persecution magazine, march 2014

International Christian Concern | March 2014

PERSECU ION

blasphemy victims

The fate of

SEE PAGE 3

3

9 11 13

I N T H I S I S S U E :

3 HEALING WOUNDS LEFT BY PAKISTAN’S BLASPHEMY LAWS One of the most dangerous things a Christian can be accused of in Pakistan is blasphemy. Read the victims’ story today.

11 HOW YOU CAN HELP Read how you can help restore the stolen lives of blasphemy victims and their families.

9 STATS ON BLASPHEMY Some startling facts on blasphemy accusations.

13 SERVING THE SUFFERING OF SYRIA The status of refugees both in and out of Syria is explored.

Jeff King, President International Christian Concern

As Amir burned trash, customary in Pakistan, he had no idea of the level of violence and hatred that would be ignited upon he and his family (see page 3).

The burning trash contained an Arabic textbook which Amir was unable to read. A Muslim neighbor falsely claimed the book contained Quranic verses, even after assur-ing Amir the book contained none. This caused Amir to be set upon by a Muslim mob bent on burning him alive for blasphemy. He was saved from the mob but charged with blasphemy by the police.

International Christian Concern (ICC), along with many organiza-tions around the world, has worked to end Pakistan’s insane blasphemy laws. The bleak truth is that there is very little hope of changing them any time soon.

We are left with fulfilling Jesus’ commands to care for the afflicted, oppressed, and imprisoned, starting with His family.

In Amir’s case, ICC provided him the financial means to move his family and business to a safe area.

Amir’s case is one of many we are working on. We have a strong net-work and staff in Pakistan and have helped multiple blasphemy victims.

We, with your assistance, will change the desperate circumstances of 30 of these families in the next year.

This is the Lord’s work (James 1:27). I would urge you to get in-volved and reap the harvest of sat-isfaction from saving one of God’s little families that has been set on by wolves.

You won’t regret it. Also, please know that your investment will be used ethically, efficiently, and ef-fectively.

I promise!

N O T E F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T :

3 You can help today! www.persecution.org

S O U T H A S I A

BY WILLIAM STARK

healing wounds

blasphemy lawsleft by Pakistan’s

You can help today! 800-ICC-5441 4

In the summer of 2009, Amir Masih (name changed for security), a Christian living in Pakistan, had a bright future.

As the owner of a successful corner store on the busy streets of Faisalabad, Pakistan, Amir was easily able to provide for his family and thought he was at peace with all of his neighbors. Unfortunately, Hajji, a Muslim shopkeeper whose shop was close to Amir’s, desired Amir’s corner store for his own expanding business and was willing to do whatever it took to get it...including falsely accusing Amir of blasphemy.

A LIFE RUINED BY A FALSE ACCUSATION

On July 1, 2009, Amir decided it was time to clean out his shop. While cleaning, Amir discovered several books and papers which he intend-ed to throw away. As is traditional in Pakistan, Amir began to burn the trash he had collected, including the books and papers. That is when he noticed that one of the books was a Class VI Arabic textbook.

Unable to read Arabic and concerned the book could contain Islamic reli-gious texts, Amir consulted his neigh-bor, Hajji, as to whether it was safe for him to burn the book. Hajji told him that it was OK and that he had nothing to worry about. Unknowing Hajji’s true motivation, Amir listened to his advice and tossed the book into the fire.

After Amir closed his shop and left for home, Hajji called other Muslimshopkeepers to the place where Amir had burned the items from his shop. When many had gath-ered around, Hajji pulled the partially

Amir’s family was assisted by ICC, who provided them with much-needed aid. Pictured above: the family’s small shop. Pictured below: the family being interviewed by an ICC rep.


S O U T H E A S T A S I AS O U T H A S I A

burned Arabic textbook out of the ashes and claimed that Amir had set fire to a book containing Quranic verses, thus publicly accusing him of blas-phemy and radically changing the trajectory of his future.

The news of a Christian burning a Quran spread like wildfire and nearby mosques began announcing over loudspeakers that a Christian blasphemer was in their midst. Enraged by this accusation, a large mob of Muslims gathered outside of Amir’s home. Members of the mob broke into Amir’s home and dragged both Amir and his brother into the street, severely beat-ing them before dousing them with kerosene to light them on fire.

Fortunately, local police arrived just before Amir and his brother were burned to death. The mob followed them to the police station and de-manded the brothers be released so they could be publicly set on fire. The police refused but charged Amir with committing blasphemy, a capital of-fense under Pakistani law.

