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Pakistan

• Christian boy forced into bonded labour

  An 11-year-old Pakistani Christian boy who was abducted by a wealthy Muslim in Dhonikay village, Wazirabad 18 months ago has been growing increasingly weak and ill from being forced to work to pay off his family's debt. The family of Danish Masih owed Ashraf Cheema 142,000 rupees (approximately $1730 CAD) but fled to Islamabad when Ashraf refused to pay their monthly wages or deduct their earnings from the debt. Ashraf also extorted land from the family and stole Danish's mother's dowry, yet refused to reduce their debt. Ashraf was eventually able to locate the family and kidnapped Danish, who has since been forced to work, often in iron chains, from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. without any breaks. He is only given half a loaf of bread to eat each day. Ashraf has frequently pressured Danish to convert to Islam, promising to free him from his chains, provide him with better meals, and possibly cancel his family's debt if he converts.

  On June 10, a bailiff was sent to Ashraf's farm to secure the return of Danish. However, since Ashraf is wealthy and influential, he was informed of the raid in advance and hid the child. Ashraf has since threatened the family, saying, "After this raid by the bailiff, you will neither be able to get back your son, nor will you be granted a cancellation for your debt." (Source: Compass Direct)

  Pray that Danish will be returned to his family very soon. Ask God to shield and strengthen him at this time. Pray that the Christian community in Pakistan will support and uplift this family. Pray that Ashraf will come to know the Lord.

  For more information on the plight of Pakistani Christians, please visit thePakistan Country Report.

• Christian beaten, forced to resign

  Rajji Bibi with her husband Photo from Compass Direct

  A Christian woman, Rajji Bibi (38), has been falsely accused of theft, beaten and forced to resign from her job as a sanitation worker for a hostel in the city of Sargodha, Punjab province. On May 7, a Muslim office worker accused Rajji of stealing 10,000 rupees (approximately $120 CAD) from her cubicle. The hostel warden learned of the accusation and ordered female police officers to beat Rajji until she confessed. When Rajji refused to accept blame, the warden ordered male security guards to rape her. Rajji's husband, Nayyer Aftab, arrived in time to spare her from rape by paying the 10,000 rupees allegedly stolen. Rajji was then forced to resign. She has said of the abuse: "As I am a Christian, the Muslim hostel officers... wanted a Muslim regular employee after their hearts instead of me." The hostel warden initially refused to comment on the allegations that she acted unjustly in order to provide a job to someone of her choice, but after repeated questioning she eventually conceded, yelling, "Yes, I have done it!" (Source: Compass Direct)

  Pray for God's provision for Rajji in this time of adversity. Pray that she will continue to demonstrate Christ's love and hold firmly to faith in Him. Pray that authorities in Pakistan will uphold true justice for all citizens.

  For more on the persecution of Pakistani Christians, go to thePakistan Country Report.

• Christian families attacked

  A Pakistani pastor, Mubarak Masih, was brutally attacked in Samundri by 12 heavily armed Muslim men after his 13-year-old nephew, Shaid Masih, refused to read verses from the Qur'an at school. The Muslims beat Pastor Mubarak on his head with sticks and rods. They also shot at and nearly killed his brother and broke his mother's left arm. Shaid's teacher, Zufair Gujhar, is allegedly a hard-line Muslim who routinely pressures his Christian students to accept Islam and forces them to read the Qur'an and other Islamic books. Pastor Mubarak has said, "We will continue our mission work at any cost and no one can stop us."

  On June 3, Mumtaz Masih, pastor of the Full Gospel Church in Pakistan, and his pregnant wife, Noreen, were attacked in Sahiwal by Muslims who accused them of evangelizing. Fourteen Muslims assaulted the couple, injuring Pastor Mumtaz's legs and Noreen's hands and belly. The pastor's younger brother was ambushed when he went to get medical help. The believers have complained to the police, but no action had been taken against the perpetrators at last report. (Source: International Christian Concern)

  Pray for healing for those injured in these attacks. Pray that they will exemplify the love of God through consistent love and prayer for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:43-48). Pray that Christians in Pakistan will not be fearful, but will boldly live out their faith in Jesus.

