Silencing the Dissent

Minorities are still being persecuted in Sunni Islam-dominated Pakistan. This is especially the case for Pakistan’s Christian minority. Adding to the repression is a process of silencing online social media.

JRH 8/10/16

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Silencing the Dissent

By Shamim Mahmoud

Sent 8/8/2016 5:32 PM

Pakistani minorities under the leadership of Federal Minister for Human Rights, Kamran Michael are planning to celebrate Minorities’ Day on August 11. The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) former government had declared August 11 as minorities’ day; however, some minority groups chose to observe August 11 as black day to register their protest over the abuse of minority rights. Following the footsteps of the PPP government the present PML-N government has also announced to dedicate August 11 as minorities day.

On August 11, 1947, the founder of the nation Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah had announced the freedom for the minorities living in new born Pakistan. But it is very unfortunate that after sixty-nine years, Pakistan is ranked sixth on the list of the countries where Christians are most persecuted, according to the World Watch List 2016.

The survey conducted by Open Doors, an organization working to help persecuted Christians and churches worldwide, highlights the top 50 countries where it is most difficult to live as Christians. The report found that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws continue to be abused to settle personal scores, particularly against minorities, including Christians. A Christian couple was thrown into the brick kiln where they worked and burned to death after being accused of blasphemy, orphaning their four children. Two churches in Lahore were bombed, killing 25 people and wounding dozens. An estimated 700 Christian girls and women are abducted every year and often then raped and forcibly married to Muslims,” the report added.

The list ranks North Korea as the most oppressive place in the world to live as a Christian. It adds that in 2015, the persecution grew most rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa, while in the Middle East Islamic States and Pakistan violence increased the migration of the Christian population from the region. The index measures the degrees of freedom that Christians have to express their faith in six spheres- private, family, community, national and church life, while also measuring levels of violence.

The European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance has released its annual report for 2015 and showed serious concerns over the minorities’ situation in Pakistan, especially the issues pertaining to the country’s blasphemy laws. Giving reference of the assassinated Punjab governor Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti for raising their voices against the blasphemy laws in Pakistan, especially in the Asia Bibi case. The report expressed that although the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a positive development has expressed its concerns about widespread misuse of blasphemy laws and issued a detailed judgment warning against false blasphemy accusations and stating that in Islam a false accusation can be as serious as blasphemy itself, but unfortunately, criticizing the reforms to blasphemy laws in public was still dangerous in any Pakistan society. The report further stated that terrorist groups like Taliban have continued to severely persecute religious minorities, especially the Christian community, considering it an agent of the West and in revenge of the western intervention such as US drone strikes in Pakistan areas. The report also gave the reference of blasts and firing in churches in Youhanabad and Iqbal Park on the eve of Easter celebrations.

Earlier hundreds of the Christians houses in Gojra and Joseph Colony, Lahore were set ablaze. And twin blasts in Peshawar Church killed at least 80 and hundred were injured.

   

Where is Quaid’s Pakistan?

The report further disclosed that due to religious persecution, around 11,000 Christians are seeking asylum in Thailand. A Hindu parliamentarian claimed that 5000 Hindus emigrate from Pakistan every year due to discriminatory treatment, forced conversions and fears of their safety. The report stated that in the months of April and May 2016, it was also reported that as many as 18 Christians’ girls were kidnapped and forcefully converted in the Punjab province alone.

Due to the religious persecution thousands of Christian families are looking for their future in Thailand. It is pertinent to mention that European countries do not encourage Pakistani Christian visitors. Even these countries adopt stricter policy when find the applicant from the same faith. Most recently “World Youth Day 2016” was held in Poland and reportedly there were more than six thousands of applicants but the Poland embassy rejected a maximum amount of visa applications on frivolous grounds and granted only 400 – 500 visas to Pakistani Christians. The weird part of the story is that journalists’ visa applications were denied without any cogent reasons.  The officials in EU countries on the condition of anonymity said the visa officers had orders from the “higher level” to reject the maximum number of visas from the Christians background. It means, poor Pakistani Christians face the same behavior from the either side.

Cyber Crime Bill 2015

The Cyber Crime Bill 2015, tabled by the Minister of State for IT aims at regulating the online conduct of individuals/organizations. The Bill passed by the Senate now awaits final approval by the NA [National Assembly] before the president enacts it into law. The controversial Bill has been criticized by the IT industry and civil society for curbing human rights and giving enormous power to law enforcement agencies. It certainly intended to leash in the power of social media, given its increasingly transformational role in shaping public opinion and holding rulers accountable. No doubt, it aims silencing the dissent.

