Pakistani Christians from Britain and the United States of America, collaborated in a demonstration outside the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday
5th April 2016.
The protest was triggered by the Easter Day massacre at Gulshan Park where it has become a long-standing tradition for some decades for Christians to celebrate
the resurrection of Christ, after their morning devotionals. After the bomb attack Ehsan Ullah Ehsan, leader of Taliban splinter group Jamat ul
Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 74 people and injured a further 360, of which many were Muslims.
In a chilling statement to Pakistan’s media Mr Ullah Ehsan declared that the attack was targeting Christians on Easter Day under an operation “Saut ul
Raad” which will continue throughout this year. “We claim responsibility for the attack on Christians as they were celebrating Easter. “It was part of our annual martyrdom attacks we have started this year,”he
said.
Ehsan Ullah, added:
“we had been waiting for this occasion and will continue to target Christians in their schools and places of worship.”
Despite this statement Pakistan’s Government denies that Christians are being persecuted in their nation. Drawing on the fact that Muslims have been
killed in this attack Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said the attack was an attack on all Pakistanis and thus far no extra measures have been put in place
to protect the Christian minority of Pakistan.
Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, Wilson Chowdhry has been directly communicating with the Pakistani High Commission for some weeks
on this matter. After the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri by the Pakistan’s judiciary tensions towards Christian living there have increased with several
churches and Christian educational groups raising concerns about threats being made of an attack. Mr Qadri assassinated the former Governor of Pakistan
Salmaan Taseer, a Muslim politician who called for the abrogation of the Blasphemy law of Pakistan that is being used as a tool for discrimination against
minorities and also calling for freedom of Asia Bibi a mother of five who has now served six years imprisonment under false charges. For his egalitarian
views Mr Qadri was killed and 3 months later former Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti a practising Christian was fatally shot 24 times by
a semi automatic gun, the shots to his face left him unrecognisable. Following usual practice the killers of the Christian politician though arrested
and in police custody for a few days, were released and allowed to escape to Saudi Arabia where they were never found. Mr Chowdhry believes the escape
of these killers is symptomatic of the lack of desire to punish those that persecute Christians.
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the BPCA, said:
“I am flabbergasted at the insouciance of the Pakistani Government. In attempting to deflect the truth they have undermined the ongoing genocide that is occurring in their nation a governance failing they choose to ignore. They have since their inception targeted Christians through the National curriculum of Pakistan which demonizes and caricatures Christians and other minorities. The text books even label Christians as spies of the west and uses further anti-Pakistani rhetoric that has served only to alienate the Muslim majority against the vulnerable Christian minority. Decades of inculcation of hatred have engineered a society easily drawn to extremism and ready to enact violence on non-Muslims. This instability however probably serves the Government of Pakistan who can garner further foreign aid from Britain and America as a consequence.”
The protest outside the UN was organised by Tariq Javed of International Community Care Foundation (ICCF), and partnered by British Pakistani Christian
Association and Hope for Persecuted Christians.
Guests at the protest also called for better treatment of the thousands of Pakistani Christians who have been stranded in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia
and Sri Lanka, all of whom have been re-persecuted. These countries have a very easy protocol for tourist visa’s that is relatively inexpensive a
product of the significant dependency of these nations on tourism for their gross domestic product (GDP). Unfortunately for the asylum seekers who
end up in these countries none of the three have signed the 1951 Convention for Asylum or the 1967 protocol, resulting in widespread abuses including arrest
and detainment of UNHCR registered asylum seekers in extremely harsh conditions (including no access to medical care resulting in seven deaths this year
alone). Those outside fair little better suffering extreme poverty due to inability to work and exploitation through black market employment. Concerns
have also been raised about the bail fines to be paid by detainees in Thailand at the cost of £1000, which is well above the affordability of asylum seekers
living there and is often paid by charities. The extortionate fees are seen as a policy for fiscal gain in which asylum seekers and refugees have
become cash cows for an uncaring royal Thai Government.
Worse still despite signing conventions for protection of women and children the Royal Thai Government has ruthlessly detained, babies, children, new and
expecting mothers. Lactating mothers have complained that the food they are eating is causing malnutrition and affecting milk production and mothers
have also complained of lack of access to milk to feed their babies.
