John R. Houk
© January 19, 2017
On January 8th, I posted a Shamim Mahmood
submission. Shamim’s submission was a slim rundown on his advocacy as a journalist and
Rights activist for his fellow Christians in Pakistan. The rundown
is to demonstrate Shamim is a worthy cause to support. Pakistanis don’t make a
lot of cash and Pakistani-Christians by the majority earn even less.
By the way, Shamim is still worthy of Western aid that is
best sent via Western Union.
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 (Contact Shamim in case he
has changed cities). Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com,
Western Union may ask for Shamim’s phone - +92-300-642-4560
A well-meaning Muslim gal left a comment to that Shamim
submission politely claiming the persecution of Christians and other non-Sunni
Muslims was a myth used to get money of donors under false pretenses.
Below is that discussion back and forth between me and
Aisha. Then follows a query by me to Shamim about Aisha’s perception. Which is
followed by Shamim’s email response.
this is a blatant lie just to raise money, in fact there are
Christians in my area and they are very safe and happy with their families. We
have good relations with each other, we share our happy and sad moments with
each other, we eat together and celebrate together.
This is a failed try to snatch money from people.
+Aisha Khan Aisha I am guessing you are a Muslim. If my
guess is correct, I can make a couple of assumptions from your comment:
1) You are a deluded Muslim with your head in the sand.
2) You are a Muslim Propagandist spreading deceit about the actual brutality of Sunni Muslims against all Pakistani minorities not just Christians (Ironically Pakistani Sunnis also are brutal toward Pakistani Shias & Ahmadiyyas - both of which consider themselves Muslims).
Aisha, this blog is full of reports about Muslim brutality
against Christians not only in Pakistan but also in other Muslim dominated
nations. To allude anything else is the actual lie.
Indeed Aisha, here is a link of the most recent use of the Pakistan Blasphemy Law that is obviously a FALSE allegation against a Christian man:
Indeed Aisha, here is a link of the most recent use of the Pakistan Blasphemy Law that is obviously a FALSE allegation against a Christian man:
http://www.assistnews.net/index.php/component/k2/item/2524-pakistan-illiterate-christian-man-from-lahore-accused-of-blasphemy.
Using the Blasphemy Law as a vendetta is legalized terrorism, because the accused is imprisoned under horrendous conditions awaiting a death sentence or is suspiciously and mysteriously murdered awaiting the execution of a death sentence.
Using the Blasphemy Law as a vendetta is legalized terrorism, because the accused is imprisoned under horrendous conditions awaiting a death sentence or is suspiciously and mysteriously murdered awaiting the execution of a death sentence.
+John Houk Absolutely I’m a Muslimah and I’m telling you the
truth, there are many Christian families in my area and they are quite safe and
happy with their families. They are doing Jobs in various Govt. institutions
and also their private jobs. What you are telling me is a different situation
and can happen in any country. For example we all know about the wave of
terrorism in Pakistan. A large number of Muslims were killed, injured in
various bomb blasts and other terrorist attacks. But we can't blame other sects
for this act.
We also know that America a Christian country is killing thousands of innocent people including women and children in Iraq, Afghanistan and many other countries. In the name of peace they are waging war on Muslims but we are not blaming Christians for this act of terror.
I also know there are black sheep in every community, there may be some misguided Muslims who are involved in such wrong acts but we can't blame the whole Sunni Muslims for personal act of any individual or a group of people.
Also, we have to respect each other’s faith. No one has the right to insult or humiliate other people’s faith. We must avoid such provoking acts which leads to an anarchy and crises like situation.
I think this is much worse to use a few events and get emotional sympathies of people to snatch some money.
I think this more worse than the act committed by some ignorant individuals.
I condemn both of them.
Dear Shamim
I have been having a G+ discussion with one Aisha Khan about the last submission you sent to me
entitled “Keep Shamim Reporting”. The
conversation has been quite polite, but she (I assume “she” in case I am
mistaken) claims your position of Sunni-Muslims persecuting religious
minorities in Pakistan is a lie. And quote:
“this is a blatant lie just
to raise money, in fact there are Christians in my area and they very safe and
happy with their families.”