Be Blessed,

Shamim Mahmood

Diplomatic Correspondent 

Islamabad

email. shamimpakistan@gmail.com 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Eushaw 

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.

Blogger and Human Rights Activist
http://oiwerk.blogspot.com/

+92-300-642-4560

__________________

Edited by John R. Houk

All text enclosed by brackets as well as source links are by the Editor.

© Shamim Mahmood

About Shamim excerpted from a past email:

Greetings to you! Let me introduce myself first, though many of you are witness to my professional work. I am the only Christian journalist in this arena with diverse work experience with different media outlets like Independent News Pakistan (INP), as columnist with “Daily Times” for two years, two years with one of the leading Urdu daily, “Khabrain” & Channel 5, Daily Mail and now with Pakistan Today. I have been working as lead Reporter for “British Pakistani Christian Association” since 2010. As stringer I have worked with BBC world service. Being a Christian journalist, I have been writing on minority rights and working as a social reformer/peace maker as well.

UN and U.S. wake up to protect Ahmadiyyas

Intro to ‘UN and U.S. wake up to protect Ahmadiyyas’

Editor John R. Houk

July 6, 2014

Pakistani Christians are the ignored minority in Pakistan. Shamim Masih writes about Western governments and Western Christians being more concerned about the plight of other non-Muslims minorities and of Shia Muslim minorities more than Pakistani Christians. Ignoring Christians in Muslim majority lands is a heinous act founded upon political correctness and the Left Wing denigration of the Christian faith to rid the world of the Biblical world view that used to be the mainstay of Western culture.

The Ahmadiyya (Ahmadi, Qadiani or Lahori) consider themselves to be Muslims yet the majority Sunni Muslims in Pakistan have legally declared them to be non-Islamic. For Sunnis this places Ahmadis on the same level as Shias. Shia Muslims don’t like Ahmadis for the same reasons the Sunnis do not. Since all three groups consider themselves Islamic, I can imagine all hold Christianity in disdain. Ahmadis seem to be more peace oriented Sunni or Shia Islam yet they still consider Christianity a devilish religion. They just don’t embrace the convert or die principle of the two largest sects in Islam.

Here is an excerpt about Ahmadis which really began as a late 19^th century movement originating in present day Pakistan but then was British ruled India:

The Ahmadis are a Muslim sect which was founded in Qadian, Punjab, in the nineteenth century. Its founder was Mirza Ghirlam Ahmad, a Muslim who claimed prophetic status as the Mahdi or Messiah, in succession to Krishna, Jesus Christ and Mohammed. The Ahmadis accept four of the five basic principles of Islam, namely prayer five times a day, the Ramadan fast, the Pilgrimage to Mecca (Haj) and alms-giving. They do not accept the fifth principle, that of the Jihad or Holy War against non-believers. Many Muslims regard them as heretics and refuse to accept them as a legitimate part of Islam.

Today Ahmadis are found all over the world but the core community is in Pakistan: estimates vary from half a million to six million people out of a total population of over 96 million, but three million to four million is the most commonly accepted figure. During British rule of undivided India many were employed in government service and after partition many crossed the border from Indian Punjab into Muslim West Pakistan, where they continued to play a prominent part in the civil and diplomatic services and in industry and commerce.

Like many successful minorities the Ahmadis attracted hostility. It was felt by many that their influence in society was … READ THE REST (Ahmadis of Pakistan; FAQs.org – World Directory of Minorities; Copyright © 2008 - Advameg Inc. - Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

JRH 7/6/14

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UN and U.S. wake up to protect Ahmadiyyas

By Shamim Masih

7/5/2014 8:29 AM

ISLAMABAD: We learnt the story from The Bible, when Abram heard that his brother (Lot) was taken captive, He brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. Genesis 14: 14-16 (KJV)

¹⁴ And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

¹⁵ And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

¹⁶ And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

When Abram learned that Lot was a prisoner, he immediately tried to rescue his nephew. It would have been easier and safer not to become involved. But with Lot in serious trouble, Abram acted at once and rescued him. The U.S. based organization “The Human Rights Watch” reportedly asked Sri Lanka not to deport members of Pakistan’s minority Ahmadiyya community until the UNHCR had full access to them and determined their need for international protection. At least 142 Pakistanis, mostly Ahmadiyyas, arrested in police sweeps in Sri Lanka in June 2014 are being detained and are at risk of deportation, the Human Rights Watch said. “Sri Lankan authorities are threatening Pakistani minority group members with deportation at the very time when persecution of these groups is escalating in Pakistan,” said Bill Frelick, refugees’ director at Human Rights Watch.

