either the husband or the wife.
However, the New Testament has commands for the way a married life is to be conducted:
2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
All you husbands need to read the above verses to make sure there is no misunderstanding about how to treat one’s wife in these next verses:
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
There is no room for wife beaters among Christians. Adultery and unbelievers appears to be the principles behind divorce. BUT, if you are a man of God DO NOT allow a man to beat on his wife even if you must take matters in your own hands. Even if taking action means you at the very least call upon the rule of law to take care of a wife beater.
Ok, I know … this is an American perspective. I can only imagine how women are treated in a Muslim dominated nation like Pakistan. Christians definitely need the law to be on their side in greater context in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Below, Shamim address marriage and divorce in Pakistan.
A national level consultation of religious leaders, civil society and Christian parliamentarians was held to discuss Christian Marriage and divorce Acts. Senator Kamran Michael, Federal Minster for Human Rights stated that the Government is aware of the need for greater protection and promotion of minority rights whether it is legislation, education, health, nutrition or violence against them. He informed that Christian Family matters among the Christian community are dealt with by the Christian Marriages Act of 1872 and the Divorce Act of 1869. Since both the Acts are centuries old and need to be reviewed as certain provisions became outdated; they smack of colonial rule. Talking to the UCANews Senator Kamran Michael said the incumbent government is committed to protect the rights of every citizens of Pakistan especially women, children and minorities [Similar Thought Pakistan Point]. He said to facilitate the Christian community across the country, Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) [MoHR update from Pakistan Today 3/19/17] has obtained Resolutions from Provincial Governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan to regulate matter pertaining to Christian Marriage and divorce. He also referred first national consultation held in August 2016 wherein the same bills were thoroughly examined.
Mr. Sharafat Ali Chaudhry, Legal consultant, MoHR presented the Bill and stated that in these drafts, it has been proposed that the registration of marriage will be responsibility of the State and solemnization will be done by the Church. Age of marriage both for male and female has been proposed to be 18 years, and both male and female must be from Christian background, he further informed. Under the present applicable law of Christian Divorce Act 1869, there is only one ground of divorce available which is raising allegations against the chastity of the spouse, however, in the proposed draft, other grounds of the divorce have been proposed for the parties.
A Legal Consultant pointed out difference of opinion among different Christian religious communities. A detail discussion was held and it was proposed that more consultations are needed to have a unified legislation. It was also proposed that Representatives of National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) may also be invited during next consultations as registration of marriages is responsibility of NADRA and Christian community is facing problem in getting marriage certificates.
A detailed discussion was also held to discuss amendments in divorce. It was informed that there has been a bill in the national assembly related to health issues wherein amendment has also been proposed in the Christian Bills. Legal consultant elaborated ground for divorce and raised the issue that mental and physical illness as well as cruelty shall be included in the grounds for divorce. Numbers of ground were proposed by the participants in view of current changed social, economic and cultural situations.
Senator Kamran Michael stated that the law is for Christian community and all denomination shall unanimously approve it. He was of the view that there shall not be amendments which are in contradiction to the Bible, however, clergy may like to consider different options and grounds for divorce. He further purposed another consultation meeting in Islamabad next month wherein the amendment proposed during current meeting will be discussed.
All denominational heads from Roman Catholic, Church of Pakistan, Presbyterian, and Salvation Army, members from the civil society and Christian parliamentarians were part of the meeting and agreed to the purposed amendments.
Be Blessed,
Shamim Mahmood
SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan. First contact Shamim in case he has found an easy way to donate. I like to use Western Union sending money with this LINK to the destination of Islamabad (Contact Shamim in case he has changed cities). Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Western Union may ask for Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
If you are an adherent of Islam (God have mercy on your eternal soul), you aware that Ramadan is upon you:
Ramadan (/ˌræməˈdɑːn/; Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān, IPA: [rɑmɑˈdˤɑːn];[note 1] also transliterated Ramazan, Ramzan, Ramadhan, or Ramathan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar,[2] and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief.[3][4] This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.[5] The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.[6][7]
The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ,which means scorching heat or dryness.[8] … ([Some Wikipedia links removed] Ramadan; Wikipedia; page was last modified on 6 June 2016, at 08:12.)
If you live in Pakistan and happen to be a Christian, Pakistani law forces you to observe these ungodly Ramadan rules even though your faith says Jesus Christ the Son of God is the only path to God. The fasting portion of Ramadan in Pakistan often results in massive heatwaves affecting Muslims, Christians and other Non-Muslim minorities that forbid water! Last year in 2015 this resulted in deaths numbering in the thousands. Christians in Pakistan are stuck doing the grubby jobs that Muslims find either abhorrent or beneath their privilege. You can imagine the devastation faced during Ramadan restrictions placed on poverty stricken Christians.
ISLAMABAD: Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a Muslim dominated country, where, it is imposed to respect Islam and if any one talk about its forced imposition, it can be considered as blasphemy. Minorities of the country are already living under the 24/7 threats and being dealt as second class citizen. Many people are being indulged in blasphemy laws and thousands have been facing such an insulting environment that made their life hell. Discrimination and hate are a daily routine matters, at work places, public places, eating places and other areas. Though protection is given in the constitutions the ground realities are different.
This evening, when every Muslim was greeting each other for the blessings of Ramadan, I was thinking about the minorities of Pakistan because willing or unwillingly, minorities’ living in Pakistan have to fast with their fellow Muslims. By means of the law the country forces everyone to go hungry during the month of Ramadan. In Pakistan, it is unlawful to drink, eat or smoke in public places during Ramadan. You can be sent to jail, heavily fined or may even be beaten by vigilantes. It’s a peak heat wave in Pakistan during June, with temperatures rises in the different regions routinely around 40 and above degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and the days are at their longest of the year. The government is trying to alleviate the hardships of the month long sunrise-to-sunset fast.