At trial, Amir was convicted of blasphemy even though local newspapers had report-ed on Amir’s case and could prove that Hajji had planted evidence to falsely im-plicate Amir. On January 11, 2010, Amir was sentenced to life in prison and fined 100,000 Pakistani rupees for desecrating the Quran and offending Muhammad.

Amir’s family is now completely marginalized in society for being related to a blasphemer but they worry about him every day. “I pray God brings him back while Anwar [Amir’s father, name changed for security] and I are still alive,” Amir’s mother, Martha (name also changed), told ICC. “It is very hard to live without my son, my beloved son.”

A HISTORY OF ABUSE

If you are unfamiliar with Christian persecution, Amir’s story may seem exceptional. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. For all Christians living in Pakistan, being falsely accused of blasphemy is a real threat many fear could easily one day happen to them.

I PRAY THAT GOD BRINGS HIM BACK

WHILE [HIS FATHER] AND I ARE STILL ALIVE.

-MARTHA BIBI, AMIR’S MOTHER


According to Section 295 of Pakistan’s Penal Code, desecrating a Quran, defaming Muhammad and outraging religious feelings are illegal. Defaming Muhammad carries a death sentence. Beyond the legal ramifi-cations, there is a social consequence almost as serious. Once individuals have been accused of blasphemy, falsely or not, that accusation follows them for the rest of their lives, especially if they are a religious minority.

CHRISTIANS TARGETED

Since the blasphemy laws were enacted in 1986, Christians and other re-ligious minorities have been disproportionately accused and convicted of blasphemy. In 2013, 36 people were accused of blasphemy, of which 30 were religious minorities, 12 of whom were Christian. Given that Christians only make up 2 percent of Pakistan’s population, the fact that 33 per-cent of blasphemy accusations were leveled against Christians is telling.

Beyond being disproportionately accused and convicted of blasphemy, false blasphemy accusations against Christians in Pakistan are disturb-ingly frequent. Motivated by score settling, economic gain or religious intolerance, blasphemy laws have become a convenient tool that can be, and often is, abused.

T H E U N E V E N S TAT I S T I C S :

Christians make up 2% of Pakistan’s

population

Yet they account

for 1/3 of of those charged

with blasphemy

S O U T H E A S T A S I AS O U T H A S I A

A DEADLY LAW GETS DEADLIER

Even though there is widespread agreement on the abuse of the blasphemy laws, Pakistan is do-ing little to correct this situation. In fact, Pakistan seems to be tak-ing steps in the opposite direction. On December 4, 2013, the Federal Sharia Court (FSC) ordered the government to make the death pen-alty the only lawful punishment for blasphemy.

The FSC, which determines whether laws are in agreement with the ten-ants of Islam, released this order af-ter a contempt of court petition was filed based on a decision made by the FSC in 1990. In October 1990, the FSC ruled life imprisonment as a punishment for blasphemy was re-pugnant to Islam and, as the current FSC directed on December 4, or-dered the government to remove the punishment of life imprisonment, making death the exclusive punish-ment for blasphemy.

While no action has been taken by the government to implement the FSC’s order, Christians and other religious minorities fear Pakistan’s blasphemy laws could become even deadlier in the near future.

PERSONAL VENDETTAS

In a similar case, a Christian shopowner had a poster plastered on the front of his shop by a neighbor. As he attempted to remove it, the poster ripped in half.

Unbeknownst to the shop-owner, the poster contained Quranic verses. He was accused of blasphemy, and his shop was burned to the ground by an angry mob. This is just one example of far too many cases.



RESPONDING TO THE WOUNDS OF BLASPHEMY

Because Christians are suffering so much abuse due to Pakistan’s blas-phemy laws, ICC has launched a new initiative to assist Christian blas-phemy victims in 2014. Thanks to ICC’s partners and representatives on the ground, this work has already started and is showing signs of success.

In December 2013, ICC was able to provide Amir Masih’s family with the resources to create a sustainable in-come. Because Amir is a convicted blasphemer, many Muslims were hos-tile towards Amir’s family. This hos-tility got so bad the family was forced to relocate, leaving their storefront be-hind.

Living in a new neighborhood and missing Amir’s shopkeeping exper-tise, Amir’s family was struggling to make ends meet with a newly estab-lished shop. ICC assisted the family by filling the shop’s inventory for two months, free of charge.

“ICC has proven themselves to be our real brothers and sisters by stand-ing with us in this difficult hour,” Anwar said. “We do not have the means or resources to approach high officials about our son’s release, but en-couragement from ICC has greatly strengthened us. We have complete faith that God is in control and will bring Amir back to us.”

