Pakistani Christian Teacher Mobbed for Blasphemy: Persecution in Pakistan

As Reported in Pakistan Christian Post:       http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/viewnews.php?newsid=1788  Pakistani Christian Teacher attacked on accusation of Blasphemy Lahore: Feburary 23, 2012. A mob stormed the school where Saira Khokhar teaches in an attempt to abduct her after she was accused of burning a copy of the Qur’anThe local police chief took the Christian teacher into custody to examine whether the case warranted a First Information Report

Op Noah-- It seems that in Pakistan they use the threat quite often --"Accusation of Blasphemy" to subdue Christians in the name of the law. Who knows what are the real reasons they want to get a hold of the teacher. Do they want to make an example of her to intimidate the rest of the Christians? Was she teaching Christian values that enraged the community? 

Here is some more material that I read on that website. I'm not promoting that particular website (even though it seems a good source of Christian Pakistan news), but rather focused on the amazing plight of poor Christians in a poor country. One's heart goes out to them in their plight. Here are some summaries of what is going on down there.

20 million Pakistani Christians are facing constitutional genocide in Islamic Republic of Pakistan after implementation of Sharia law and other Islamic law which protect Islamic elements on enforced conversion of Christian women, killing of Christian on pretext to blasphemy law, attacks on worship places of Christians and to ransack Christian properties.

The 20 million Pakistani Christians are living below poverty line comparing to Muslim dominated society facing hates on their religion after implementation of Islamic Sharia law in Pakistan and legislation turning them to be third class citizen in a land which was goverened by their ansecstors for centuries.

The Muslim agreesors migrated to Indian sub-continent from Middle East and Central Asia in 7th centurary while Christians belonged to this land as son of soil. 

It is ironic that now Muslim immigrants are master in Pakistan and Christian sons of soil are living like slaves in their own land.

There have been frequent incident of violnce against Christians in Pakistan where Muslim culprits are protected and never brought to justice.

Islamists in Pakistan can gunn down Christian in broad day light in court compunds, they abduct Christian women and convert them with force to Islam to marry them, they gang rape Christian women but not arrested, they torture and kill Christian house-maids who refuse to convert to Islam, they destroy hundreds of homes but never convicted, they burn alive Christians but Islamic courts set them free, they are free to spread hate against christians but no legislation to creat harmonious society and use of religion Islam to oppress millions of Christian citizens.

Op-Noah:

Many times we as Christians are absorbed in our own state of affairs and feel like we have little time to consider such matters like what is reported here. When we see news reports in the Media about such and such country we are tempted to typically sum up that country as some mass of people that all act as their leaders represent them. Our human minds fail to grasp that there are millions of souls in a place like Pakistan that need a Savior.
      It never pays to hate when one realizes that sin is ugly in any shape and form and we have all been partakers of its poison. As a Christian being taken advantage of, we see and feel the example of Christ move within us, "Father they know not what they do..."  Such forgiveness and grace is so foreign to human nature. This article shows that where evil is not trying to seduce mankind to sin---it uses force and passion to conquer men's faith. May we all be strong and not forget to pray for those that suffer persecution for 'His names sake.'


*** Just a note on the 20 million Christians. Obviously in a country with a Islamic majority-- few of these would be evangelical--- most would be traditional Christians. Christians by birth, culture and tradition as it is dangerous to be responsible for the conversion of Muslims. Persecution in the name of religion is ugly all the same.  No doubt this persecution is awakening the old evangelical fire as it tests their faith, so that it is not just a matter of who were your parents. I only mention this because the concept of Christian faith could be different from the "believer of choice" that we can experience in a free country. 

Is Islam a Peaceable Religion?