Last year, a brutal heatwave killed dozens of people in Pakistan. Many of them died of dehydration while fasting in sweltering temperatures. Even then the respect of Ramadan is mandatory for all citizens of Pakistan.
During the military dictator Zia ul Haq the Ehtiram-e-Ramadan (Respect of Ramadan) bill was imposed that prescribes punishments of up to three months in jail and a fine for people who drink or eat publicly. According to the tenets of Islam, [non-Muslims] are under an obligation to fast, they shall not eat, drink or smoke in a public place during fasting hours in the month of Ramadan, [as defined by] Pakistan law.
Nearly every restaurant is closed from dawn to dusk, and a shopkeeper can only sell take away food items. And if you are hungry or thirsty the only place for you is home. At offices, public and private places, [non-Muslims also] are not allowed to eat.
Basharat Khokher, social activist, said that the law is inhumane and violates fundamental human rights. Those who want to fast have the right to do so, but those who don’t want to fast have equal rights also. I am religious and respect Ramadan, but it also is not intended to make you sick or put you in danger. Sometimes it’s so hot, that we can’t touch the metal poles on the scaffolding without gloves. A laborer cannot work in these conditions without water, he added.
“We cannot allow the liberal people to secularize our country, our society,” said Omar Bhatti, a student of Islamic research. “The respect of Ramadan is mandatory for all citizens of Pakistan. There can’t be any compromise on it.” As for religious minorities; they live in an Islamic country and must have to obey its rules.”
Those who do not fast should behave as if they are fasting, Qari Abdul Qadir, a cleric said. “Non-Muslims and elderly or sick Muslims can eat but they should show respect for fasting Muslims and avoid eating or drinking openly” he said.
With the growth of Islamic outfits such as the Taliban and its representation in the region, situation have become worse in the past years. Religious extremism and intolerance are on the rise in this region. Now even hospital cafeterias and bus stands don’t serve food during Ramadan. And if someone found around eating or drinking might accuse of blasphemy.
Maryam Khushi, a beautician, said forget about Ramadan, I have to be careful about what I do in public throughout the year. What I say, what I wear. People become more pious during Ramadan and I have to be more careful, she added.
Ramzan Qadir, a liberal Muslim in Islamabad, said respect needs to be two-way street. “If the religious people can’t respect my rights, I am not ready to respect theirs. It is simple as that he told. “And when these people go to Europe and the US, they insist on their rights. They protest against veil ban in France, but they don’t allow Christians in Pakistan to live freely. I found it hypocritical.
The tiny liberal community in the country is not powerful enough to challenge the Islamic laws. Occasionally observed, it is not just involving Ramadan, fanatic Muslims have taken the law into their own hands and have punished Christians and Hindus for a perceived lack of respect of Islam. In either case, minorities of Pakistan [are forced] to respect Ramadan.
Be Blessed,
Shamim Mahmood
SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan. First contact Shamim in case he has found an easy way to donate. I like to use Western Union sending money with this LINK to the destination of Islamabad (Contact Shamim in case he has changed cities). Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Western Union may ask for Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
Shamim Mahmood writes of potential solutions to alleviate discrimination by the Sunni Muslim majority against Pakistan’s Christian minority.
Pakistani-Christians are horrendously persecuted in Pakistan via both extra-legal (e.g. terrorism and prejudice) and legal paths primarily through enacted Blasphemy Laws in this Islamic Republic. More egregiously the Blasphemy Laws are used as an instrument of false accusations for various reasons such as revenge, monetary extortion, property acquisition and such nefarious evil designs by Muslims against Christians.
Shamim is a great brother in Christ; however, his faith in the historical promise of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah of equal rights for all of Pakistan’s religious minorities. Particularly after Jinnah’s death untimely right after Pakistan’s 1947 birth made the equal rights promise a historical delusion. It is my humble opinion that the declaration of an Islamic Republic meant that religious minorities not bowing as dhimmis to Sunni Muslims made an equal rights promise a delusion.
Muslim love of the Quran that tells them to physically coerce non-Muslims through humiliation to convert or to kill them if they insult Islam or its pseudo-prophet Mohammed is a dooms day promise toward Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan.
A Muslim apologist will tell a Christian that Islam is peace and makes provision for the People of the Book which are Jews and Christians. And indeed the Quran has those provisions. Unfortunately, those provisions of the Quran spoken by Mohammed were abrogated by the Islamic prophet after the conquest of Medina. Mohammed grew weary of courting the favor of Jews and Christians and sadly and suddenly the moon-deity Allah began telling Mohammed to subject Christians and Jews in humiliation even death for insults. (Later one of four honored Caliph’s that assumed the reins of power after Mohammed’s death figured out how to sustain the then Muslim minority with a stinging protection tax. Failure to pay meant death.) Thus it became an insult for a Christian to proclaim Jesus the Son of God who died on a cross and was resurrected by the Father in bodily form at oneness with the Father and Holy Spirit.
In the Quran, Christians are generally referred to as “people of the book” and then in the various suras and ayahs (or chapters and verses) a number of references are made. In 2:120, “Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you till you follow their religion. Say: ‘Verily, Islamic Guidance is the only Guidance. And if you were to follow their desires after what you have received of Knowledge, then you would have against Allah neither any protector nor helper.”
In 3:56: “As to those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe torment in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.” In 3:85: “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.” In 3:118: “O you who believe! Take not as your helpers or friends those outside your religion since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed we have made plain to you the verses if you understand.”
3:178 states: “And let not the disbelievers think that our postponing of their punishment is good for them. We postpone the punishment only so that they may increase in sinfulness. And for them is a disgracing torment.” Hardly encouraging for the basis for a peaceful co-existence and a comfortable pluralism.