ICC is now in the process of investigating the possibility of sponsoring Amir’s appeal to the Pakistani High Court with the goal of clearing his name and getting him released from prison.

ICC is calling on its donors to partner in this new initiative. With funds do-nated to ICC’s Hand of Hope South Asia Fund, ICC intends to help heal as many Christians broken by Pakistan’s blasphemy laws as possible in 2014.

SEE PAGE 11 FOR INFO ON HOW YOU CAN HELP VICTIMS OF BLASPHEMY

ICC HAS PROVEN THEM-SELVES TO BE OUR REAL

BROTHERS AND SISTERS BY STANDING WITH US IN THIS

DIFFICULT HOUR.

-ANWAR MASIH, AMIR’S FATHER


S O U T H A S I A

Asia Bibi: In June 2009, Asia Bibi was accused of blasphemy after drinking a cup of water from a “Muslim well” in a farm field outside of Lahore. Considered unclean by her Muslim coworkers because of her Christian identity, Asia was accused of making derogatory comments about the Prophet Mohammad when she tried to defend her faith. Asia remains in prison in Lahore awaiting appeal.

Rimsha Masih: In August 2012, Rimsha Masih, a 14-year-old mentally challenged girl, was accused of blasphemy after a Muslim cleric planted burned pages of the Quran in Rimsha’s school bag in Rawalpindi. After an international outcry over Rimsha’s arrest, she was released from prison and given asylum outside of Pakistan.

STATS ON BLASPHEMY

33% of all blasphemy

accusations made in 2013 were leveled

against Christians who only make up 2% of

Pakistan’s population.

Christians in Pakistan have been accused of blasphemy since the law was enacted in 1986, 157 from the province of Punjab, 12 from the province of Sindh and 2 from the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

12 Christians in Pakistan

were accused of blasphemy in 2013.

8 Christians are currently imprisoned after being

convicted of blasphemy, including:

Asia Bibi, Tariq Masih, Arif Masih,

Asif Pervaiz, Pastor Adnan Masih, Pastor Zafar Bhatti,

Sawan Masih and Amir Masih.

21 Christians in Pakistan have been murdered by mobs of enraged Muslims following a

blasphemy accusation.


S O U T H A S I A

MAJOR INCIDENTS OF BLASPHEMY ACCUSATIONS

Amir Masih: In July 2009, Amir Masih was accused of blasphemy after a Muslim business competitor claimed he had burned Islamic religious texts in Faisalabad. In fact, Amir burned an Arabic textbook which the Muslim business competitor told him was safe to burn. Amir remains in prison in Faisalabad awaiting appeal.

Boota Masih: In September 2013, Boota Masih’s throat was slit by a Muslim business competitor in the middle of a busy Karachi market. Onlookers, including police, refused to intervene when Boota’s attacker declared Boota was a blasphemer. To date, no one has been brought to justice even though all of Boota’s Muslim coworkers say blasphemy accusation is without a doubt false.

Asia Bibi

Rimsha Masih

Amir Masih

Boota Masih


S O U T H E A S T A S I AH O W Y O U C A N H E L P

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

H E L P U S R E S T O R E S T O L E N L I V E S O F

BLASPHEMY VICTIMSIn Pakistan, being a Christian accused of blasphemy means either a life sentence of insecurity and fear, or murder. Christian families

faced with a blasphemy accusation often struggle to support themselves due to the family’s “bread-winner” being imprisoned or killed. They also

face intense social hostility, which in many cases forces them to flee their homes.

In order to assist these struggling Christian families, ICC will develop and implement holistic projects intended to repair the lives broken by a

blasphemy accusation or conviction. These projects include:

Relocating families | Competent legal representation for the accused | Financial assistance with legal expenses | Small businesses that allow the

families to provide for themselves

With the proper funding, we will rescue 30 Christian families we have identified and researched.

Please join us in restoring the stolen lives of blasphemy victims this year!

https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/InternationalChristianConcer/Blasphemyvictims.html

S O U T H E A S T A S I A


Quick facts on this project:

W H O

W H A T Y O U R D O N A T I O N S C A N D O :

W H AT

W H E R E

W H E N

W H Y

Christian victims of blasphemy accusations and their families.

Our goal: $90,000 to provide 30 families with: • legal aid, • relocation (if applicable), • small businesses, • school tuition and • food aid.

Pakistan, South Asia

We are collecting gifts for this project in March and April 2014.

Blasphemy laws are routinely used to settle personal scores. Pakistan’s Sharia Court is push-ing to make the death penalty mandatory for all blasphemy cases against Islam. Now more than ever, Christian minorities need our help.

