John R. Houk
© March 21, 2013
Shamim Masih writes this message that is dripping with the blood of helpless frustration for the lot of Christians in Muslim dominated Pakistan. Shamim’s description is that of the classic dhimmi status that non-Muslims must suffer through in Pakistan (and for that matter all Muslim dominated nations).
Shamim goes on to lament of the near ZERO support Western Christians provide Christian-Pakistanis when in fact Muslim NGOs and charities are flowing with cash via Western government programs. NONE of that aid flowing to Pakistan reaches Christian-Pakistanis.
At the very end of Shamim’s message he saves a sentence for Pastor Terry Jones and his supporters. For those who do not know who Pastor Terry Jones is; he is the person that has spearheaded such activities as International Burn the Quran Day, Trial of the Quran Day, promoted the sophomoric anti-Mohammed movie trailer Innocence of Muslims and various Counterjihad events. Jones is usually decried by Leftists, Conservatives and most Counterjihad writers all alike. Jones’ critics typically would name him as a Counterjihad activist but rather as an Anti-Islam bigoted activist.
Here is the thing though. I don’t care if Jones’ antics are viewed as bigotry because I view Islam as an Anti-Christ religion. On the other hand I understand Shamim’s criticism of Terry Jones as well. Jones has gotten a lot of national and international press attention even if that attention is disseminated by a Liberal Diversity Multicultural in a negative light. Jones’ attention eventually ends up on Muslim media. As you should know by now Islam wears its feelings like a chip on the shoulder and their religious leaders go nuts that a non-Muslim/kafir like Terry Jones would dare to insult their prophet, their Allah or their holiest book the Quran. They go so nuts that if they could they would grab Terry Jones and torture him with humiliation and chop his head off.
As Shamim Masih points out, in lieu of not murdering Terry Jones in humiliation, Muslims are stirred up to take out their wrath on whatever local Christians that can be found. AND that is the reason Shamim Masih mentions Terry Jones. The life of a dhimmi Christian in Pakistan is often similar to hell on earth. If one of us Christian-Americans were stuck in Pakistan during one of these death inflicting violent Islamic temper tantrums, you and I might think we missed the rapture and was stuck through the Tribulation.
AND SO if you are one that supports Terry Jones’ First Amendment Right to disrespect an Anti-Christ religion like Islam, we must consider the Christians stuck in dhimmi-like conditions in Muslim nations. We need to begin funneling money to Christian NGOs which often act as the only Human Rights organizations that put action to alleviating the second-class citizenship persecution that Christians receive on a regular basis in Pakistan (and for that matter all Muslim dominated nations).
Western support and I should say American support, is the point of Shamim Masih’s message I am posting below.
JRH 3/21/13
*********************************
Pakistani Christians and Western Interests
By Shamim Masih
Sent: 3/20/13 2:57 PM
ISLAMABAD PAKISTAN (SHAMIM MASIH): Its general perception among Pakistani Muslims that UN, USAID, British High Commission, American Embassy, Christian diplomats and other foreigners are helping Pakistani Christians, but the reality is different. Let me give you the actual situation.
On February 6, 1997, a religiously charged mob attacked village Shantinagar, district Khanewal in which about 800 houses including churches, hostels were torched. In November 2005, in Sangla Hill, about 100 Christian houses, schools, hostels, and Christian Clinic were burnt. On 1st August 2009, Christians were attacked in Gujra and 8 persons of a family were burnt alive and about 130 houses were turned to ashes. On 30th June, 2000, Christians were attacked in village Bahnamiwala, District Kasur in which about 102 houses were destroyed. On 21st September, 2012, Church, school and Pastors residences were turned to ash. And more recently, on March 9, 2013, over 200 homes of the Christians community of Joseph Colony in Lahore were burnt.
Ironically none was punished under the law for such gory episode; these barbaric attacks have sent a grave message to the already marginalized Christians. The sense of insecurity has alarmingly grown beyond proportions. The blasphemy law has been repeatedly used for settling personal scores, religious persecution, professional rivalry and for land grabbling.
This is not the end; large numbers of Christians accused of Blasphemy cases getting their lives rusted in the jails for years and years and there is no future to their children or other family members.
I am freelance journalist, Christian by faith and a social activist working for a democratic, tolerant and progressive social order and for socio economic and political rights of religious minorities especially for the Christians of Pakistan. I have devotedly served in the field of human rights during the last decade and have been raising their issues, persecutions, and rights through my writings, without any support.
