Take a Stand with Christians in Muslim Dominated Nations

John R. Houk

© December 2, 2015

December marks a point when the spirit of Christmas motivates Christians to take on a sense of the Love of God and a hopeful future in Christ. Whether or not the Lord Jesus Christ was actually born as the Son of God in December or a more acceptable historical date (many historians think October) is irrelevant. The relevance is the meaning of the season.

Christmas is a good time to think of the Christians who are literally brutally persecuted even to death where they are a minority. Although Muslim nations are not the only place where Christians are a minority, it is in Muslims nations in which some of the cruelest persecutions take place rabidly against Christians. The ISIS genocidal acts against Christians may come to mind first among Westerners because the rarity of reporting on Christian persecution currently shows blips of ISIS slaughtering of Christians. If you know a way to aid these Brothers and Sisters in faith DO SO! If you don’t know a way, find a person or organization that does. Barring resources dear God in Heaven at least get on your knees and pray.

I have a Christian friend in Pakistan who is actually from Pakistan. His name is Shamim Masih. Pakistan Islamic persecution of Christians may not be on the level of ISIS; nonetheless it is still quite horrific. Shamim makes a meager living as a Christian journalist in Pakistan. Even though the living is meager, his activities are still devoted to human rights for his fellow Christians which includes whatever Christian love that can be offered on a ministerial basis.

Due to Shamim’s selfless devotion to the community of Christians in Pakistan (the Brothers and Sisters of ALL Christians) this is a good time to remember the work of people like Shamim. If you already support a person like Shamim, dear God in Heaven, KEEP DOING IT! If you have room in your budget to send some support Shamim’s way please do so. If you don’t have your version of a Shamim Masih, please consider supporting Shamim Masih. Especially during this Christmas season.

Below are the contents of two emails which were sent in late November to me from Shamim Masih. The first is a Christmas appeal. The second is a typical report from Shamim on the brutality experienced constantly by Christian Pakistanis from the Sunni Muslim majority of Pakistan.

Pertaining to the brutality of Muslims against Christians in Pakistan Shamim using a starting point of an interfaith harmony conference sponsored by Universal Nexus for Interfaith Trust & Engagement (UNITE). Frankly I am not certain how much Shamim agrees with my sentiments on the Antichrist nature of the Islamic religion. So I note with a dubious attitude toward the seemingly Muslim domination of this so-called interfaith harmony agenda of UNITE. As you will read below the conference took place between November 24 and 25 2015 in Islamabad. I’m cross posting the Slide Share presentation of this conference’s agenda for harmony between Islam and the religious minorities of Pakistan of which Christianity is one of many minorities.

Like so many Leftist multiculturalists and Muslim apologists, I find this agenda a bit misleading:

Slide Share Presentation:

Universal Nexus for Interfaith Trust and Engagement.

View more presentations from Randall Flynn

Here are some selected excerpts from the UNITE agenda from the earlier parts of the Slide Share demonstration:

o   This despite the fact that under Islam, the rights of minorities in Muslim societies are fully protected to ensure their complete security and harmony; and the same can be deemed ideal for any society. 

 o   In order to ensure, safeguard and promote the rights of non-Muslims as enshrined in Islam … 

 o   The head of UNITE is the country’s young, renowned religious leader Mufti Abu Huraira Mohiuddin, who is already rendering exemplary guidance by preaching patience and tolerance, religious harmony while educating youth about Islam’s progressive message in the country. 

  OBJECTIVES 

 o   The main objective – 

 o   Elaborate a clear connection between all the religions of the world with Islam. 

 o   Strive for peaceful coexistence between all religions. 

 o   Make aware Islam’s inclusiveness to all religions. 

 o   Encourage and promote education for the larger public benefit concerning religious education among the different religions. 

