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Christianity Today, February (Web-only), 2008 |

Speaking Out

Disenfranchised in Pakistan

A guide to Christians' concerns about the February 18 parliamentary elections.

Nasir Saeed | posted 2/14/2008 08:54AM

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Zia, who started the process of Islamizing Pakistan's civil code, infamously passed the blasphemy law, which is still a sword hanging over Christians. The law is exceptionally open to abuse and has become a powerful tool to build up religious extremism. The very existence of the blasphemy law encourages hostility towards minorities and provides a license for people to take the law into their own hands.

No ruler so far has done anything to win the hearts of Christians. No elected Muslim representative has ever raised a voice against discriminatory policies and laws. Otherwise, the country's situation would have improved. The majority in Pakistan is not ready to accept that Christians and other religious minorities are an integral part of the country's social structure.

In part because they lack numbers (and therefore influence), Christians are in a sorry state both economically and politically. Frankly, they're depressed.

Although politicians talk about equality, democracy, and enlightened moderation, it is evident that they do not believe in or practice it. Political parties have never thought about the welfare, development, and political representation of religious minorities, especially that of Christians. Such politicians are responsible for the growing hate and religious intolerance against Christian, and they are contributing to it by not giving tickets on general seats to Christians and other religious minorities.

Whenever Christians raise their voices, they are blamed for exaggerating their case to bring a bad name to Pakistan. When stating their case, Christians are called disloyal to the state. It's not true. Christians not only condemned the emergency rule imposed in the country last September, but they have also played an uncredited role in the freedom movement and rendered service in the fields of education, health, and social welfare. They have also displayed a commendable spirit of patriotism and love for humanity.

There is another aspect to their misfortune: The religious minorities have never been able to become part of the country's collective political and social consciousness. Their future and status in Pakistan can be influenced by the West's support. Now is the time to give serious thought and help to the religious minorities under Pakistan's oppressive system. Will Pakistan be a democracy for Christians, or will it be a "democracy" where only Muslim citizens count? Does the rest of the world care?

Related Elsewhere:

Our recent coverage of Pakistan includes "Taliban Targets" and "Remembering Benazir."

Deann Alford highlighted CLAAS's women's shelter ministry in "The Secret Shelter."

CLAAS has more about its projects and the situation of Christians in Pakistan on its website.

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Believer2

Posted: February 19, 2008 6:30 AM

I do not believe in Purity revival purely because what the Christians do is understandable if not the best of reactions. Musharraf does not understand the Christians because he did not face persecution. In Acts of the Apostle we see that when the Jerusalem Church was persecuted after the killing of Stephen they fled Jerusalem to surrounding areas. May be it was not that brave of them to do that, but it was definitely understandable. Paul himself says "When you are a slave do your best without murmuring but if you get an opportunity use it to become free."

Philip

Posted: February 14, 2008 8:04 PM

Pakistan is founded on the Islamic principles of sharia law laid down by Sir Muhammad Iqbal, a gifted poet, lawyer and Islamists philosopher in British India in the early 1900's (Wikipedia). He wrote "The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam" which inspired the founding of Pakistan and the killing of over 2 million Hindus. Today, Pakistan is in turmoil because of the out-working of Islamic practice of sharia. Christian schools in Islamic Malaysia have been told to remove the cross or demolish statues of saints. Christians are mentally defeated by the Muslims because the rules of the game is different. Islam is more an ideology rather than a religion. Historically Islam has killed well over a billion non-Muslims to establish itself. The violence, murder, rape done in the cause of Islam shows it to be satanic and from the Devil. This violent system is propagated through the mosque, maddrasahs and Islamic organisations

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