I read reports from other sources other than just yours;
hence, I conclude there is a huge persecution problem in Pakistan. Nonetheless,
she seems quite sincere in her belief. Below is the entire discussion between
me and her to date on the G+ Community Anti-Islam:
My knee-jerk reaction is that Aisha is calling you and me a
liar. An American colloquialism describes my emotion to being called a liar;
viz., “That chaps my hide.” So, I am going to cool off about a day and
blog this interaction with some further thoughts from myself. If you have any
thoughts between now and the time I begin to construct an edited post, you are
more than welcome to provide your perspective
+++
Shamim Mahmood
RE: Aisha Khan - Pakistani Muslim
1/16/2017 8:14 PM
Dear Brother John
I think the World is witness to it that how much Christians
and other religious minorities are safe [tongue-in-cheek sarcasm] in
Pakistan. The level of persecution is clearly reported and it's not only me,
others have reported as well.
Seven members of [one] family in Gojra and a Christian
couple in Kot Radha Kishan were burnt alive on false blasphemy accusations.
Joseph Colony Lahore where more than 70 houses, including
two Churches, were set ablaze.
Even today, Christians are treated as second-class citizens and
in the [Pakistan] Constitution discrimination is clearly seen.
John, she is right that in many areas Christians and Muslims
are living together and share their happiness and sorrows, but when it comes to
a matter of religion these – Muslims - do not hesitate for a second to kill or
persecute minorities. And especially this kind of (Aisha) people become
more aggressive and hit first.
Yes, there are broad minded and liberal Muslims but they are
very few.
I've visited her G+ that clearly gives a message of her
openness. Secondly brother, you know how much money I have raised, but issues
Christians are facing [result in] day by day persecution.
Thanks now I'm going to take tea.
God bless you,
Shamim
+++
A Few Thoughts to Aisha’s 1/16/17
January 19, 2017
John R. Houk
Aisha wrote:
We also know that America a
Christian country is killing thousands of innocent people including women and
children in Iraq, Afghanistan and many other countries. In the name of peace
they are waging war on Muslims but we are not blaming Christians for this act
of terror.
Aisha consider the facts behind these quotes:
Thirty civilians have been
killed in northern Afghanistan during an Afghan special forces mission
supported by Nato, an Afghan spokesman says.
Provincial officials say many of
the deaths were caused by Nato air strikes.
The air support was called in after
troops were surrounded by Taliban militants, who took shelter in civilian
homes, the spokesman said.
…
"US forces conducted strikes
in Kunduz to defend friendly forces. All civilian casualty claims will be
investigated," the Nato-led Resolute Support mission said.
…
A further 25 civilians were wounded
in the operation in Kunduz, Mr Danish said, and 26 Taliban fighters were
killed, including two commanders. The Taliban say only three of their fighters
were killed.
US soldiers killed
The US military said its soldiers
died after coming under fire during a mission to clear a Taliban position.
Two other US soldiers were wounded,
it said. General John Nicholson said the soldiers' loss was
"heartbreaking".
Taliban fighters came close to
overrunning Kunduz city last month and the security situation in the area
remains febrile. The insurgents control large areas of the province around the
city.
US combat operations against the
Taliban officially ended in 2014 but special forces have continued to provide
support to Afghan troops.
Afghan forces have suffered
thousands of casualties, with more than 5,500 killed in the first eight months
of 2016. –READ ENTIRETY (Afghanistan
Nato: '30 civilians killed' during Taliban fighting; By Reuters; BBC;
11/3/16)
And more …
The war in Afghanistan continues
destroying lives, due to the direct consequences of violence and the
war-induced breakdown of public health, security, and infrastructure. Civilians
have been killed by crossfire, improvised explosive devices (IEDs),
assassinations, bombings, and night raids into houses of suspected
insurgents. Even in the absence of fighting, unexploded ordnance from
previous wars and United States cluster bombs continue to kill.
…
About 104,000 people have
been killed in the Afghanistan war since 2001. More than 31,000 of
those killed have been civilians. An additional 41,000 civilians have
been injured since 2001. –READ ENTIRETY (AFGHAN
CIVILIANS; WATSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND
PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
And more …
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — A joint
military operation in northern Afghanistan in early November killed 33 Afghan
civilians and wounded 27, the U.S. military said Thursday in releasing details
of its investigation into the incident.