I feel very helpless and ashamed when I received phone calls and emails from Christians all around the country for help in employment, protection on threats from fundamentalists, help for their children educations etc but I can’t support them. I remain silent for hours on reading email/news of the blasphemy victims who are behind bars or acquitted from higher courts but living in hiding to save their lives. The news items of rape and enforced conversion of Christian women make me sad and silent. I went to Gojra and had travelled to Mardan, when the church burnt there and went to Karachi, when Ryan was accused of blasphemy case and have reported on Badami Bagh incident as well; I write for the people whom I have seen working on ground realities, for example, CLAAS has been working for years for the Christians persecution, WVIP is seen during the Ryan case and others as well, I have seen Sardar Mushtaq (chief of LEAD), working for persecution without any funds, Basharat Khokhar was seen during Rimsha case, and I appreciate his efforts in protecting her during the case proceedings and I have seen him struggling him for Christian rights, but there are so many other settling scores. I have seen the struggle of Albert David for unity among Pakistani Christians. I have seen Saleem Khokhar, sitting in provincial parliamentarian; he bears ground to earth personality. I am helpless when hear the reports of Muslim culprits of gang rape of Christian girls walking free from courts. (Even those were set free who killed Shahbaz Bhatti ex-minister).
Role of our churches, local and NGOs: It’s time to think twice that what NGOs under Christian supervision, Churches and political leadership are doing? Where all funds are going which Christian civil society, Churches have been receiving in the name of poor Christians. How many Christian institutions are facilitating Christian’s students? Why are Western governments denying visas to acquitted blasphemy victims? It caused me to think; is USAID for Muslims in Pakistan? When their slogan is “From the American People” is all American people sending for Muslims? If not, then why is the Christian youth not receiving (on the link scroll down to “Pakistan”) scholarships for education, funds for business, employment in their offices? Why there is no program for Christian youth? Why do Western Human Rights champions keep silent on rape and enforced conversion of Christian women? Why is it that a common Christian has no reach to embassies and if someone applies for visa, why is it refused, because, a poor Christian has no property and no strong background? Isn’t it? Why is UNO [United Nation Organization] silent on killing of Christians and the attacks on Christians worship places? A million Christians are crying in Pakistan against the blasphemy law, extrajudicial killings, wrongful confinements and discrimination but UNO remains silent.
It’s just an example: I worked for “People to People International” PTPI and didn’t receive even a single penny on the other hand a Muslim running a chapter “Punjab chapter” in Gujranwala Pakistan, have got thousands of dollars and have done nothing on the ground. He got visas dozens of times and has taken many Muslims with him to many countries dozens of times. I applied for a visa US in 2010 and was refused. Furthermore not only this visa denied but my “Islamabad Chapter” was revoked just because of the reason of the visa application. In all of the UN organization and USAID, there are 90% Muslims employed and 99% of them are Pathans.
No one dares to ask NGOs like ILAP [See Also HERE and HERE] governed under Christian supervision, how many Christian employees they have? No one bothers to pursue Christian institutions in Rawalpindi when they push out Christian students for not paying their fees. Are these institutions just for business purposes or is there any sense of security/realization for Christians students? How many Christian’s students are studying in Jesus and Mary Convent in Islamabad/Rawalpindi Pakistan? We don’t have the right to ask our Christian politicians what they have done for Pakistani Christians. These Christian politicians were selected ones and their selection didn’t come in through Christian votes but rather through paying huge funds (collected in poor Christians name) to Muslims Parties. This practice of [buying political positions] is still going on……. They are too many Christians looking for a gateway through paying funds to Muslim political parties.
Pakistani media normally do not highlight Christians’ issues. This is why there is no powerful electronic and print media for their rights. We don’t have a platform to print or give stories about the oppressed and persecuted Pakistani Christians. I usually write for the oppressed and persecuted Pakistani Christians and I am thankful to the Pakistan Christian Post, Salem-News, ANS, Global Christian Voice, John Houk, and Wilson Chaudhry, taking the pain for Pakistani Christians and they are highlighting their stories/issues.
During my writing work, I have been receiving threats from Muslims but I am also being hit by the people sent by imported so-called Christian Politicians, who have delivered nothing yet wanted to stop me from writing the facts.
It is observed during the said time period that all these institutions have their vested interests. It could be political, geographical, or whatsoever it is, but not for Pakistani Christians.
This is less a criticism and more an appeal to all Human Rights organizations to take notice of incidents of victimization of Christians and support them. Because when your “American” Terry Jones burns a Quran, you don’t suffer but we Pakistani Christians do.
Be Blessed,
Shamim Masih
____________________________
What are YOU Going to Do About Christians in Pakistan?
John R. Houk
© March 21, 2013
____________________________
Pakistani Christians and Western Interests
Edited by John R. Houk
Links added by Editor and brackets indicate an editorial guess for clarification
Shamim Masih
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