Muslims reject the idea that Jesus was God and consider the belief blasphemous (Sura 5:75). Islam says that Jesus was an apostle of Allah just like all the other apostles of Allah (Sura 5:78). The Qur’an says that anyone who believes Jesus is “the Son of God” is imitating “what the unbelievers of old used to say. God’s curse be on them; how they are deluded away from the Truth” (Sura 9:30). …
…
Islam says that Jesus was never crucified on a cross
There are several competing theories put forth by different Muslim scholars concerning Jesus and the cross. Nevertheless, they all contain the belief that Jesus did not die on the cross for the sins of the world…or anything else (Sura 4:157).
Muhammad, the founder of Islam, misunderstood what the term “Son of God” meant with respect to Christianity. He thought of it only in terms of sexual reproduction, i.e. that God fathered a child through sexual intercourse with Mary. Therefore he spoke out against it.
Christians also reject that God had physical intercourse with Mary, but we understand Christ being God’s Son as an analogical term. We believe that the eternal Son of God, one with the Father from all eternity, united to Him in one Spirit, “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), and took “the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). We believe in the incarnation of the Son of God.
Muhammad did hear the Christians proclaim Jesus the Messiah as God’s Son, but understanding or not, he specifically denied that Jesus was the Son of God. He said in the Quran,
Sura 2:116 – “They say: “God has begotten a son”. Glory be to Him. No, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: everything renders worship to Him.”
and,
Sura 9:30 – “The Christians say the Messiah is the Son of God, that is a saying from their mouths.”
Muhammad was unable to distinguish between the Christian belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Arab Pagan belief in idols as offspring of God, i.e., Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat, (these were idols worshipped around Mecca as daughters of the supreme God – or Allah). Muhammad misunderstood that Christians in no way consider Jesus – the Son of God, in the same way the Arab Pagans understood their idols.
I think you get the idea. There will never be equal rights for a Christian residing in a nation in which the Quran and Sharia Law define culture and society and its rule of law.
That’s my take though and not Shamim’s.
Should Shamim give up and quite being a Rights Advocate for Pakistani-Christians? ABSOLUTELY NOT! On Christ’s ascension to the right hand of the Father He gave a message to the disciples who were the minority of their faith in their day:
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[a] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.[b] (Matthew 28: 16—20 NKJV)
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they[a] will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.[b] (Mark 16: 14-20 NKJV)
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them,“Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.[a]41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.[b]43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise[c] from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24: 36-47 NKJV)
AND this is why Shamim Mahmood should NEVER stop being a Christian Rights Advocate among a Muslim Sunni majority that have been taught to hate non-Muslims their entire lives.
SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan by Western Union sending money with this LINK to the destination Islamabad. Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Western Union may ask for Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
Join hands to save the lives of Pakistani Christians
By Shamim Mahmood
Sent: 5/25/2016 9:47 PM
Islamabad (Shamim Masih):
7 And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 1:7-10)
The world has seen surly seen the oppression of Christians living in Pakistan. Since Zia’s regime, there are more than 1400 blasphemy cases registered and thousands of the Christians girls have faced force conversions and huge numbers of persecution cases were registered against religious minorities. According to the sources more than sixty people accused of blasphemy were killed before their respective trials were over though the death sentence has never been implemented.
Affected before partition of Indo-Pak, this section was introduced in 1860 [Blog Editor: See the PDF “Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan: A Historical Overview” Beginning page 9 for British 1860 blasphemy law & Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860)] and was meant to prevent religious violence. Prior to 1986, only 14 cases pertaining to blasphemy were reported. But later it is being used to settle personal secures. And thus minorities of the country have been facing persecution under this unsympathetic blasphemy law.
To me persecution of Pakistani Christians is aligned with other issues as well, like poverty. There are different options to get rid of long sufferings. Being an optimist, here are few recommendations, and I feel this is workable and can minimize the level of persecution. Major portion of this marginalized community lives in outskirts under/below the poverty line. Ninety percent of poor girls work as maids and thus become the victims of domestic violence or being raped. This leads to being forcefully married and are asked [Blog Editor: more often forced] to convert to Islam. A major portion of the youth are unemployed or work as laborers with a low salary or bonded labor. Practically speaking, any Christian working under Muslim bosses face discrimination in/on a regular basis. Even Isfan Yar Bhandara [or Isphanyar M. Bhandara] (minority parliamentarian) confessed that minority parliamentarians receive discriminatory development funds [Blog Editor: 2 articles on discriminatory practices with Development Funds – HERE & HERE] in the lower house.
Education is the first and foremost priority, go to school is a right of every child and to ensure the provision of an education facility can fix the problem. Church based institutions and other buildings can be used to educate the Christian community. Big donor agencies can take this initiative and I assure you after fifteen years, things would miraculously change. Drop out ratio has gone higher ever since the standard of the public school education cannot meet the required result and education at private sector is much expensive.
So provision of better employment opportunities to the marginalized segment of society is the only solution for a better future. There are a number of measures one can take to save their skin. For example; providing small loans in establishing their own businesses in livestock, petty trading, agriculture, stitching, embroidery, handicrafts and small scale rural manufacturing can raise the living standard of the poor population. This will help them start earning on their own instead of relying continuously on cash grants by some donor agencies/church based organizations. Any interest free loan scheme can alleviate unemployment and poverty from this marginalized segment.
There may be some organizations working on the same issues but we need to take as a challenge and start working at broader level. Otherwise there are a number of options youth can choose on their own, that may be destructive not constructive. So I suggest constructive measures can save Pakistani Christians as a sense of deprivation is prevailing among the Christian youth in Pakistan. And it’s an alarming situation.
