This morning, the Voice of the Martyrs learned of the brutal rape of seven-year-old Sharee Komal by a Muslim man near her home in Lahore, Pakistan. Sharee and her mother live in a hut near a Christian graveyard. Just as she was preparing to leave the house in the mid-morning of May 29, Sharee's mother noticed that her daughter was missing. Thinking she had gone outside to play, she looked in the nearby graveyard, but Sharee was nowhere to be found. Seven hours later, the little girl was finally found, bruised and bleeding from a vicious rape. She told her mother that Abid Ali, who lives nearby, had kidnapped her, luring her away with a promise of buying her toys. He then took her in a dark room where he tortured and raped her. Abid Ali threatened to kill her if she revealed the crime and his identity.
Talking to representatives from All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), Sharee's grandmother Karmi Bibi said, "How these people can be so brutal to rape a 7-year-old girl? We are not safe. Next time one of our other Christian daughters will be raped and we will be as helpless as we are now. Where do we go now? The law is not even on our side."
The rape of Christian women by Muslim men is an ongoing travesty. Perpetrators are rarely arrested and almost never convicted. APMA chairman, Shahbaz Bhatti is asking that Christians around the world pray for the psychological and physical recovery of Sharee Komal and that justice be given in this case.
For more information on persecution in Pakistan, click here.
VOMC partners to train Christian women in sewing skills throughout Pakistan to provide a sustainable source of income for their families and encourage them in their faith and witness for Christ.
Religion (%) Islam (96.5), Other - Christian and Hindu (3.5)
Leader President Asif Ali Zardari (2024)
Government type Federal parliamentary republic
Legal system Common law system with Islamic law influence
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Pakistan
Pray that amendments will be made to Pakistan's existing blasphemy laws so that the country's citizens – including its children – will be protected from injustice and abuse. May our Lord's mercy and justice prevail, not only in the judiciary system but also in the hearts of the country's militants. Ask Him to transform their "hearts of stone" into hearts that are receptive to His love, mercy and the workings of His Holy Spirit – not only for the purpose of protecting the Christian minority but also for the salvation of their own eternal souls.
Marshall Masih, a Christian father of four, was gunned down by four men from his neighbourhood in the city of Lahore during the early hours of July 10th. Marshall (who was also known as Bunty) had previously filed a police complaint against two Muslim neighbours, named Shani and Azam, because they had been harassing Christian women in the area and shooting their guns into the air. In retaliation, the two men broke into Marshall's home with the help of two other local Muslims and shot the young father 15 times.
In a decision referred to as "a step forward" by Christian leaders, the National Assembly of Pakistan recently passed an amendment to an act governing Christian marriages, banning matrimony for Christians under the age of 18. After the law was enacted on July 10th, Naveed Amir Jeeva, a Christian member of the National Assembly, stated, "The legislation aims to protect young girls from early and forced marriages, ensuring their access to education and health."
In August 2023, the Christian colony of Jaranwala was filled with violence after allegations of blasphemy were made against two brothers. During the rampage, as many as 400 homes and 26 church buildings were damaged or destroyed. For more details, and to view video footage of the attacks, see this page.
In May, shocking images of mob violence were revealed after 74-year-old Nazir Masih was falsely accused of burning pages from the Quran. The elderly Christian man was fatally wounded during the resulting mob violence, which also led to the destruction of his shoemaking business, along with several attacks against other Christians. Further details on the violent rampage are available here.
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