Showing posts with label Persecution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Persecution. Show all posts

Monday, September 1, 2014

Hector Aleem describes two nation theory in Pakistan

Before the arrival of Islam in the subcontinent, nations living there like Christians, Buddhists and Hindus were living peacefully, then came the robbers and thugs like Mohammad Bin Qasim, Mehmood Ghaznavi and others from Afghanistan and Middle East, who disturbed those peaceful people and demolished and ruined their worship places. Pakistani Muslims of today still read those awful deeds of their ancestors with fun and tell these stories to children proudly and now have named their nuclear missiles on the names of these terrorists and thugs. Then came the British, who ruled this region for many years, Muslims of that time raised their voice for two nation theory and describing it as that they have different dresses and different religion from Hindus. But the Christians of this region have been facing discrimination since the arrival of Muslims in this continent because the real enemy of Christians are Muslims not Hindus since the arrival of Islam. Their history is full of killing Christians and Jews when Islam spreaded.  When Muslims arrived in subcontinent, they followed the same path of their ancestors and targeted Christians of the region. Muslims are targeting Christians all over the world whether they are in a Muslim country or a non-Muslim country. Where Islam is dominant (as in the Middle East and Pakistan) religious minorities suffer brutal persecution with little resistance. Where Islam is in the minority (as in Thailand, the Philippines and Europe) there is the threat of violence if Muslim demands are not met.  Either situation seems to provide a justification for religious terrorism, which is persistent and endemic to Islamic fundamentalism.

Pakistani Christians are very peaceful nation and they waited for 67 years for their right of free speech and freedom to practice their religion but they are never allowed to do so in Pakistan. Two Nation theory applies here because Christians have everything different with Muslims. Christians, Jews and Muslims are called Abrahamic religions but Muslims created the difference by calling God, Allah and it is forbidden for many non-Muslims in Muslims countries to call Allah as their God. This is the biggest difference they have created. Muslims only had differences of dress and religion with the Hindus but Christians have difference of religion, culture, language, customs, dresses and everything with the Muslims. According to our Christian faith, Jesus Christ is the son of God, Christianity is based on it, and we believe that God gave all His powers to Jesus Christ, this is our faith and after Jesus Christ no prophet is required. We have been hearing that Islam spread through sword, and it is still happening in Pakistan, I have witnessed what they do to Christians of Pakistan, Christians are forcibly made to accept the Muslim Prophet as their last prophet, they are forced to renounce their religion and faith and practice the Christianity according to Islam. We are forced to accept Prophet Mohammad as our last prophet and our Christian girls are forced to cover their heads during the recitation of Quranic verses and Azan in every part of Pakistan. During these 67 years, Christians of Pakistan have faced the worst examples of discrimination. It is now time that Christians should rise against this discrimination because it is unbearable when we see our Christian girls and women being raped and kidnapped and when the judge gives the decision in favour of the rapist and kidnappers by keeping discrimination and prejudice in his mind. In blasphemy cases, one can experience the worst example of discrimination and torture in prison during this case. I, myself have been the victim of this discriminatory law and experienced and eye witnessed worst form of torture that is impossible for me to explain. The First Information Report (FIR) of a blasphemy case can be lodged on oral statement and no official investigate the case before lodging the FIR. It is required that the plaintiff should be a Muslim and the officials trust him blindly, the accused is than brought in front of the plaintiff and clerics by the police officers and they torture him in front of his plaintiffs and others. The lawyers boycott the accused and no one takes his/her case and leaves the accused alone. It is essential that the judge who is dealing the blasphemy case should be a Muslim and when the accused is produced before the court, the first question of the judge is “Why did you do it” no one asks him if he really does it? In the result, the victim losses his family, house, relatives, respect and friends and during or before the trail he gets killed by the police or inmates. Same is in the education system; the teachers are discriminative towards the Christian students. From the very first day of school, Christian child starts to hear that Christianity is a false religion and that they should accept Islam if they want to go to Heaven. Christians never get any key post in police and district management.

