[HT Forum] Fw: CLAAS News

Fri Apr 11 07:41:21 EDT 2008

Hi all,

As CLAAS is one of our mission partners at HT, I have forward this news report for information and prayers. God bless.

Wilson

----Original Message----
From: info at claas.org.uk
Date: 11/04/2008 12:28 
To: <wilson.gill at htaylesbury.org>
Subj: CLAAS News

Pakistan Christian Alert

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Pakistan Christian Alert

CLAAS UK Director – “Change Must Come” 
Initial Report of a Rape Incident
CLAAS’ Pakistan Director and staff unharmed after violent mob attack 
Report from Father Bonnie Mendes on bomb blast in Lahore 
Pakistan listed by Foreign Office as human rights “Country of Concern” 

CLAAS UK Director – “Change Must Come” 

CLAAS UK Director Nasir Saaed returned last week from a fact finding visit to Pakistan. He described the mood of Christians there as “pessimistic” about the Pakistan’s political future and their role in it. 

However he also stressed that there was relief that the tensions of the last few months have died down – tensions that culminated in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, and a wave of violence that followed. Ultimately, he said, things had to change for Christians and other minorities in the nation.

Mr Saeed spoke with religious leaders, politicians, human rights activists and journalists. He discussed challenges facing Christians in Pakistan and the future of minority groups in general. The main concern he heard was the continued lack of representation that Christians receive in Pakistan’s Parliaments: currently only four seats are allocated to Christian candidates – all chosen by the main parties themselves rather than the Christian community.

“I believe a new era of democracy will begin in Pakistan when all its citizens have equal rights. One question I would like to ask President Musharraf is: How can people from religious minorities in this country get excited about the future of Pakistan when they have no true representation at government levels, no power to make decisions and no rights?  

However, I am hopeful about the future. Times are changing, people in Pakistan and around the world are taking an interest in what is happening in the country concerning human rights and persecution. Because of this, it will be hard for the new government to ignore the plight of 3 million Pakistani Christians in the months ahead.” 

A full-length interview with Nasir Saaed will appear in the next edition of Testimony newsletter.

Initial Report of a Rape Incident

The village Delava Cheema in the District of Gujranwala persists of a very few number of Christians, living there. These Christians are living under threats of Muslim Fundamentalists who always pressurizes the Christians to convert their religion into Islam. The circumstances got even worse after the Danish caricatures of the Holy Prophet, the extremists are living under the dilemma that if there is some thing offensive against Islam, it includes the involvement of the Christians or the Christians in Pakistan are in contact with the people that are against Islam. Therefore the Christians in Pakistan, especially in the rural areas of Pakistan are under the threats. 

Facts of the Incidence:

Mariam Bibi is one of the victims of faith in such sphere. She is almost about 33 years of age. She is the wife of Boota Masih and is residing in the same village stated above.  She is bearing four children out of which 2 are the daughters and 2 sons. 

She and her family were under threats from quiet a long time by the hands of a Muslim family who always used to pressurize her for conversion, while her husband is out for work. It is pertinent to mention here that her husband is working as an agriculturist in the same village, and now he is indebt of almost 200,000. Pak rupees after this incidence, so that he will not do any legal proceedings in this case.  

On the day of occurrence i.e. 22nd January, while her husband was out for work, she has been called by her neighbour named Tasneem Bibi. Upon her call when Mariam went to her house Tasneem Bibi told her to come inside the bedroom. When Mariam Bibi entered the room Tasneem Bibi locked the room leaving Mariam Bibi inside the room. Then she called her Husband Muhammad Nazir and his Brother Rana Naeem, they both went inside while Tasneem Bibi stood outside the room. They started threatening her of dire consequences, if she will not embrace Islam. Mariam Bibi stuck to her word that she will not embrace Islam until her death.

After almost one hour of doing their best, they went enraged with her attitude. And finally raped her brutally. They later threaten her of dire circumstances, and therefore pressurized her not to approach police. She then on 13th day of March came to know about the work of CLAAS and approached CLAAS on 14th March 08. Her case of Rape and Abduction is referred to CLAAS Lawyer in Gujranwala. 
We will keep you updated about the progress/updates in her case. 

CLAAS’ Pakistan Director and staff unharmed after violent mob attack

Joseph Francis, the Director of CLAAS Pakistan is safe and unharmed after a violent attack in the early hours of 6th March in Lahore. Mr Francis, along with  other members of CLAAS UK were taking a 19 year-old woman - who had been escaped abduction after a forced marriage -  by car to a rehabilitation centre.