Be Blessed,
Shamim Mahmood
SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan by Western Union sending money with this LINK to the destination Islamabad. Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Western Union may ask for Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
Shamim Masih considers himself a patriotic Pakistani. It often filters his eyes that the Pakistani government will someday protect the rights of all Pakistanis. That is “all” is in not just the Sunni Islamic majority but also religious minorities of which Shamim is a Christian. Many Christians in Pakistan look back and revere Pakistan’s founder – Mohammad Ali Jinnah – secularist minded Muslim who felt a Hindu dominated India would not be a fair place for Muslims to live in.
It is my sense that Shamim is realizing that an Islam dominated Pakistan will always be a raw deal for Pakistani Christians.
ISLAMABAD: With all respect to Muslims …… Multiculturalism is failure. And that was the reason for Pakistan. There is no point when Muslims migrating to Western Nations and imposing them to accept them or otherwise call them as racists. Do Christians migrate to Muslims nations? Do they accept Christians at all? Simply, no … But the fact is that Muslims do not let other religious minorities to live in their countries and to practice their religion freely. I am by birth Pakistani, not an immigrant; even before the partition [India/Pakistan partition 1947] my forefathers used to live in the same area called Punjab province. Somehow, in early 2000 we shifted to the Twin city (Islamabad/Rawalpindi) and settled living in rented houses, very obviously owned by Muslims.
[The best way to SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan is via Western Union sending money with this LINK to a Western Union agent in Islamabad. Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Include Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560]
Pakistan has become a Sunni Muslims dominated country and this sick mind-set has changed the concept of the creation of the country. Founder of the country, Mohammad Ali Jinnah struggled for a country where all people can live peacefully. He clearly announced that every person is free to live his life. On 12 March, 1949, the second constituent assembly of Pakistan passed the Objective Resolution which was proposed by the first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, proclaimed that the future constitution of Pakistan would not be modeled entirely on a European pattern, but on ideology and democratic faith of Islam. The legislative election in 1954 saw the Awami League coming to power and its leader Huseyn Suhrawardy becoming country’s first Bengali Prime Minister. Promulgation of constitution in 1956 leads Pakistan declaring itself Islamic Republic (official name) with the adoption of parliamentary democratic system of government.
Since then Islam phobia prevailed in the country and Mullahs are busy in spreading hate against other religions. Thousands of people have been either killed or sent to prisons saving Islam. Muslims believed that Islam is the only sacred religion and they are busy in saving it by killing others. Clerics are busy in giving fatwas and thus creating Mumtaz Qadris. [Blog Editor: Should be of interest – “Pakistan’s Islamic Religious Right Mobilizes Anew to Defend Blasphemy Laws and Try to Get Asia Bibi Hanged”]
Good Friday is a Christians’ ritual and its common practice that Christians gather for mass and worship God. Honestly speaking I am not too religious and do not attend church on a regular basis and on these types of occasions I usually worship at my home as I feel every man has his personal affiliation with his creator. There is more than one reason to it, as I am sick of so called pastors (religious businessmen) (will write on it later). So we, family members gathered for Good Friday service and started worshiping in our house. While the service was on someone knocked at the door, I went out to see and found the landlord there. He said that it’s not church and you are not allowed to say our prayer at home, if you want to [not] keep it [your home], continue [praying], better to leave the house. I explained to him that we did not invite others but [our] family members and [we are simply] praying on our religious event. But he was not satisfied and ordered us to leave the house. It’s not the first time, in June last year, when we gathered for my mother’s death anniversary, he disturbed our gathering.
Is this country made for Muslims only? Do we have no right to live our lives? Will justice be done? Is this a safe place for our children? I know that government issuing statements that minorities are given equal rights and some minority parliamentarians are doing the same. Some so-called patriotic [Pakistanis] claim try to show their loyalty by criticizing others. But my question is; where does a common Christian person stands? A major portion of Pakistani Christians are living below the poverty line and the same segment faces problems in everyday life.
Pakistan is a Muslim dominated country and Muslims have changed the societal culture by building mosques and madrassas on every corner but Christians are not allowed to build [Churches or pray in own homes]. In the capital, Islamabad only, there are hundreds mosques and madrassas are constructed illegally. The Founder of the nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, created this country and [proclaimed] given rights [for all religions]. But his successors have changed his ideology. These hardline clerics are defaming the face of Pakistan not we Christians……
The best way to SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan is via Western Union sending money with this LINK to a Western Union agent in Islamabad. Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Include Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
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Edited by John R. Houk
All text enclosed by brackets are by the Editor. All links are by the Editor.
On March 29, two days after the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Easter homicidal suicide bombing, I opined that we should provide more material support for authentic Christian Human Rights activists like Shamim Masih. In that post I highlighted the dangers that Pakistani Christians and especially activists like Shamim experience using the park massacre as an example. Below Shamim gives us an on the spot Pakistani Christian perspective of the victims of the park massacre.
[Repeat support info for the activism of Shamim Masih in standing up Pakistani Christians:
The best way to SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan is via Western Union sending money with this LINK to a Western Union agent in Islamabad. Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Include Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
Shamim Masih with a victim of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park Homicidal Suicide
I have extremely grave to report of a devastating bomb attack that has decimated the Christian of Lahore. A powerful bomb blast rocked the city of Lahore on the Easter, Sunday evening 27th March, 2016. The blast believed to have killed over 80 people and have injured more than 350 people. The explosion took place inside a busy park Gulshan-e-Iqbal. A large number of families especially women and children were present when the blast took place. Many of them are believed to be Christians as it is common tradition families to go to the local funfair to celebrate the resurrection day of Christ Jesus.