        I have been reading a very readable book on Islam. It is called The Unfinished Battle Islam and the Jews. It is written by Mark A. Gabriel. He was a ardent believer of Islam from Egypt. He had memorized the Quran by the age of twelve and later graduated from Al-Azhar University with a doctorate in Islamic history and culture.
        He makes it as clear that you are mistaken if you believe Islam is a tolerant religion as promoted by Western media sources. He explains how some quote the Quran and make it sound like it is tolerent and peaceful, while the next person is saying the Quran promotes Jihad --Holy War against the "Unbelievers". 
    The reason for the conflicting views goes back to Mohammed. Mohammed started having his revelations in Mecca that started more on a peaceful note. He was trying to win people over on a voluntary basis. For one, they were a persecuted minority. Most of those that  want to paint the Quran in a favorable light to Western opinions quote this part of the Quran.  When he moved to the other Saudi city of Medina, he gained more influence and power and became more aggressive and started putting pressure on nonbelievers. Out of these texts is those passages more favorable to extreme anti-Western influences.
        The more recent verses supercede the older verses when verses contradict, so by default if you truly are a follower of Mohhamed you would follow his more recent teachings. That does not say you cannot revert to his peaceable vision when you are part of a minority in a nonmuslim country. Peace with Jews as a whole is about unthinkable. Since U.S. supports Israel it is also on the bad list. The reason is that Muslims follow the Torah of the Old Testament and believe that the Jews failed the test and killed the prophets. The Jews and Christians failed in their worship to God. In this they believe Mohammed's message is the final ultimate remedy. It is a religion of works and even then you are unsure how you are going to fare in the afterlife.
        I do not have any bitter feelings against any Muslim on earth. I respect their frustrations.  I just wish there was a way of exposure for Muslims to really understand that True Christianity does not foster hare or ill-will. I wish they could find the insurance of eternal life based on faith not works. There is a way to find peace---a inner peace that can wipe away the need for hate or ill-feelings toward others. 


Jesus:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matt. 11:28-30

Israel Fire Power

And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD. Ezek 25:14


Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. Ezekiel 11:17

Thoughts
With all the storms brewing in the Middle East over Iran and Israel, my thoughts have been turning to the question, "Is Israel still blessed of God". For awhile it seemed that I had an indifference set in or even an apathy to what was happening in the Middle East in relation to Israel. I was more worried about how the oil prices due to threats of conflict was going to affect my billfold.


 Lately in my personal life I have had a growing desire as a Christian to turn to the promises of God in fighting my battle to live victoriously for God. He has so many promises for the Christian and he never goes back on His Word! As I was doing this it also brought my mind back to the current state of affairs in Israel. How can a small sliver of land ---I think less then 1 % of the land mass of the Middle East---cause such a stir on the world scene? How can it exist when so many of the surrounding millions around it hate it religiously? Through all this it has one of the highest standards of living, education, and technological development. It has the biggest air force after China and United States. In all this it is wanting to threaten a attack on a larger country with millions more people whether or not the world will help it. Then I have to think of the End of the world and what roll is going to be played by the "Physical nation of Israel". Are there not many Jews that are to be brought to believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah? I do not have definite conclusions on how this is all going to come to place, but I am interested to see a revival of people interested in what the Bible has to say in regards to the Promises of God and what effect they can have on the scene today. I really doubt Iran is going to succeed to nuke Israel off the face of the map and I hope Israel will not have to attack Iran. I love all Jewish and Arabs and as a Christian can only wish peace to them alike instead of war.

 In my weekend studies here are some scripture in the Bible and also some stats about Israel that I found very interesting.

Some of the Stats:

Israel has the fourth largest air force in the world (after the U.S, Russia and China), including an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16′s.

 Israel has the 24th largest economy in the world

 Israel’s US $100 billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined.

Israel has been at the forefront of some of the major technological advances in recent years, including: some of the development for the very first cell phone

 Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce with 145 per 

10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 

25% of its workforce employed in technical professions, Israel places first in this category as 

well

 Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number 

of trees, a remarkable feat because this was achieved in an area considered mainly desert.

Think desert: Israel is one of the world's leading greenhouse-food-exporting countries.

God to Isaac:

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

 ⁴And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Genesis 26:3-4

Isaac's Blessing on Jacob:

Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

 ²⁹Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. Genesis 27:28-29

In studying the Promises of God toward Israel as a nation blessed by God read the two passages. Though we know God used the Israel nation as the vessel that brought about our redemption through Jesus Christ, we still wonder  about the phenomena we see surrounding the Jewish state today. Take the time to read these two passages in Psalms and Jeremiah:

If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

 ³¹If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

 ³²Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

 ³³Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

 ³⁴My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

 ³⁵Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

 ³⁶His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.

 ³⁷It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. Psalms 89:30-37

 ³⁵Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

 ³⁶If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Jeremiah 31:35-36