It is good to know in the prevailing situation when the persecution on the basis of faith is reaching a high degree. A U.S. organization raised its voice to protect Pakistani minorities, but why they [did] particularly mentioned the Ahmadiyyas? Let me [be] clear [about] this; it is not the first time that U.S. people raised their voice for Pakistani minorities especially Ahmadiyyas not Christians. It’s common practice that the UN and U.S. ignore Pakistani Christians. Christians from Gojra, Kurian village, Joseph Colony, Lahore, Peshawar and other cities are seeking asylum in different countries but their applications were rejected. Despite registering with UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, these Christians have been given a shut-up call. Most of [the Christians] went [tried to go to other nations] or [are] willing [to leave], to save their lives and avoid future persecution. During the Gojra, Joseph colony and Lahore incident – [attacks on Christians], none of the survivors were given protection or IDPs [International Displaced Persons] status from UNHCR, neither [has the] U.S. has raised any voice for this poor segment of the society. On the other hand, hundreds of the Shia Hazara [Pakistan’s Shias Under Attack] community and Ahmadis are travelling to Europe, Australia, America and UK on regular a basis. Hundreds of the families were displaced during Rimsha blasphemy case and many of them are still living in tents in Islamabad slum area. They were not given the IDPs status at that time.

I have given the example of Abraham; he went there to save his nephew Lot, we as Christians are brothers. When we accept Christ as savior thus we become the sons of Abraham (father of the nations). But U.S. Christians (especially talking about the ruling class) has never been lenient towards Christians. The U. S. government and USAID have always been adding aid to the Muslim world, which means adding fuel to fire. While poor Pakistani Christians are still in pitiable conditions. In response these radical Muslims in [the] shape of Taliban are attacking [Christians]. Let me make it clear that all U.S. people are not in favor of Muslims; recently U.S.

congressman Rohrabacher has asked to ban aid to Pakistan for persecuting Christians.

Pakistani Christians have been facing discriminatory laws and persecution for the last two and half decades. The law and order situation is getting worse day by day. One can imagine; when Pakistan has failed to save its own sensitive installations from the hard-core terrorists, how come they protect the weak segment of the society when they are not even willing? The situation becomes more pathetic when the foreign office disowns refugees “detained” in Sri Lanka. Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam [Foreign Affairs Spokesperson] was unsympathetic to the plight of the detained refugees in Sri Lanka, saying: “These people (asylum seekers) obtained asylum in Sri Lanka by badmouthing Pakistan. If they are in trouble, I have no idea.” “I don’t know of any operation being conducted by Sri Lankan authorities against Pakistani refugees,” she added. [No Respite]  

In this situation, Christian countries should know and realize the sensitivity of the issues Pakistani Christians are facing. UN, U.S. and EU should honor its international obligations and allow their institutions to ensure that no Pakistani Christian is deported to face the risk of persecution or torture. Sometime we must get involved in a messy or painful situation in order to help others. We should be willing to act immediately when other need our help. 

Be Blessed,

Shamim Masih

____________________________________

Edited by John R. Houk

All info enclosed by brackets is from the editor. All links not enclosed by links are from shamim Masih.

© Shamim Masih

Special Correspondents

Daily Khabrian (PakBiz.com description) & Channel - 5

Human Rights Activist

Snapshot of Human Rights Activism from 2011

Christian Rights Activist
Freelance Journalist 

Secretary General of Information

Pakistan Christian Congress

Shamim Masih’s Donate/Support info:

Editor: For Americans especially, I have discovered the best way to donate to Shamim Masih is via Western Union sending to a Western Union agent in Islamabad.