Pakistani Christians, “marginalized community” is frequently targeted by the Islamic militants’ organizations in Pakistan. On this Easter, when world was busy in celebrating resurrection of Christ Jesus, Pakistani Christians spent Easter evening in burying the dead bodies of their friends and relatives. A Taliban suicide bomber killed at least 75 people, many of them of minority Christian community and injured around 400 others, most of them were children and women, at a Gulshan-e-Jinnah, Lahore. In this tragic attack 18 Christians were died including two real sisters and 60 injured are from the Christian background.
A suicide bomber blew himself up in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park crowded with families when all were enjoying on Easter evening. According to the sources, in two blocks of Lahore’s Youhanabad area there were six victims out of 20 Christians of the butchery. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar[Profiles: theconversation.com, Wikipedia & WarOnTheRocks.com], a splinter faction of the banned outfits Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan[Profiles: International Relations Insights & Analysis – 1/2015 PDF, satp.org & GlobalSecurity.org] (TTP) claimed [responsibility for] the deadly attack and said that the attack on Christians on Easter had been carried out under an operation codenamed “Saut-ul-Raad” which will continue throughout this year. “We claim responsibility for the attack on Christians as they were celebrating Easter, spokesperson for the TTP Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Ehsanullah Ehsan [Wikipedia] said in a statement to local media. “It was part of our annual martyrdom attacks we have started this year, Ehsan said, adding that “we had been waiting for this occasion.”
Christians were hurt in Sunday’s attack because it took place on Easter but there were also Muslim victims, said Sarwer Masih uncle of the injured young man Waseem in Sheikh Zaid Hospital. Mr. James one son Naoman had died and another son Asher is injured in the incident. “We are all being hit [by] this, Christians and Muslims also, he said.”
Asher James (injured) said we went to the park and my brother was bit away from me and suddenly there was a blast and we were on the ground.
Waseem son of Ameen Masih, a college student, said his father is a sanitary worker in the University of Punjab but he wanted to continue his studies. He said he went to park with his cousin Bilal but we both were injured but we will be good soon. Bilal son of Bota had some serious injuries and was admitted in Sheikh Zaid Hospital.
Abraham Issac (his father) was another injured in the General Hospital and said he went with his friends to the park but he could not survive. Asia Bibi, 43, mother of Abraham said her husband is an auto driver and we hardly manage our [financial] living. She said we need much consolation, we have become tired, we are worried and have become scared.
Pastor Sajid Tanveer said we pray for the country that Pakistan should remain safe forever. We are Pakistanis, we love Pakistan.” Our Muslim brothers …. Those injured are crying too. When you become a servant of God, he said, you don’t think about funerals. You think about the Bible and taking its message to the world – life, not death.
The disaster recovery call is for friends to help as much as they can. Your donation will be used to support victims with medical, rehabilitation of those injured, trauma counseling and restoration of families who have lost a main bread winner or lay of work for some time.
[The best way to SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan is via Western Union sending money with this LINK to a Western Union agent in Islamabad. Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com, Include Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560]
Shamim Masih has been a long-term contributor to my blogs SlantRight 2.0, NCCR and Ubiquitous8Thoughts. I have posted many of Shamim’s submissions cross posting among all three blogs. All three blogs have a search element but annoyingly the search results are not in any kind of order but comes as a mixed bag of posts.
Every so often I post a plea for any readers of this blog to donate to the well-being of Shamim Masih. You might ask, “Why? What has Shamim done for me in America or in Europe?”
Shamim is one of the Christian minority living in Pakistan. Pakistan is officially an Islamic Republic with about 97% of the population professing to be Muslim. In 2005 an estimate of the Christian population was about 2.5 million souls. That was then 1.6% of population according to Wikipedia. If you listen to Pakistani Christians, the population is greater. If you listen to Muslims in the government, they may guess a lesser amount of Christians.
For such a small percentage of the Pakistan population you would think Muslim would not view their Christian citizens as a threat. But guess what? Pakistan Muslims – even the so-called Moderate majority – treat Pakistani Christians as third rate dhimmis worthy to be treated with humiliation and disdain. Even to the point of false accusation of blasphemy against Islam for no other real reason other than greed or vindictiveness. As far as a I know no one convicted under Blasphemy Laws has been officially executed by the government, yet some Christians have died in prison under mysterious circumstances. Murdered Christians in prison examples:
Pakistani Christians live constantly under the fear of persecution via vandalism, false accusations, rapes, forced conversions and some downright humiliating treatment for a human being. ALL just for being a Christian.
Shamim Masih as a Christian Rights Activist, a journalist and some lay ministry to Christians lives under these horrible circumstances with nearly no succor from the Western World which for the most part has turned its back on Biblical Christianity.
Shamim has shared with me that his activities have gotten him discharged as a journalist at the Daily Khabrain. I am unsure if they gave Shamim a specific reason but he believes his bosses fired him for going to Yohanabad against a direct order to write about the afflicted Christian victims Islamic terrorism blowing two Churches during services.
Shamim has also shared that he has gone on a hiatus from writing because he and his family have received threats for his pro-Christian work in Pakistan.
Here is the last communication Shamim sent to me to share with my blog readers:
Before proceeding let me introduce myself, this is Shamim Masih, professional journalist with diverse work experience from humanitarian to journalism. Many of you are witness to it that apart from my professional responsibilities, I have been writing for the voiceless community of Pakistan and raising issues they are facing. I have ever tried to reach the place where Pakistani Christians faced problems or any incident accrued, from Gojra burning to twin churches blasts in Youhanabad, Lahore last year. Remember that all these services are volunteers. No organization is supporting me in this regard, though I got many threat calls but I dare to raise their voice.
Unfortunately, this resulted in the loss my job (a regular source of income), since August last year. I am jobless and hardly managing my living expenses. I am a father of four school-going children and this year my children also secured very good marks and were promoted to the next classes. Sorry to say but I am penniless and don’t even have funds to purchase books, uniform and stationary for them. In this regard, if you can support me this year and pray for my job as well, [my gratitude would be enormous].