  For more information on the plight of Pakistani believers, please visit thePakistan Country Report.

• Hundreds of Christians expelled from village

  Muslims recently ordered 250 Pakistani Christian families to leave their homes in Khanewal district, Punjab province after believers strongly objected to sexual assaults on girls and women by Muslims. The majority of the Christian women and girls in the village work as servants in the homes of Muslim families, where they are often abused. "The Muslim villagers came to us with the expulsion order only after Christian women and girls raised a hue and cry when they became totally exasperated because they were sexually attacked or forced to commit adultery by Muslims on a daily basis," explained a Christian political leader. He also stated that Muslims had been threatening Christian women and girls that they would be kicked out of the village if they refused their sexual advances. Christians have reportedly refrained from going to the local police for help out of fear that false charges of blasphemy could be placed against them. (Source: Compass Direct)

  Pray for God's provision for these expelled believers. Pray that Christians in Pakistan will be a bold testimony to those around them. Pray for healing for the women and girls who have been treated so callously. Pray that those targeting Christians for their faith will come to repentance and embrace Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Pakistan, go to thePakistan Country Report.

• Kidnapped Christian returns home

  Photo from Compass Direct

  A Christian woman who was kidnapped, forced to marry a Muslim farmer and pressured to convert to Islam recently escaped and returned home after weeks of "captivity and torture." Sania James (33) was kidnapped on April 5 by armed men who stormed her parents' house in the small town of Rawat, Pakistan. The gunmen allegedly told her father that he would see his daughter again only if he paid back his loan of 250,000 rupees (approximately $3,040 CAD) plus 30 percent interest, though they had previously agreed upon a rate of 15 percent. The armed men then took her to her father's employer, Mohammad Shahbaz Ali, and forced her to marry him. She was continuously tortured when she refused to convert to Islam. Faraz Samson, a local pastor, said of the situation, "I am shocked that a daughter of a poor man has been kidnapped, and the law can’t do anything." (Source: Compass Direct)

  Thank God for Sania's return home. Ask Him to heal and restore her, and keep her and her family safe. Pray that authorities will do all they can to uphold the rights of Christian women in Pakistan, as they are particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

  To learn more about the suffering of Christians in Pakistan, visit thePakistan Country Report.

• Girl raped, family forced to flee

  A Pakistani Christian man, Zafar Masih, and his family fled the predominately Muslim town of Nai Abadi Tatlay Aali, Punjab province after he accused a Muslim of beating and raping his 12-year-old daughter on May 12. His daughter, whose name was withheld, stated that Ali, a 28-year-old business man, attacked her when she went to his home where she worked as a house servant. Zafar immediately went to the police station to file charges, but the Station House Officer Inspector refused and began to pressure him to withdraw the accusation. A powerful local politician along with the area's largest land owner, Imtiyaz Kharral, has since threatened to maim or kill him. Even with the immense pressure, Zafar refused to withdraw his application. The Inspector has denied any wrongdoing, stating that he declined to register a rape case because he did not want to harm the Christian girl's dignity. Instead, he had recommended trying to resolve the conflict in a public gathering. At a meeting held at Imtiyaz's farmhouse on May 13, the Christians were not permitted to even speak. Zafar was told that he had to drop the rape charge or else he and all local Christian families would be relocated.

  Most of the Christians in this area of Pakistan are construction labourers, sanitation workers and domestic servants working for daily wages. "My eldest daughter worked as a maidservant for a monthly salary of 500 rupees (approximately $6.00 CAD) to lend a hand," Zafar said. "We Christians in Pakistan have no life even dogs live better life than us." (Source: Compass Direct)

  Pray for God's healing and mercy in the life of Zafar's daughter. Ask God to sustain and provide for her and her family at this time. Pray that as they suffer they will remain steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-10). Pray for equality and justice for Christians in Pakistan.

  To learn more about the plight of Pakistani Christians, please visit thePakistan Country Report.