FOR USD TRANSFER.
Intermediary Bank:                         MASHREQ BANK, NEW YORK
Intermediary Bank SWIFT BIC:         MSHQUS33
Beneficiary Bank:                         JS BANK LIMITED
Beneficiary Bank SWIFT BIC:                 JSBLPKKA
Bank A/c # at Intermediary bank:         70008227
Title Of a/c                                Shamim Masih
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FOR GBP TRANSFER.
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Intermediary Bank SWIFT BIC:         MSHQGB2L
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Beneficiary Bank SWIFT BIC:                 JSBLPKKA
Bank A/c # at Intermediary bank:         00010855
Title Of a/c                                Shamim Masih
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Beneficiary Bank SWIFT BIC:                 JSBLPKKA
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Title Of a/c                                Shamim Masih
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Pakistani Christians Doomed to Oppression under Islamic Rule of Law

John R. Houk

© June 28, 2014

I started this post as an introduction to Shamim Masih’s latest journalistic contribution about Christian life in Pakistan. My intro became too long ergo I am posting it followed by Shamim’s report entitled “Care for Christians in Pakistan”.

Shamim demands social justice for Pakistan minorities with his emphasis on Pakistan’s Christians. Some of the questions Shamim asks:

Will I be safe today? Do I actually have the right to live freely? Can I walk on my own?

Shamim is typical of Pakistani-Christians. As a Christian he desires religious liberty without oppression. As a Pakistani Shamim is wholly devoted to Pakistan as the nation of his birth – he is a Pakistani patriot.

A lot of Pakistani-Christians because of birth and once experiencing the British legal system prior to 1947, have a difficult time realizing the obvious. As long as Pakistan calls itself a Muslim Republic Christians and all non-Muslims will be second class citizens (Pakistan is a Sunni majority nation so Shi’ites are included in minority discrimination).

Pakistani-Christians look back to Pakistan independence in 1947 (carved away from India with the intention of providing Muslims political security from the Hindu majority of India proper). Pakistan’s founder - Muhammad Ali Jinnah – in speech stumping for independence expressed a desire for a secular Pakistan in which all religions and ethnicities were to be respected. Because of this even the Pakistani-Christians loved Jinnah and his legacy. Due to the nature of Islam, if Jinnah was ever sincere, I doubt he would have succeeded. At any rate the Jinnah legacy lives on among Pakistani-Christians because Jinnah did not live long enough to maintain the original Constitution. After Jinnah’s death in 1948 of lung cancer, Pakistan began to devolve into an Islamic State. Z.A. Bhutto (latter hung in 1979) expressly began to use Islam as a unifier of the Sunni Muslim ethnicities of Pakistan followed by the Quran and Sharia Law becoming the standard of the rule of law. It is my opinion as long as the rule of law is based on Islam, Christians are doomed to be persecuted and marginalized in Pakistan.

JRH 6/28/14 [Please scroll toward the end to view Shamim’s donation info]

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Care for Christians in Pakistan

By Shamim Masih

Sent: 6/28/2014 12:58 PM

ISLAMABAD: Social evil is one of the most brutal and biggest curses to any nation which plays the vital role in the destruction of the society in any country or state. Pakistan is amongst one of those countries which are facing various disparaging social evils which have affected the law and order situation in the country, national harmony and peace.

Will I be safe today? Do I actually have the right to live freely? Can I walk on my own? These are just some questions every Pakistani asks himself every day. But as a religious minority member, I feel 200% insecure [more] than Sunni Muslims. There has been an unprecedented number heinous acts committed against religious minorities lately, whether it be violence, blasphemy, rape cases. Justice is still pending for countless cases in the country and the state has failed to deliver what is promised since independence – equality and justice for all. Development is not mere statistics based on only economic growth. What position does Pakistan have, when the cries of the minorities are stifled and the meek are silenced? On one hand we boast of a nation and its unity in diversity and on the other hand religious minorities has no voice of their own. They are merely shunted to the periphery for the society.

Sometimes I feel nothing can stir the consciousness of the people. We live in a materialistic era where money presides over the social issues, our own humanity. We all suffer from the ostrich syndrome. We think nothing is wrong till we start suffering. We fail to push forward the need for a change, a revolution.