 GOVERNING BODY 

 o   The name, addresses and descriptions of the present members of the governing body are: 

 o   Sardar Muhammad Yousaf – Patron in Chief 

 o   Mufti Abu Huraira Mohiuddin – Chairman 

 o   Mufti Abu Bakar Mohiuddin – Vice Chairman 

 o   Sardar Shahjahan Yousaf – General Secretary 

 o   Jameel ur Rehman – Joint Secretary 

 o   Zee Waqar Ahmed – Finance Secretary 

 o   Sajjad Ahmed – Secretary Information 

Hmm … Does this sound like the Islam of the Quran, Hadith and Sira? “… under Islam, the rights of minorities in Muslim societies are fully protected to ensure their complete security and harmony …”

A deceptive Muslim answer is something like this: Islam insures the rights of minorities and fully protects the security and harmony of minorities. The thing is a Muslim fails to tell a non-Muslim is this promise is EXTREMELY conditional. In quoting the opening sentence of a pro-Islam website entitled “General Rules for dealing with non Muslims” the proviso runs like this:

Islam orders Muslims to deal kindly and justly to all non Muslims as long as they do not oppose or oppress Muslims or place obstacles in the way of spreading Islam. 

The key to understanding despotism in Islam is the part that says, “… as long as they do not oppose or oppress Muslims or place obstacles in the way of the spreading Islam.” The rest of this webpage tells you of all the justice of protection non-Muslims but fails in the extreme the retribution incurred for opposing or preventing the spread of Islam by example showing how much more compassionate your religious faith is than Islam. Oh baby just read the news to see how Muslims treat non-Muslims for breaking the above proviso.

Then check out the names of UNITE’s governing body. Every single one of these guys on this interfaith/harmony organization’s governing body are Muslim! Where the heck is the so-call interfaith harmony in UNITE’s body politic? The links embedded into the governing body are from me the Blog Editor.

At any rate moving on back to Shamim Masih. Please take a prayerful moment to contemplate on supporting his Christian work in Pakistan. Directly below Shamim provides an avenue to contact him to set up a support arrangement whether it is one-time or ongoing. At the end of the second Shamim email I provide a Western Union path to support Shamim. Sadly Shamim tells me nary a person has used that method so perhaps follow the instructions directly below.

God is good and Jesus Christ the Savior is Lord.

JRH 12/2/15

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Celebrate this Christmas Special

Share your joy with needy Christians

By Shamim Masih

Sent: 11/30/2015 10:38 AM

Make Christmas Special for Your Sponsored Child

Christmas traditions hold so much value in our lives. They help us comprehend more deeply the joy we sing about at Christmas—whether we’re building gingerbread houses, caroling throughout the community, hanging ornaments on the tree, or exchanging gifts, each tradition helps us embrace the miracle that become possible through Jesus . . . the firstborn of our eternal family! Christmastime awakens our appreciation for the ultimate reason for the occasion—the celebration of the greatest gift of all—Christ Jesus.

Many Christian families cannot afford and their children remain neglected. It really hearts me and this year I have planned to do something special. With your help I can reach many people. Many of you are witness to my services towards Christian community in the country.

This Christmas, you’re invited to share this incredible gift, along with some of your special traditions, with your sponsored child. Make them feel a part of your Christmas celebration. This year we have planned to support at least ten families.

For contribution, please contact Shamim at 92 300 642 4560 or you can email me, shamimpakistan@gmail.com 

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Elimination of Violence

Persecution against Religious Minorities

By Shamim Masih

Sent: 11/29/2015 3:03 AM

ISLAMABAD: There was an International conference in Islamabad on 24-25 November, 2015 [UNITE.org and UtahReps.net], to create interfaith harmony and better interaction with religious minorities of the country. It was just a public show for the vested interest of a close relative of the Federal Minister Sardar Yousaf [Wikiwand] and some other people. Practically the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) has shut down the role of Ministry of Interfaith Harmony and religious minorities has been facing the same kind of discrimination. Locally people see so little solidarity and harmony but religious extremists with a specific mind set continues to violate basic human rights with impunity. For the past weeks, we saw the continued horrific, religious rights violated daily. I just returned from Dist. Faisalabad where a Christian school girl, Sara, 8, has faced torture and was locked for an hour or so by her head teacher for using [school] toilet which is meant to use by Muslims only [Pakistan Christian Post]. This matter was raised in the Senate by the Senator Sharry [or Sherry] Rehman [Wikipedia]. Also Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani [Wikipedia] has ordered an inquiry [Christianity Today] on this issue but [so far] there is no result. A local Christian family is pressured to compromise with the education department. And this issue was dumped to death. Forced conversions, kidnappings and rapes of minority women is on and nobody bothers to look into this matter. Unfortunately some of Christian representatives are [too] busy to present a win- win situation to the West for their vested interests.