Kind Regards,
Shamim
Unfortunately, Pakistan is one of those nations that does not allow PayPal to operate in that nation. You can use my SlantRight 2.0 PayPal account link, but if you do so please leave Shamim a donation of substance. The reason being is that I use Western Union to send money to Shamim and that company charges me a percentage of whatever amount I send.
Here is the Western Union information I share with every Shamim Masih post:
The best way to SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan is via Western Union sending money with this LINK to a Western Union agent in Islamabad. Include Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
The Islamic terrorism committed against Christians is an ongoing horror in Pakistan. Below are a couple news reports telling you about an attack against Christians – mostly women and children – congregating together in a park in Lahore Pakistan to celebrate Easter. The death toll may be a progressive discovery. On Fox News on Sunday I heard 70 died. I have read early reports place the dead at 55 and the latest report that I discovered on 3/28 was 72.
The spokesman for a faction of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan said that the group intentionally targeted Christians in a suicide bombing which killed and wounded hundreds of women and children on Easter Sunday.
“The target was Christians,” Ihsanullah Ihsan, the official spokesman of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, said according to a statement obtained by The Long War Journal.
Ihsan also said that Jamaat-ul-Ahrar wanted to “send a message to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that we have entered Lahore.” The group has been operating in Punjab province for nearly two years.
At least 72 people, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 300 were wounded after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the entrance of the Gulshan-i-Iqbal park in the eastern city of Lahore, according to Dawn. Many of the people at the park were said to have been celebrating Easter Sunday.
The brutal Lahore suicide attack took place just one day after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the official name of the Afghan Taliban, released a statement entitled “Only Islamic rituals can be celebrated in an Islamic country” on its official website, Voice of Jihad. The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan has given an oath of allegiance to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has targeted Christians in Lahore in the past. In March 2015, the group claimed responsibility for the bombings at two churches in Lahore. At least 14 people were killed and 70 more were wounded.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar launched at least two other suicide attacks in Punjab. In November 2014, a suicide bomber killed 50 people at the Wagah border crossing with India. And in August 2015, another of the group’s suicide bombers killed Punjab province’s home minister and 16 other people in an attack at his house.
The Pakistani military responded to the Easter Sunday massacre in Lahore by announcing the beginning of a wide security operation in Punjab to root out Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. But, as noted, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has been active in the province and has conducted several high-profile suicide attacks there since November 2014.
A dangerous jihadist group
The leadership of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is known to have ties to multiple jihadist groups operating in the region. Omar Khalid al Khurasani, a top leader of the group, is closely linked to Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda’s emir, and has called for the imposition of sharia law and the establishment of a global caliphate. Khurasani has also said that a primary goal of the Pakistani Taliban is to obtain nuclear weapons. [See LWJ reports, Taliban commander wants Pakistan’s nukes, global Islamic caliphate, and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar celebrates 9/11 attack.]
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar split from the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in the summer of 2014 after a leadership dispute emerged in the wake of the killing of Hakeemullah Mehsud, the previous emir of the Pakistani Taliban alliance. But Jamaat-ul-Ahrar rejoined the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in March 2015. Lashkar-e-Islam, a group based in Pakistan’s tribal areas, also joined the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.
The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan is also known to have integrated key al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leaders into its organization. In May 2014, three jihadist groups – led by Matiur Rehman, Ehsanul Haq, and Muhammad Shamil – merged with the group. Matiur Rehman, who was put in command of all three factions, is a senior al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leader. The US Treasury Department described Rehman as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’s “chief operational commander” and as “a planning director for al Qaeda” in his 2010 designation.
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Pakistan: Taliban Massacres Christians in Easter Suicide Bombing
At least 69 people have died and 300 injured in a suicide bombing targeting Christians during Easter celebration in Pakistan. Most of the victims are women and children.
The attack took place in a public park in the Pakistani city of Lahore. A former Taliban splinter group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has taken responsibility for the attack — confirming the target of the suicide bombing were Christians. In 2014, the splinter group had reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS).
According to eyewitnesses the explosion took place at the entrance of the park — meters away from the children’s swings.
A breakaway Pakistani faction of the militant Taliban group has claimed responsibility for an Easter Sunday bombing in a park in the eastern city of Lahore that killed 65 people.
Ahsanullah Ahsan, spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, told the Associated Press that a suicide bomber with the faction deliberately targeted the Christian community.
The explosion took place near the children’s rides in Gulshan-e-Iqbal park – which was crowded with Christians celebrating Easter -local police chief Haider Ashraf said. He said the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, but investigations were ongoing.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar’s spokesman told media that “we have carried out this attack to target the Christians who were celebrating Easter. Also this is a message to the Pakistani prime minister that we have arrived in Punjab [Pakistan’s most populous province].”
The attack comes at a time when Islamists are rioting in Pakistan in support of Islamist gunman Mumtaz Qadri, who murdered the governor of Punjab 5 years ago. Qadri was hanged for the murder last month, sparking nationwide protests from the Islamic fanatics.
With a population of just over 2 million, Christians make up around 1.5 percent on Pakistan’s population. The tiny minority has long been a target of terrorist attacks, as well as persecuted by state-sanctioned Sharia and blasphemy laws.
“And their bows shall dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.” Isaiah 13:18 (The Israel Bible™)
Christians were the target of Easter Sunday’s devastating terror attack at a Pakistani park, said the Taliban-affiliated terror group which claimed credit for the carnage. At least 70 Pakistani Christians were killed in the city of Lahore when explosives originating from Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, detonated amidst hundreds of families gathered to celebrate the holiday.