FOR $60, YOU CAN: provide school tuition for

one month per family.

FOR $125, YOU CAN: provide food aid for a

month per family.

FOR $500, YOU CAN:provide house/shop rent for

six months per family.

FOR $3,000, YOU CAN:rescue one family accused

of blasphemy.

*All gift levels are encouraged.

https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/InternationalChristianConcer/Blasphemyvictims.html


M I D D L E E A S T

“I wonder, during this troublesome time we are going through, wheth-er this is the great trouble that Christ talked about in the Bible (Isaiah 17:1),” a partner in Damascus wrote to ICC recently.

Damascus is the world’s oldest continually inhabited city. It increasingly looks like the prophecies about it are coming to pass. More than 110,000 people have been killed in the past three years. More than 9.35 million people are displaced. Now, more than one out of every

three Syrians have left their home.

What about Christians? What is the trouble they are facing? In their own words, these are just a small

fraction of issues they are dealing with:

S Y R I AServing the Suffering of

Oppressed Syrian Christians have been fleeing the country and living in refugee camps in neighboring countries.


M I D D L E E A S T

• The fear of death all day long from deprivation, hunger, and fear of losing a child or relative.

• Witnessing treason when one of your supposed friends becomes a latent enemy, waiting for the right moment.

• Facing trained terrorism that is seeking death for Christians.• The fear of being a target of snipers who lurk in buildings and shoot

at people without caring for who the target is or randomly falling mortars that cause death or permanent disabilities.

• Robbery, thieves, and widespread gangs. • High cost of living, lack or resources and the fear of sickness and

disease because medication is hard to get.

“An oracle concerning Damascus: ‘Behold, Damascus is about to be

removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.’ ”

ISAIAH 17: 1 (NASV)

M I D D L E E A S T


These hardships—and so much more—have become the daily real-ity for millions of Syrians. Families are trying to maintain some sense of normalcy, but know it is hopeless. “We are still sending our children to schools because we are under [Christ’s] blood cover and protec-tion. We trust God and the promises of His Word,” said our partner, who has decided to stay in Syria.

For those who have left, the situa-tion isn’t much better. Even if they can escape Syria, there is nothing there for them.

“As a Christian I was in a good sit-uation in Syria. Now I’m supposed to go and take my family to live in a tent,” Gabi, a pharmacist, told ICC.

While he and his four young kids are now outside the war zone, they are concerned for where the next meal will come from, and how they

will keep the lights on. As record cold temperatures swept across the region, the concerns of refugees like Gabi and his family turned to blankets and heaters. Just surviving from day to day is a matter of grave concern.

PROVIDING AID TO THE SYRIAN CHURCH

As the crisis in Syria escalated, ICC determined to actively sup-port the Church. We initially issued a request for a project to provide a month of food for 350 Christian refugees. The response we received was incredible.

Within 48 hours, the initial goals had not only been met, but had nearly been doubled.

As the funds came in and were quickly sent to the field, ICC learned of new opportunities to aid

Approximately one out of three Syrians have left their home.


M I D D L E E A S T

Christians, many of whom were still in Syria.

Working through partners across Syria, we were able to send pack-ages of food and other basic sup-plies, such as heating fuel and baby formula, to Christian areas that had received little aid.

This aid was able to reach families like Nabi, a father of four, who left a large city where he had been a taxi driver when the fighting became too intense. When ICC’s partners met him, Nabi said, “I felt everybody is against me. I don’t know anybody here; I don’t know how to survive.”

Nabi was given a package to help provide for his wife and children and he was connected to the church in the new town. At those meetings, he told the group of believers, “I thought God had forsaken me, but now I realize that God cares for me and has a plan for my life.”

Nabi and his family are just a few of the more than 6,000 Christians that ICC has been able to support in recent months.

THE BATTLE RAGES ON

Across Syria and in the refugee communities in neighboring coun-tries, the need for assistance re-mains massive. We continue to seek

ways to provide both immediate and long-term aid to those in need.

Yet, for the Church, we realize that the war being fought with weapons is only a small part of the battle for Syria. The need for peace goes deeper than what can be written in a peace treaty.

“We are in a spiritual war. We are trying to teach the people how to fight spiritually by fasting, prayers, and preaching the gospel,” a pastor from Syria told ICC.

The Church is in a battle to combat the spirit of hatred and violence in Syria.

Providing aid to sustain the Syrian Church and standing with them in prayer and support is crucial for the future of Syria and the Middle East.