September 22, 2013, witnessed the most brutal act that created ripples of protest all over the world. Twin explosions at All Saints Church in Peshawar killed more than 80 people and wounded over 100 others. The heinous act was strongly condemned in Pakistan and the world as well. Many houses in Joseph Colony, Lahore were set ablaze including two churches. I thought that the leaders and police would have more empathy for the sufferings of the weaker segment of the society. Finally the Supreme Court of Pakistan took Suo Moto [Latin Literally translated, it means "on its own motion," and the term generally refers to a situation wherein a judge acts without request by either party to the action before the court – in Pakistan] action and the Supreme Court of Pakistan has brought smiles on the faces of the poor strata of the society.

The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan ordered the federal government to form a national council of minorities’ rights for protection of minority rights and ensuring religious harmony. The order further stated that those responsible for religious hate speech on social media must be brought to justice and children who face harassment at their schools because of their religious beliefs should be protected. The apex court also ordered the formation of a special force to protect of worship. [Blog Editor: Pakistan SC 32 page in pdf and in English]

Chief Justice (CJ) Tassaduq Hussain Jilani ordered federal and provincial governments to meet a quota of minorities in employments in all services. The court asked the registrar to form a three-member bench to ensure the order is carried out. The new bench will also take up any cases related to the abuse of minorities. The said rulings were made in the detailed judgment on a suo moto case pertaining to the suicide bombing attack on a church in Peshawar in September, 2013.

Although the CJ has ordered the formation of a National Council of Minority Rights the fact is - extremism is on the rise and especially when blasphemy laws are still on the statute book. If we observe the past practice of the government, it is difficult to say whether government will take interest immediately to implement the order. The past practice is minority faith groups including Christians, are frequently targeted and the misuse of the blasphemy laws in particular has been blamed for increasing inter-religious tensions across the country. And Pakistan was also named the sixth most violent place for Christians to live by leading persecution charity Open Doors. [Blog Editor: Actually the Open Doors WWL has Pakistan at number 8. I am guessing Shamim’s source for 6^th as a persecutor of Christians comes from Carey Lodge writing ChristianToday.com.]

Pakistani Christians have welcomed the CJ orders but ground reality is totally different. We've viewed the past practice of the Pakistani government and society, in this situation we can only hope that after clear and cogent instruction from the CJ, the Pakistani government especially during the PML-N ruling takes positive steps towards making minorities feel secure in the country.

Be Blessed,

Shamim Masih

__________________________

Pakistani Christians Doomed to Oppression under Islamic Rule of Law

John R. Houk

© June 28, 2014

_______________________

Care for Christians in Pakistan

Shamim’s report is an edited version by John R. Houk

All links and text enclosed brackets are from the Editor

© Shamim Masih

Special Correspondents

Daily Khabrian (PakBiz.com description) & Channel - 5

Human Rights Activist

Snapshot of Human Rights Activism from 2011

Christian Rights Activist
Freelance Journalist 

Secretary General of Information

Pakistan Christian Congress

Shamim Masih’s Donate/Support info:

Editor: For Americans especially, I have discovered the best way to donate to Shamim Masih is via Western Union sending to a Western Union agent in Islamabad.

FOR USD TRANSFER.
Intermediary Bank:                         MASHREQ BANK, NEW YORK
Intermediary Bank SWIFT BIC:         MSHQUS33
Beneficiary Bank:                         JS BANK LIMITED
Beneficiary Bank SWIFT BIC:                 JSBLPKKA
Bank A/c # at Intermediary bank:         70008227
Title Of a/c                                Shamim Masih
Beneficiary Account Number:                 405527

Top of Form

IBAN #                                        pk80jsbl9530000000405227


FOR GBP TRANSFER.
Intermediary Bank:                         MASHREQ BANK, LONDON
Intermediary Bank SWIFT BIC:         MSHQGB2L
Beneficiary Bank:                         JS BANK LIMITED
Beneficiary Bank SWIFT BIC:                 JSBLPKKA
Bank A/c # at Intermediary bank:         00010855
Title Of a/c                                Shamim Masih
Beneficiary Account Number:                 405527
IBAN #                                        pk80jsbl9530000000405227



FOR EURO TRANSFER.
Intermediary Bank:                         MASHREQ BANK, LONDON
Intermediary Bank SWIFT BIC:         MSHQGB2L
Beneficiary Bank:                         JS BANK LIMITED
Beneficiary Bank SWIFT BIC:                 JSBLPKKA
Bank A/c # at Intermediary bank:         10847
Title Of a/c                                Shamim Masih
Beneficiary Account Number:                 405527
IBAN #                                        pk80jsbl9530000000405227 Bottom of Form