Now let’s talk about Politicians of Pakistan, we all know about Fazal ur Rehman who recruited many Talibans. Chairman of Council of Islamic Ideology (Islami Nazriati Council) is Maulana Sharani of JUI (F) (Jamiat Ullema Islam – Fazal ur Rehman), the same maulana who criticised a Christian MNA (Member of National Assembly) Tariq.C.Qaiser, who recited “in the name Our Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” in National Assembly though Tariq C Qaiser was reciting it as his own faith. After that they tormented and harassed him that much that he had to flee the country. Politicians like Imran Khan and Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman talks against Christianity bravely and proudly without any hesitation and give statements in favour of Talibans. When any terrorist attack or a blast occurs in Christian enclaves or Church we hear only one statement from President to MNAs (Member of National Assembly) that no Muslim can do this it is an act of enemies of Islam. Same is with print and electronic media of Pakistan; they keep disgracing Christianity and spread false news and hateful material about Christianity.

In the end I would like to say that Christians have not arrived in this region from USA or Europe they are the indigenous people of this region, but Muslims of Pakistan proudly tells about their ancestors as Sherazi from Sheraz, Bukhari from Bukhara, Qureshi from the Quresh tribe of Arab and etc. We the Christians of Pakistan are keeping our eyes on the international community and organisations like United Nations and Commonwealth to promote us because no one is helping us. Real Two Nation theory applies here in Pakistan, we want our separate homeland where we will be able to preach and practice our religion freely and openly. My article should not be made as a base of a separate homeland for Muslims living in USA or Europe because they have in migrated here from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries but we are the indigenous people of subcontinent and we have the right to demand for our own homeland but Muslims of USA and Europe doesn’t. Also Muslims in Europe and USA are enjoying freedom and equal rights but on the other hand Christians of Pakistan are suffering torture, discrimination and extinction. It is our right for a separate Christian homeland in Pakistan.

This article is published by Peace Worldwide

Monday, February 3, 2014

Who will stop Christian persecution in Islamic Countries?

What most Christians don’t realize is that the “Islamic World” was once the Christian world. Some of the most well-known and influential leaders in the early church hailed from North Africa and the Middle East – like the warring theologians Athanasius and Arius, and the apologist Tertullian.  It was for the library in Alexandria that the preeminent Greek version of the Torah (the “Septuagint”) was commissioned.  Today, St. Augustine would be called a Tunisian, Origen would be Egyptian and the Apostle Paul – who was on the road to Damascus when he encountered Christ – would have told the story of his conversion while heading to “Syria.” It was also in the Syrian city of “Antioch” that Christians were first called “Christians,” and to this day there are as many Christian holy sites in that nation as anywhere else in the world. There is no imaginary persecution; in Syria alone there have been reports of kidnappings, Christian communities intentionally displaced by militants and, worst of all, shootings and beheadings of Christians who refused to convert to Islam. Government of Pakistan is participating in the genocide of Christians through discriminatory laws against Christians i.e. blasphemy law and others. In Egypt radicals have recently destroyed dozens of churches, and the once vibrant Christian population in Iraq has been decimated. Other countries such as Somalia, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Afghanistan etc are busy in destroying Christians and Christianity.  

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Christians in the Middle East: Egypt

The Middle East is the birthplace of Christianity and home to some of the world's most ancient Christian denominations. But Christian communities across the region are declining in numbers because of a combination of low birth rates, emigration and, in some places, persecution and violence. Here are some Facts about Egypt in which Christian persecution is a common practice.





Most Christians in Egypt are Copts - Christians descended from the ancient Egyptians.
  • Total pop: 84.5m
  • Christians: 8.9m (est)
  • 10.5% of total pop
  • Main Church: Coptic Orthodox
  • Issues: Anti-Christian violence; political instability
  • Sources: World Christian Database; UN
Their Church split from the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in 451AD because of a theological dispute over the nature of Christ, but is now, on most issues, doctrinally similar to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The Coptic language - a derivative of the ancient Egyptian language, written mainly in the Greek alphabet - is still used for small parts of services.
Christian-Muslim relations have deteriorated in recent years, with outbreaks of violence by radical Islamists against Christians and their places of worship.
Egyptian Christians have accused the post-Mubarak governing military council of being too lenient on the perpetrators of the attacks.
Copts also complain of discrimination, including a law requiring presidential permission for churches to be built.
A plethora of other Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Armenian Churches are present in smaller numbers in Egypt.