The explosion is believed to be the work of a suicide bomber who entered the main gate to the park in the early evening. It took place only a short distance from a playground, killing 29 children and dozens of adults.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which swore allegiance to the Islamic State in 2014 after splitting from the Taliban and then switched loyalties again in 2015, said it had perpetrated the attack in order to send a message to Pakistan’s leaders: Islamic terrorism has arrived.
“The target was Christians,” said faction spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, Reuters reported. “We want to send this message to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that we have entered Lahore.”
Lahore, the capital city of Pakistan’s richest province, Punjab, represents the power base of Sharif’s government and has a significant Christian population. The attack on the city’s Christians, which came on one of the most significant religious holidays of the year, was the deadliest assault on Pakistani Christians since the 2013 bombing of a Peshawar church which killed over 80 people.
In addition to the fatalities, which are still adding up, over 300 people were wounded. The nation quickly announced three days of mourning for the victims.
Government and military officials immediately launched several raids and searches around Punjab, uncovering weapons caches and detaining suspected terrorists, said military spokesman General Asim Bajwa in a tweet.
While Pakistan’s Christians comprise only 1.6 percent of the population, they are the second-largest minority group after Hindus in Pakistan, which is about 95 percent Muslim.
Attacks on Christian villages, hospitals and churches have increased in recent years as Islamic fanaticism in the region ramps up and Muslims target Christians, whom they see as infidels.
Lahore in particular has been a target. In 2013, Muslims attacked a Christian neighborhood in the city and burned over 100 houses after a Christian allegedly made “blasphemous” remarks.
Islamic terrorism has become an increasingly serious threat to Christians worldwide. The terror group Boko Haram, a Nigerian Islamic organization active in Africa, is believed to have killed between 9,000 and 11,500 Christians since 2000.
In the Middle East, ISIS is known to massacre, kidnap and enslave Christians unlucky enough to be captured within the caliphate’s territory in Syria and Iraq, as it sees Christians as idol worshipers. In Israel, Christians enjoy religious freedom, but no one is free from the militant Islamism and terror which has killed over 30 Israelis and injured hundreds more in past several months.
The best way to SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan is via Western Union sending money with thisLINKto a Western Union agent in Islamabad. Include Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
Pakistan is one of those nations that does not allow PayPal to operate in that nation. You can use mySlantRight 2.0 PayPal account link, but if you do so please leave Shamim a donation of substance. The reason being is that I use Western Union to send money to Shamim and that company charges me a percentage of whatever amount I send.
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‘The target was Christians,’ Pakistani Taliban says of Lahore Easter attack
Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor ofThe Long War Journal.
Copyright @ 2007 – 2015, Public Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Pakistan: Taliban Massacres Christians in Easter Suicide Bombing
Breaking Israel Newsoffers a fresh and Biblical perspective on the latest news from Israel and the Middle East. Our bias is not liberal nor conservative – just Biblical.
The terms “soft target” and “hard target” are flexible in nature and the distinction between the two is not always clear.[2] However, typical “soft targets” are civilian sites where people congregate in large numbers; examples include national monuments, hospitals, schools, sporting arenas, hotels, cultural centers, movie theaters, cafés and restaurants, places of worship, nightclubs, shopping centers, and transportation sites (such as railway stations, buses, rail systems, and ferries).[3] Soft targets are contrasted with hard targets, which typically restrict access to the public and have “sufficient security countermeasures in place to provide a high degree of protection against an attack.”[4] Examples of hard targets include airports, government buildings, military installations, foreign embassies, and nuclear power plants.[5] (Wikipedia)
Shamim Masih demonstrates that Pakistani Christians are the soft target of Islamic terrorists in Pakistan. This so-called ally of the USA does nothing as a predominantly Christian nation to urge the Pakistani government to offer protection to persecuted Christians.
ISLAMABAD: Once again Islamic extremists forced sobbing parents rushed into hospitals searching for their children. Taliban insurgents once again hit a soft target at Bacha Khan University on 20th January, 2016 Wednesday. After a month Pakistan observed the first anniversary of the deadly attack on an Army Public School and killed about 150 students and teachers in Peshawar. Four terrorists entered the University and shot killed at least 30 including two teachers. Injured students said the toll could be much higher were it not for a teacher armed with a pistol that briefly held off the attackers before being killed. The attackers had chosen a day to attack when students and faculty members gathered at the school for a poetry recital to commemorate the death anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghuffar Khan, the activist and a leader after whom the school is named.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned organization claimed the attack through a post on its Facebook page, adding that four attackers were sent to the University. On the other hand, the TTP – Fazalullah group condemned the attack, terming it “against Shariah”. Banned organizations are still operating freely in Pakistan. The government bans an organization; it emerges with a new name, contests elections and even wins some seats and takes part in legislations. Lashkar-e-Tayba, (LeT) [HERE & HERE] banned in 2002, changed its name to Jamat-u-Dawah (JuD) and still working freely under the guise of a welfare trust – often along with Pakistan Army in cases of emergency and one of its main offices in the heart of Islamabad, the capital.
It is observed that recently Islamic militants had chosen and hit soft targets, [such as] educational institutions, worship places and minorities of the country. All Saints Church in Peshawar was attacked in which more than 127 people were killed and over 250 injured. Later; on March 15, 2015, at least 20 people were killed and more than 80 injured when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked two churches in Youhanabad, Lahore. But when happened next, the average response after these attacks is exactly the same as any other in the past. “They are not Muslims; terrorists have no religion, its conspiracy and so on. Such oversimplified; sweeping statements have become a part of national discourse in Pakistan.