WE ARE IN A SPIRITUAL WAR. WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH

THE PEOPLE HOW TO FIGHT SPIRITUALLY BY FASTING,

PRAYERS, AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL.

- SYRIAN PASTOR

S O U T H E A S T A S I AY D A W

YOUR DOLLARS AT WORKICC WELLS BRING FRESH WATER TO NEARLY 5,000 VILLAGERS ACROSS BURMACommunity Rebuild


Burma is ruled by a heavy-handed military dictatorship that violently

suppresses Christianity and targets ethnic Christian groups. ICC has

been helping to send the Gospel into this still very dark nation through

a network of underground pastors.

We send out underground pastors to install water wells. In the last six

months, we installed 15 wells in villages throughout the country, often

opening the door to our pastors in what would otherwise be a com-

munity hostile towards the Gospel. With the dedication of each new

well, the village gathers around as our pastor prays for the village and

its people.

These wells provide fresh water, which is a huge blessing for the village.

It combats the messge of the government that Christians are evil and

dramatically opens the village to the Gospel.

A Burma village surrounding their new well.


S O U T H E A S T A S I A

ICC PROVIDES SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR BURMESE ORPHANS TO GROW IN THEIR FAITHKids Care

Growing up without parents is hard for anyone. Growing up without

parents in a country that has labeled your faith a “virus” is unimaginably

difficult. That’s why ICC helps to provide a safe haven for 16 orphans in

central Burma to grow up and grow deeper in their faith without fear of

discrimination. Zin, a “bright and playful” 8-year-old girl, recently sent

us her testimony: “Firstly, I praise the name of the Lord. Only because of

God people are very fond of me. I am a girl student. In our class there

are good number of students, but among those students all of our class

teachers are so fond of me. What is more, even parents of my classmates

consider me as their own child and take care of me. I am so happy be-

cause I got the love and care of many, instead of being hated. So, I really

thank God who provides so many people who love me and take care of

me as their own child.”

The children with a caretaker.

Y D A W

ICC HELPS FAMILY OF IMPRISONED CHINESE PASTOR Suffering Wives and Children


In November of 2013, Chinese police arrested Pastor Zhang Shaojie

and 23 of his church members. It was one of the worst crackdowns on

Christians in Henan Province in the last several years. Many of his fam-

ily members were arrested as well, though a few managed to escape.

ICC immediately directed aid to his family as they went into hiding, des-

perate to avoid arrest and imprisonment. Three months after his arrest,

Pastor Zhang Shaojie remains in detention, but his family is receiving

much-needed assistance as they wait for the release of their loved ones.

Pastor Zhang Shaojie and his family.


ICC UNDERGROUND PASTOR BRINGS THE HOPE OF CHRIST IN BANGLADESH Underground Pastors

Rejoice with us as new members are added to the body of Christ from

Bangladesh! An underground pastor sponsored by ICC told us that four

teenagers from a realm of society considered “untouchable” have re-

cently given their lives to the Lord. “They have found hope in Jesus and

have received Him as their Savior and have been baptized,” he said.

Photo by Corey Bailey shows the street near where the teenagers came to know the Lord.


ICC PROVIDES SMALL BUSINESS TO BLASPHEMY VICTIM Hand of Hope: South Asia

Y D A W

Photo of Abdul outside the shop ICC donors provided.

Through donations given to the Hand of Hope South Asia Fund, ICC was

able to provide Abdul (name changed for security) with a small busi-

ness. In 2013, Abdul was forced to go into hiding after being accused

of blasphemy by Muslim hardliners. Abdul and his family have since re-

located, and ICC has provided a sustainable business that will help sup-

port them into the foreseeable future.

© Copyright 2014 ICC, Washington, D.C., USA. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce all or part of this publication is granted provided attribution is given to ICC as the source.

International Christian Concern is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) (all donations tax-deductible).

ICC makes every effort to honor donor wishes in regards to their gifts. Occasionally, a situa-tion will arise where a project is no longer via-ble. In that case, ICC will redirect those donat-ed project funds to one of our other funds that is most similar to the donor’s original wishes.

GIVING TO ICC VIA YOUR WILL

Provide now for a future gift to ICC by including a bequest provision in your will or revocable trust. If you would like more information on giving to ICC in this way, please give us a call at 1-800-ICC-5441.

YOU CAN HELP TODAY!

SEND DONATIONS TO:ICC

PO BOX 8056 SILVER SPRING, MD 20907

OR ONLINE AT WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG

#10988

Y D A W

ICC is on YouTube!

Subscribe today!

iChristianConcern

persecution magazine, march 2014

Documents