The attack in Boz village in
restive Kunduz province flattened dozens of houses, residents and Taliban
insurgents said. The joint operation was conducted to capture Taliban leaders
who were plotting to seize the provincial capital of Kunduz, Afghan and U.S.
military officials said.
"To defend themselves and
Afghan forces, U.S. forces returned fire in self-defense at Taliban who were using
civilian houses as firing positions," U.S. military officials said.
…
Afghan special forces had
planned the raid against the Taliban hideout in Kunduz with the help of a small
group of American military advisers. But the insurgents swiftly engaged
them, opening fire from multiple civilian buildings, the U.S. military said in
its investigation. [Blog Editor: Emphasis Mine]
"U.S. and Afghan forces were
forced to request aerial fire support from U.S. platforms in self-defense.
Aerial fires were also used to suppress Taliban who were firing on U.S. medical
evacuation assets as the dead and wounded were evacuated," it said. –READ ENTIRETY (US
Confirms Airstrike Killed 33 Afghan Civilians in Kunduz; By Ayaz Gul; VOA;
Last Updated 1/12/17 7:29 PM)
In Iraq …
Another person said: “Before
blaming Muslims for Isis, remember that Isis terrorist attacks is targeting
more Muslims than any other groups.”
Many people were sharing an image
bearing the slogan: “Isis is bombing Muslims in Muslim countries in the holy
month of Ramadan. And you still say Isis represents Islam?”
…
Like in other recent attacks, Isis’
initial propaganda claim said it targeted a “gathering of the Popular
Mobilisation” Committees – predominantly Shia armed groups fighting its
militants alongside Iraqi security forces.
But authorities say there were many
women and children among the civilian victims, and a later statement from the
organisation made it clear religion was the target, saying: “The raids of the
mujahedeen [holy warriors] against the Rafidha [Shia] apostates will not stop.”
…
Shias were also the main victims of
Isis’ deadliest ever attack in Iraq, when militants massacred 670 prisoners in
a raid in Badush in June 2014.
A handful of survivors recounted
jihadists separating Shias and other religious minorities, driving them into
the desert and lining them up on the edge of a ravine before opening fire with
machine guns.
There are no definitive figures on
the number of Muslims or other religious denominations killed by Isis but the
huge number of Iraqi victims, where 99 per cent of the population is Muslim,
suggests that the religion makes up by far the largest proportion of the dead. –READ ENTIRETY (Baghdad
bombing: Iraqis remind world that most of Isis' victims are Muslims after more
than 160 killed; By Lizzie Dearden; Independent; 7/5/16)
American involvement in Iraq …
…
The rate of Iraqi civilian deaths
caused by US-led coalition forces has declined steadily from 2009, while the
rate caused by Iraqi state forces has increased, with deaths resulting directly
from actions involving US-led coalition forces falling to their smallest number
ever, at a total of 19 reported by year end (down from 32 in
2010), and deaths involving Iraqi forces rising from 98 in 2010 to 147 in
2011.
…
Total deaths with combatants,
combining IBC and official records:
Combining IBC civilian data with
official Iraqi and US combatant death figures and data from the Iraq War Logs
released by WikiLeaks, we estimate the documented death toll across all
categories since March 2003 to be 162,000, of whom 79% were civilians.
Most deadly period of violence:
Iraq's violence peaked in late 2006
but was sustained at high levels until the second half of 2008 – nearly 90% of
the deaths occurred by 2009.
Civilians killed by Gunfire Explosives Air
attacks 2003 – 2011 by quarter Download data
64,575 of the civilian dead
were reported killed by small arms gunfire; 39,273 by explosive
weapons (such as IEDs, suicide attacks, and aerial bombardment); and 5,820by
airstrikes (including cannon-fire, bombs and missiles).
Children killed:
Of the 45,779 victims for whom IBC
was able to obtain age data, 3,911 (8.54%) were children under age 18.
Most-targeted group:
Police forces have been a major
target, with 9,609 deaths reported - by far the largest toll of any
professional group.