• Update: Christian accused of blasphemy faces court

  Martha Bibi with her family Photo from All Pakistan Minorities Alliance

  Martha Bibi (45), a Pakistani Christian woman accused of blasphemy in January 2007 (click here for more information), is scheduled to appear in court on May 26. If deemed guilty, she may face the death penalty. Martha has been accused of making derogatory remarks against the Qur'an and of "defiling the sacred name of the prophet Muhammad." According to local Christians, the charges were brought against Martha by Muslim contractors who did not want to pay for materials she and her husband, a bricklayer, supplied to a construction site. (Source: ASSIST News Service)

  Pray that the charges against Martha will be dropped. Ask God to embolden Martha, her six children, and her husband. Pray that the blasphemy law will be abolished in Pakistan.

  To find out more about the plight of Pakistani Christians,click here.

• Christian man beaten and raped

  Marwat Masih (29), a Christian barber in the town of Gulshan-e-Bashir, Punjab province, Pakistan, sustained severe injuries, including broken bones, after eight Muslims brutally assaulted him for cutting the beard of a Muslim on April 13. Marwat initially refused 19-year-old Qandeel Cheema's request to cut his beard, knowing that local Sunni Muslims believe the Qur'an prohibits it. Qandeel insisted, however, assuring Marwat that he would leave town after the shave so that it would remain a secret. When Qandeel's older brother noticed the family's vehicle at the barbershop, he went inside and discovered Marwat cutting Qandeel's beard. Enraged, he ransacked the barbershop and beat Marwat with his shoes. He and six accomplices then blindfolded Marwat and locked him in a room where they beat him, breaking his ribs as well as his wrist and legs. Marwat was then brutally raped by the men. Police have refused Marwat's family's requests to file a report against Qandeel's brother and the other attackers, who remained at large at last report. (Source: Compass Direct)

  Ask God to give Marwat healing from the emotional and physical scars of his assault. Pray that his attackers will be brought to justice. Pray that he and his family will continue to trust in the Lord to guide and protect them (Revelation 2:10).

  To learn more about the persecution of Christians in Pakistan,click here.

• Update: Christian woman accused of blasphemy denied bail

  A Christian woman who was arrested for making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad on March 21 in Pakistan's Punjab province (click here for the story) has been denied bail. On April 20, a judge rejected Rubina Bibi's petition and instead transferred her case to the district session judge of Wazirabad. Judges in Pakistan are often reluctant to make decisions in such cases due to pressure from Muslims and it is not uncommon for them to refuse bail so the case can be moved to the high court in Lahore. At last report, Rubina was being held in prison with her one-year-old son while the rest of her family had gone into hiding out of concern for their lives. (Source: Centre for Legal Aid Assistance & Settlement, ASSIST News Service)

  Pray that the charges against Rubina will be dropped and that she will be released from prison. Pray for safety and health for her family at this time. Pray that freedom of religion and speech will be respected in Pakistan.

  To learn more about the persecuted Church in Pakistan, check out thePakistan Country Report.

• Young Christian woman abducted

  A 19-year-old Pakistani Christian woman, Sonia Mohan, was reportedly abducted on April 1 by a Muslim man and his friends in Nishtar Colony, Lahore. Sonia's family fears the Muslim man, Ali Raza, will force her to convert to Islam and marry him. Sonia's brother, Johnson Parvaiz, stated, "Ali Raza came to our home and told Sonia that I had asked for her, and she went out of the house with him. They had parked a vehicle outside and left, and afterwards we never heard from her." After two days, Johnson was able to reach his sister on her cell phone but she told him not to call her, that she was very happy and that they should not try to find her. "It was obvious from her voice that she had been forced to say that," Johnson said. Police have delayed registering a case on behalf of Sonia's family because, in what appears to be an attempt to delay police action, Ali's family has filed a complaint that he was abducted by the same accomplices who allegedly helped him kidnap Sonia. (Source: Compass Direct)

  Pray that Sonia will be released from her captors and returned to her family. Pray that she will look to Christ for courage and strength. Pray that authorities will act swiftly and justly in this case.

  To learn more about persecution in Pakistan,click here.