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Friday, July 23, 2021

Discovering Asia Bibi

 

Asia Bibi 2021

 

John R. Houk

© July 23, 2021

 

Do you recall the persecution of Pakistani-Christian Asia Bibi? In case you have forgotten or never heard of her ordeal, she was a Pakistani-Christian laborer who dared to quench her thirst from an apparently Muslim-only well. The offended Muslims engaged in epithets against Asia’s faith which landed her in a no-win situation for Pakistan is an Islamic Republic. This means extolling any faith other than Islam is blasphemy. AND in Pakistan the penal code requires the death penalty.

 

The thing about life in Pakistan and the blasphemy penal code is that unscrupulous Muslims often use the blasphemy accusation to settle personal disputes with Christians (and other non-Muslim faiths) or to acquire the rare piece of property a poverty stricken Pakistani-Christian might own.

 

I was so enraged of the religious persecution Asia Bibi received, that included roughly a decade on Pakistan’s death row, that I dedicated much blog time to her plight and other persecuted Christian in Pakistan.

 

You can read the SlantRight 2.0 posts with this tag-search (sadly may not show up in order of date posted). One can also search my Wordpress version blog (NCCR) and find similar Asia Bibi posts (also not sequential).

 

As you can probably surmise, Asia eventually secured freedom death row and asylum away from Pakistan much to the chagrin of bloodthirsty Pakistani-Muslims who actually rioted over her freedom.

 

I recently ran into a Breaking Christian News story  dated 7/22/21 that was a CBN News pickup of Asia Bibi speaking via video to International Religious Freedom Summit. I took a look at the speaker list and was disappointed and discouraged many of the speakers were godless prominent Dem-Marxist Trump-haters. And yes I used the word “godless” even many of these Dem-Marxist profess a Christian faith but went out of their to support immoral platforms such as abortion, the LGBTQ movement, Communist atheistic principles (e.g.: BLM, CRT, Church lockdowns, etc. & etc.).

 

ERGO, I probably do not place much stock in the International Religious Freedom Summit as a paragon of Christian virtue or Religious Liberty for that matter. BUT Asia Bibi is a woman who stood for Christ even if it meant her death. AND FOR THAT, Asia Bibi is a Christian hero of faith.

 

Because Asia Bibi is a Christian hero you should think of picking up her most recent book relating her death row, freedom and asylum. The book was first published in French (A French co-writer) under a title that translated into English as “Finally Free” that was released in early 2020. English speakers as I am, can pick the English translation that came out in late 2020 under the title, “Free at Last”.

 

Instead of cross posting the BCM article where I discovered this Asia Bibi update, I am using the CBN original which can be read below.

 

JRH 7/23/21

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'A Messenger from God': The Amazing Way God Visited Asia Bibi in Prison - Now She's a Voice of Hope Too

  

Image Source: Asia Bibi/YouTube Screenshot France 24

 

By CBN News [staff]

July 21, 2021

CBN News

 

Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi, who spent nearly a decade on death row after being falsely accused of blasphemy against Islam, wants to be a voice of hope for other persecuted Christians.

 

As CBN News has reported, Bibi was convicted and sentenced in 2010 after a coworker accused her of insulting Islam after a dispute. Blasphemy is a crime punishable by death in Pakistan.

 

The 50-year-old addressed the International Religious Freedom Summit last Wednesday via video message, thanking God for her freedom and acknowledging those who prayed for her while she was imprisoned.

"From the bottom of my heart I am very thankful to the Lord, who has rescued me from my sufferings and difficulties," she said. "He has given me a fresh start and the opportunity to start a new life with my family."

 

Bibi added that she "wants to be a voice for Christian people, Christians in prison, and in difficulties."

 

She recalled how her faith overshadowed her fear.

 

"When I was in prison, I was very worried about my children and husband. I was not aware where they were and whether they were safe or not. At the same time, I had a hope in the Lord," Bibi explained. "Thanks to all of the brothers and sisters who prayed and fasted. Because of their prayers, I am now free."

 

Bibi has previously shared a remarkable story about an encounter with a bird that would routinely visit her when she was in her darkest moments in prison. She believed the bird was a message from God as a means to strengthen her faith.

 

"There is a beautiful thing that happens every day in my cell," she explained. "Two days after they announced my death penalty, I was brought into (death row). Every morning around 3:30 or 4, a brown bird with a long beak appears and sits on the boundary wall. This bird also comes every evening around 5. He sits there for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. Later on, he became my friend. I talk to him and he also talks to me."

 

She continued, "As I watched this bird every day, I tried to understand the meaning of him coming day after day. I think this is a messenger from God giving me His message. When the bird comes, I feel encouraged and peaceful. I feel comforted after his visit. I think this is a very significant sign from God."

 

Even though she was awaiting death in her cell, the bird brought her comfort and a glimmer of hope, just like God sent ravens to minister to Elijah when he was hiding from those who wanted to kill him.

 

The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening and would drink from the brook (1 Kings 17:6).

 

Ultimately Bibi was acquitted of the crime by the Pakistan Supreme Court but then was kept from leaving the country by officials even after a final bid from hardline Islamists to have her acquittal overturned was rejected.

 

Radical Muslims in Pakistan were outraged by the acquittal and threatened to murder her. Tens of thousands rallied in the streets and called for her death.

 

She was finally able to leave Pakistan in May of 2019 and was reunited with her daughters in Canada.

 

During the summit, Bibi pointed out that her "Christian brothers and sisters worked very hard for my freedom," and said she is "very thankful to everyone from the bottom of my heart."

 

"Let us join hands and stand together so we can be a voice for our Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering, and help them out of their situations," she said. "Like the Lord did for me."

 

In Feb. 2020, Bibi released a book about her years in prison titled, Finally Free.

 

In her new book, she writes about the daily persecution suffered by Pakistan's Christian minority and gives an account of the demeaning and appalling conditions in the prison where she was confined.

 

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Discovering Asia Bibi

John R. Houk

© July 23, 2021

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'A Messenger from God': The Amazing Way God Visited Asia Bibi in Prison - Now She's a Voice of Hope Too

 

© 2021 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization.

 

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