…
Civilians killed by US-led
coalition
US forces killed far more Iraqi
civilians than any other members of the US-led coalition, including various
Iraqi military forces acting with or independently of them.3 The data on
US forces killings show:
Total deaths from coalition
forces:
15,141 (13%) of all documented
civilian deaths were reported as being directly caused by the US-led coalition.
Children killed by coalition
forces:
Of the 4,040 civilian victims of
US-led coalition forces for whom age data was available, 1,201 (29%) were
children.
…
Ø Iraq Body Count 2003-2011 -- 114,212
Ø Iraq War Logs new 'Civilian' and comparable 'Host Nation'
remaining - central estimate -- 13,750
Ø Iraq War Logs ‘Host Nation’ combatant - central estimate -- 5,575
Ø Iraq War Logs ‘Enemy’ (minus IBC overlaps) - central estimate
-- 20,499
Ø Insurgents killed June-December 2003 -- 597
Ø Insurgents killed May 2004 -- 652
Ø Insurgents & Iraqi soldiers killed March 2009 -- 59
Ø Insurgents & Iraqi soldiers killed 2010–2011 – 2,187
Ø TOTAL IRAQI -- 157,531
Ø US & Coalition military killed 2003–2011 -- 4,802
Ø TOTAL -- 162,333
Official statistics
Official figures released monthly
by Iraqi ministries continue to be lower than IBC’s, as in previous years, and
this year more so than last. 7 However, longer-term official figures
released in 2009 by the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights show somewhat higher
totals than IBC for 2004-6. This indicates, as does the WikiLeaks-published US
military database, that a full accounting for the entire period from 2003 will
be above, not below, IBC's present count. Unfortunately official Iraqi data is
presented in aggregate form, whereas IBC's numbers are obtained from incidents
individually listed on its website. This not only makes them open to public
scrutiny for verification or amendment, but would allow item-by-item
cross-referencing against other, similarly detailed sources.
Aisha the reality about war is this: WAR IS HELL.
The history of war demonstrates civilians – innocent and
not so innocent sympathizers to the enemy – is an inevitable reality. When
you say Americans kill civilian men, women and children, it is a true
statement. BUT it is also true that not only have Muslims killed Christians and
other religious minorities in in Muslim dominated populations, they have killed
themselves.
One thing to consider in Aisha’s concerns about civilian
deaths by American hands IS THIS: The United States of America would not have
invaded Afghanistan if the Taliban government had not stood by Usama bin Laden
and al Qaeda after about 3,000 (plus) civilians on
American soil with hijacked jet airliners on September 11, 2001 (WE call
that cowardly infamous day “911”). If that attack had never occurred on
American soil, our military would never have invaded Afghanistan. And if we
never invaded Afghanistan, it is unlikely the U.S. would have invaded Iraq
based on rumors of Weapons of Mass Destruction being manufactured by Saddam
Hussein.
Aisha on a personal note I have to ask: What makes you think
Christians and Jews can live continuously in peace side by side? Are you not
aware that your prophet Muhammad’s last words in the Quran was to kill
Christians and Jews? According Islamic theology, Muhammad’s last words abrogate
any previous words of peace toward those he called the People of the Book.
Do you hear without cringing the Church bells ringing
calling Christians to assemble and worship God openly and with loud reverence?
How many Jewish Synagogues operate openly in Pakistan or any Muslim dominated
society? What happens in Pakistan if a Christian publicly announces Jesus
Christ is the Son of God and the only path to Salvation from a Satan dominated
world? You have to realize a Christian not brainwashed by centuries of Islamic
Supremicism would tell a Muslim that Muhammad was a false prophet for claiming
Jesus was not the Son of God?
If you want more trust from Americans that consider
themselves Christians and/or Jews, Muslim must reform their theology to not
condemn others for blaspheming Islam. Just as Christians in America not knowing
just how intolerant Islam is, are more than willing to accept a Mosque,
Synagogue, Buddhist Temple or even a brainwashing religious cult to be on the
same street as a Church. Christians may not like the idea and perhaps protest
such a building that denies Christ as the Son of God, but Christians would not
riot en masse over the situation resulting assault, property damage or murder.
Something to think about Aisha next time your news tells
your peaceful Muslim/Christian community that Christians were slaughtered because
they may have offended the Quran, Islam, Allah or Muhammad.
JRH 1/19/17