Islamic radicalization has no boundary and it does not need any set organization, it’s a mindset; as a Pakistani Christian writer, I have been raising a voice against this mind set and when we talk about this mind set; watchdogs usually see and call to threaten for raising a voice of the voiceless people. We have seen such people from all walks of life. The most ridiculous of all has been the response of Ansar Abbasi [Anti-Abbasi but pro-Musharraf & Wikipedia) and Orya Maqbool Jan [Wikipedia, LUBP & Express Tribune], the same were considered as their negotiators back in 2014.
The year 2016 began with attacks against Pakistani Christians; five different incidents were reported in just first two weeks, on Sunday, January 03, Muslim youth disrupt Christians’ New Year prayer meeting. Muslims in a village Nawapind, in Pasrur who seized a church property have disrupted a prayer meeting at a private residence, a source said. Sources confirmed that local Christians obtained written approval from the district police office. But when Christians began worshipping, some Muslims heading Rashid Jutt reached there and disrupted the meeting. Local police officer, SHO told that police resolved the issue at a village council level meeting [See Also Morning Star News]. On 7 January, the New Apostolic Church in Bath Village, on Multan road was set on fire after New Year celebration in suspicious burnt copies of Bible in Victory Church, Kasur.
On 14 January, a Pakistani Christian man died while in the custody of the notoriously brutal police of Punjab in Kalaske, Gujranwala [Christians in Pakistan: 1/15/16 & 1/16/16]. On the same day, TMA worker in Sialkot was shot dead in the morning whilst cleaning the streets. Nazir Masih, a devout Pakistani Christian and father of five children, the only breadwinner was gunned down. He was struck by four bullets and despite the noise this many shots would have made in the constantly busy streets the gunman remains unknown. Four Christian girls were victimized in different areas of Punjab. Two Pakistani Christians asylum seekers died in Thailand during January.
Extremists are taking soft targets yet our government has not provided any security to churches and educational institutions in the country. Bishop Humphrey Peter said that the government did not provide any security for churches and other institutions. I have not been [able] to understand, where do we stand? What is the future of our children? Security of an individual is purely the responsibility of the govt.
Be Blessed,
Shamim Masih
The best way to SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan is via Western Union sending money with this LINK to a Western Union agent in Islamabad. Include Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
Correspondent, Pakistan Today – (About Pakistan Today), Blogger and Human Rights Activist
Shamim Masih is a Christian Pakistani Human Rights activist and journalist. In this submission not only talks about the continuing cruel persecution of Christians in Pakistan but also highlights the plight of Pakistani Christians fleeing Pakistan being abused in Thailand. The fleeing Christians are tossed into Thai prisons and treated in nearly the same conditions Jews suffered in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust.
Below is a video that sums up Pakistani Christian persecution in their homeland and continued persecution experienced as fleeing refugees:
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is predominantly a Muslim country with its 97 percent of population adhering to Islam and the religious minorities make just a fraction of the population with varying estimates a few percent of the total population. The Constitution of Pakistan guaranteed the rights and protection of the all its citizens. Pakistan’s Founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, apparently promised freedom for the other religious minorities in his address to the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947 and Christians along with other religious minorities agreed and believed his promise. But unfortunately it didn’t come true and Pakistan is now not known as a responsible democracy. Recently many banned organization have been openly speaking against the rival sects, and other religions, resulting in the murder of many innocents from religious minorities. Pakistan has had a growing hatred problem and most of it is being driven from within the urban/semi-urban centers. Although Article 20 of the constitution deals with the “Freedom” to profess religion and to manage religious institutions and 36 is about the protection of minorities and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of minorities but the unfortunate reality is it has gone worse because of the growing violence against the religious minorities in Pakistan.
Based on the 10 incidents which took place in one month (October 2015), only in Punjab, USCIRF urged the U.S. State Department to enlist Pakistan among nine nations as “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) – a designation for those nations considered to be the worst violators of religious freedom. These include governments that “engage in or tolerate” systematic ongoing and unspeakable violations of religious freedom.
In the recent years, attacks on religious minorities have increased. Pakistan Islamic persecution of Christian’s may not be on the level of ISIS; nonetheless it is still quite horrific. The long sufferings in the country have been worsened by a sense of deprivation among the locals, and an inclusive political system is unable to achieve sustainable peace and stability. Thus many Christian families like Hindus have fled to other countries seeking protection and rights to live like other human beings. But this is very unfortunate that Pakistani Christians are not being welcomed in Europe like the EU welcomed million Muslims.
According to BPCA, Samina, a Christian woman who had fled violence-ridden Karachi and sought refuge in Thailand. Samina died on Christmas Eve after she was arrested after her visa expired. She was arrested as part of an ongoing wave of arrests of foreigners deemed to have overstayed their visa and was detained in horrific conditions. Most Pakistani Christians, asylum seekers who were given that status by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR), but because Thailand refuses to sign the relevant Refugee Protocols that most other nations have, it does not recognize that status, and treats such Pakistani Christians as illegal immigrants. Therefore thousands of Pakistani Christians are either living in prisons or hiding places and if found are badly treated.
While I am writing this story, another man, Bashir Masih, reportedly died there. Sources confirmed that there are more than 200 people still in the lock ups. And many more are living a miserable life in hidden places fearing arrest at any time. Australia, Canada and many European countries have granted immigration visas to thousands of Pakistani and Afghans in the recent years. But the visa applications of Christians are turned down in thousands in the last year – 2015. In fact these applications are rejected without citing any convincing reasons, in fact many of the reasons [based] on frivolous grounds, which surprisingly cannot be challenged at any forum. Will the situation remain the same for Pakistani Christians?
The best way to SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan is via Western Union sending money with this LINK to a Western Union agent in Islamabad. Include Shamim’s phone – +92-300-642-4560
Correspondent, Pakistan Today – (About Pakistan Today), Blogger and Human Rights Activist
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Edited by John R. Houk
All links are by the Editor. Text embraced by brackets are by the Editor.
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