The attackers ambushed the car, smashing the front windscreen. The car then swerved onto the footpath and crashed. The vehicle was wrecked but everyone inside the car escaped serious injury. Those in the car say they believe that they were spared further violent assault by the appearance of a police patrol car. The attack came after a battle for the custody of 19 year-old Sadia Masih, daughter of CLAAS member Sadiq Masih. 

She had been abducted by a 45 year-old Muslim man from the same area of Lahore. She was held against her will for sixteen days. During this time she was forcibly converted to Islam, “married” to the man, and subsequently raped by him. She finally managed to escape, and after being threatened by a mob at her family house, she was taken into care by CLAAS. CLAAS lawyers successfully defeated a writ for her to return to her “husband”.

It was while she was being taken into safe custody at 3am on the Thursday morning, that the attackers struck. Police intervened and transported everyone inside the car to safety. The “husband” and those involved in the attack have all been charged. Sadia will remain in CLAAS care until all they have stood trial.

Report from Father Bonnie Mendes on bomb blast in Lahore

Father Mendes was down the road from Lahore’s Catholic Cathedral when the bomb blast occurred on the morning of Tuesday March 11th.

Commenting about this experience he said: I was in Lahore at a meeting when a huge sound rocked the building. I thought that the blast had happened next to the Cathedral and tried calling different people with no response. Attempting to make my way there, the roads were blocked. Getting to the Bishop's House was very difficult, glass was scattered up to a kilometre away. Finally I did reach the central area affected by the blast and was shocked to see student after student from the Catholic school with blood stained uniforms. It was a depressing sight.

The Catholic Caritas organisation had their offices at the heart of the blast, and I was anxious to discover what had happened. Sadly there were two fatalities: the Caritas watchman, Pervez Masih and the daughter of the Catholic Archbishop, Mirab Samuel. Both had died when the roof of the Caritas building collapsed. There were several other people from Caritas injured and bloodstained. Elsewhere the school, printing press and bookshop were all badly damaged. Thankfully nobody else was killed in any of these buildings. It has been a devastating blow for us, but we all know we have to stand firm in the face of persecution. Now we have reached Easter week; please pray for us that we can give and receive from each other a true message of hope, and that we can rebuild buildings and lives.

Pakistan listed by Foreign Office as human rights “Country of Concern”

Recently Pakistan has been included in the UK Foreign Office list of “countries of concern” regarding human rights – the first time it has made this list. The report said that improvements had been pledged by Pakistan’s Government, but in reality there had been “very little progress”. 

The inclusion follows a recommendation from House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. In a three page document on Pakistan, the FCO says: “Recent Changes in the political landscape and the period surrounding the state of emergency declared by President Pervez Musharaf on November 3, 07 have brought a number of Human rights issues in Pakistan to the fore”.

It noted that Pakistan has spoken of a desire to improve its human rights record. Sadly, it says, little progress has been made towards fulfilling pledges made over torture along with civil rights.

Prayer Points:

May the lord be with Mariam Bibi, sadia and many other young  Christian girls and women who become victims to Abduction rape and for conversion as they suffer though a lot of pain. May lord protect the and be with them in their sufferings
Let us pray for Saleem and Rashid, Kamar David, Ranjha Masih, Naseem Bibi, Rani Bibi, Anwar Masih and all the Christians who were acquitted from blasphemy charges but are still in hiding to protect their lives. May the Lord protect them and provide a safe haven for them. 
We bring the work of CLAAS to God’s attention, may the Lord bless the work of CLAAS and help us to be able to make a difference in the lives of our suffering bothers and sisters in Pakistan. May the Lord bless our friends and supporters, as it is because of their generosity that CLAAS is able to continue its struggle
 Let us pray for CLAAS-PK’s staff who are harassed everyday and face threats for working on the front line may the Lord protect them and bless them abundantly. 
 Let us pray for wisdom for the Government of Pakistan, so that they may be able to provide religious freedom to Christians and other minorities in Pakistan, and change the constitution of Pakistan that discriminates against Christians instead of protecting them. We pray especially for the repeal of the Blasphemy Laws.
Let us pray for those who support the work of CLAAS. May the lord bless them with more and be with them in what ever they do in their lives.

  email: info at claas.org.uk 
  phone: 08453670567/02088679180
  fax: 02088677422 
  web: http://www.claas.org.uk 

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Rev'd Wilson Gill

Assistant Minister

Holy Trinity Church, Aylesbury

Phone: (+44) 1296-586040

www.htaylesbury.org
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