Shamim Mahmood continues
to report on the plight of persecuted Pakistani Christians.
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Pakistani Christians with false hopes of refugee status
By Shamim Masih
Sent Mon 9/12/2016 12:20 AM
ISLAMABAD: Religious
extremism has gone to its peak since Afghan refugees entered in Pakistan. Due
to the terrorism Pakistan lost thousands of its precious lives and properties.
Religious banned outfits have attacked on schools, worship places, parks and
even on law enforcement agencies and their places. In the past years those
militant organizations have targeted the religious minorities especially
Christians. In the latest episode four suicide bombers, wearing suicide vests
and carrying latest firearms attacked the Christian Colony, Warsak Dam,
Peshawar but due to the prompt action by the security forces they were saved.
The Army Chief General Raheel Sharif played an aggressive
role in combating terrorism in Pakistan and due his proactive approach the
ratio has been decreased. According to the recent statement by DG ISPR Lt. Gen Asim
Bajwa, “[The] Pakistan Army has
eliminated the militants’ groups in the country.” But the very next day,
the spokesperson for TTP
JA [See Also HERE], Ehsanullah Ehsan said, “We have carried out the attack.” He said
the attack was a response to the Army’s spokesperson (Lt. Gen Asim Bajwa’s)
press Conference who said yesterday that militant groups had been eliminated.
Religious minorities in
Pakistan are already persecuted under stringent blasphemy law. Since military
dictator General Zia ul Haq added new clauses in the law, minorities in the
country feel insecure. And usually this law is misused and resultantly many
people including Muslims either being killed or suffering in the prisons. In
this critical condition, militants’ groups turned to attack Christians. Twin
blasts in the Peshawar Church killed more than 80 worshipers and left many
injured. Two churches were attacked in Youhanabad, Lahore that killed dozens of
worshipers and many were injured. Later on the occasion of Easter festivity, suicide
bomb blast in Iqbal Park, Lahore killed many innocent people.
In this itchy living environment,
four years back, persecuted Pakistani Christians started reaching Thailand seeking resettlement in
the West. Thailand was one of the few countries that allowed Pakistani easy
entry as tourists. And nearly 10,000 Pakistanis have been gathered in Bangkok,
and now most of them are living an underground existence. Alas, the UNHCR
offered false hope. The typical refugee waits years just for an interview, the
first step to receiving official refugee status. So far, no one among them has
moved on to Europe, America or anywhere else.
In the meantime, Pakistan Today reported that the Hong Kong delegation had contacted
the Interior Ministry to take up the issue of increasing number of illegal
Pakistani immigrants sneaking entry into Hong Kong with false hopes of “refugee
status”. According to the sources, the Thai government did the same about the
Pakistani immigrants. Religious minorities in Pakistan face persecution.
Christians are disproportionately targeted by blasphemy laws, often as
retaliation for commercial and personal disputes. Sectarian murderers are
publicly supported and applauded. Public response after the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri is a common example. The
Government has failed to protect victims and a “deep-rooted climate of impunity.”
Discriminatory attitude,
sectarian threats and attacks drove many Christians from their homes. Asylum
seekers are struck in Thailand and other neighboring countries and endure a
tenuous existence. On arrival the UNHCR typically gives them an appointment set
a year or two in the future; the date often is delayed as the appointment
approaches. Once the visa expires, the asylum hopefuls are unable to work
legally and subject to arrest whenever they leave home. The Thai authorities
stake out neighborhoods and raid apartments where refugees are believed to live.
Hundreds of unlucky asylum seekers have been ended up in detention and some
even died during the mean time. [See BBC and Chuffed.org]
Some welfare
organizations do their best to help refugees, providing food, sundries and
legal aid. But those can only assist a limited number of families. Many of the families’
flow ebbed after word returned to Pakistan that there is no easy exit from
Thailand, those already arrived are essentially trapped. They have sold their
possessions. But they see no path forward either.
The Europeans and the
U.S. have accommodated millions of Afghan, Syrians and Egyptian Muslims in
their countries; resultantly facing terrorist attacks in their countries. Why
can’t they bear the people with the same faith and values? [Bold Text is Blog
Editor’s] The only feasible solution is that the UNHCR High Commissioner is
supposed to make a designation with 90 days and should take up this issue on
priority bases. And the U.S. and other European Countries should admit people
who are not only in desperate need, but “who share the same faith and values”
as the people persecuted for their faith are among the best candidates to
receive asylum.
Be Blessed,
Shamim Mahmood
Editor Fire Magazine
+92-300-642-4560
SUPPORT Shamim’s
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Edited by John R. Houk
All links are by the Editor and all text enclosed by brackets
are by the Editor.
© Shamim Mahmood
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