Tahir Naveed Chaudhry [Pakistan Minorities Alliance], chairman Pakistan Minority Alliance (PMA) has raised the issues facing minorities. Addressing to the conference, Tahir Naveed Chaudhry said that to create a better interaction between different religions of the country:

o   The government should stop discriminatory behavior towards religious minorities.

o   The government should provide minorities living rights.

o   Forced conversions should stop.

o   Minority seats in the Parliament house should be increased according to the population.

o   There should be a transparent and fair census.

o   Abuse and misuse of blasphemy law should end.

o   Discriminatory material in text books should be banned.

Chaudhry said that discrimination in the legislation shows the dual face of the country, when Article 25 [PakistanConstitution.com] protect the rights of all citizen of the country but Article 41[http://sja.gos.pk] restricts the minority members to become president, and 18^th Amendment has barred them to be the prime minister [18^th Amendment 29(3)] of Pakistan. Pakistan must stop its discriminatory behavior.

The New Year can lessen the trouble from the previous year for the Pakistani minorities if government takes necessary measures to protect minorities. We are witness to the year-round occurrence and continue to an alarming degree of the violence against the Christians of the countries. Persecution against minorities is not only blasphemy allegations but is an attack on their bodily integrity and their dignity. Police brutality towards minorities is no secret [Christian Post]. There are number of cases been reported the suspicious deaths of Christians without police custody. Lack of interest towards complaints by the Christians minority has created a recognized level of impunity that exacerbates the situation in the country. Political influence on the judiciary and police has extended the forms and ways to violence and discrimination against the Christian minority. Most recently, in the capital, Islamabad, PML-N a sitting parliamentarian reportedly has used its power to grab land of Pak Development Foundation ® (PDF) of 1.2 acre, where PDF is running vocational institute as well. The local land grabber with the help of PML-N parliamentarian registered a First Investigation Report (FIR) -134/15, at Police Station (PS) Banni Gala, Islamabad [Blog Editor: If not the incident meant by Shamim, THIS is at least is an example of land grabbing practices] against PDF management and Basharat Khokhar [Christians in Pakistan], chief Coordinator United Church Council Islamabad (UCCI).

On the other hand the refusal by police officers to even register an FIR in most cases raised by Christians, illustrates that western nation assessment of “sufficiency of protection” are flawed at best – yet the big sponsors i.e. Britain, the European Union and the US the current status quo will continue or reach a nadir [Assist News Service]. The West is busy in bringing Legislative amendments to enable speedy return of asylum seekers to their home country. Benefits for asylum seekers have been reduced and rules for family immigration are tightened.

People across the globe simply have to challenge their politicians to intervene on behalf of Pakistani Christians or eventually this attrition will lead to the eradication of Christians in Pakistan.   We need to place an emphasis on the universality of violence against religious minorities in Pakistan, the multiplicity of its forms and the ways in which violence, discrimination against minorities, and the broader system of domination based on subordination and inequality are inter-related. The value of interfaith harmony is that it serves as a time of analysis of the issue and then of re-dedication to take both short-term and longer-range measures.

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
http://oiwerk.blogspot.com/

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Take a Stand with Christians in Muslim Dominated Nations

John R. Houk

© December 2, 2015

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“Celebrate this Christmas Special” and “Elimination of Violence”

Edited by John R. Houk

Text and Links enclosed by brackets are by the Editor.

© Shamim Masih