Campaigners including the BPCA have complained about UNHCR delays in resettling Pakistani Christians, which is believed to be a consequence of the inappropriate
staffing of investigative officers. Currently 8 permanent staff are assessing over 11,000 applications from Pakistan of which a sizeable number of
asylum seekers are from the Ahmaddiyah community. Moreover, the current risk profile for Pakistani Christians is flawed with a belief that they are
‘severely discriminated’ and not persecuted. These two factors have meant over 50% of applications are rejected and the asylum process itself is
taking up to ten years to complete, leaving victims in an extremely vulnerable condition and hostile climate. During a meeting with Wilson Chowdhry
and Lord Alton a UK Peer, Peter trotter a senior protection officer stated that the UNHCR position on Thailand is taken form the current British Home Office
Policy Statement in which Theresa May Home Office Minister states Christians in Pakistan are severely discriminated. Wilson Chowdhry, has explained
to Mr Trotter that the BPCA believes that the UNHCR has a duty to define its own risk profile for Pakistani Christians unfettered by positions held by
any member states. The BPCA has submitted an indepth report to the UK Home Office and the UNHCR in Thailand highlighting the scandal of the UNHCR in Thailand
and ongoing persecution of Christians in Pakistan. The report has already triggered a Home office review of their position. A copy of the report
can be purchased (here)
The British Pakistani Christian Association helped Chris Rogers film a 1 hour documentary on the plight of Pakistani Christian asylum seeker in Thailand.
You can watch it (here)
Guest speakers included:
- Senior Pastor Tom Richter (New Hope Christian Church)
- Tariq Javed Executive Director International Community Care Foundation
- Dr. Paul Vries (President NY School of Divinity)
- Bano Javed (Community & Public Relations Coordinator, ICCF
- Hubert George (Hope for Christians)
- Audrey Olsen (Coordinator Program Development, ICCF)
- myself Wilson Chowdhry Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association
Tariq Javed Director of ICCF, said:
“The Thailand Government should immediately release all Pakistani Christian asylum seekers without need to pay bail money. Thailand’s Government and the UNCHR should process asylum requests without ridiculous delays and the
Thailand Government should work with the UNCHR to provide Christian refugees with food, shelter, proper medical care and education for the children.”
He added (sic):
“Pakistani Christian refugees in Thailand who are facing insurmountable hardships. ICCF is dedicated to providing these asylum seekers
with immediate relief services and advocacy. They are fighting for their freedom because of suffering due to blasphemy laws in Pakistan, rape, malnorishment,
no education, no legal status, among other atrocities. There are 500 people imprisoned in Immigration Detention Centers because of their illegal status.
ICCF appeal to UN, US, Thailand Government to release all Pakistani Christians from the IDCs without bail money. Also appeal to UN, US, European Countries
and Pope Francis, open the doors for Pakistani Christian Asylum Seekers for their immediate settlement. Executive Director of ICCF and leaders of ICCF
New York appeal to UN to stop Christian persecution in Pakistan and give a break to Pakistani Christians in their own homeland Pakistan and implement
UN resolution signed by Muslim leader for the security of Christians in Muslim countries. ICCF condemns recent attack on Christians in Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Park Lahore on Easter Day.”
Hubert George of Hope for Christians, said:
“We are appealing to Washington to provide asylum to the Pakistani Christians in Thailand.”
Audrey Olsen, said:
“Why can’t the UN help these women and children because it is the right thing to do! Why does the United Nations need a demonstration to help those
in need? People are dying we will not stop demonstrating, calling out to our government until this situation is resolved and the Christians in Thailand
are given asylum in the USA Canada Europe Australia and other welcoming countries. We are praying but the UN must act and act now!”
Pakistan is the largest recipient of UK and US foreign aid, yet despite billions in investment there is no change in the persecution and discrimination
faced by minorities living there. BPCA has often called for Britain and America to use their foreign aid budget to lever change to the poor human rights
records in Pakistan.
700 Christian girls are kidnapped, raped and forced into Islamic marriage, 15 % of blasphemy allegations are laid against Christians who only make
up 1.6% of the population of Pakistan. It is clearly documented that these draconian laws are simply being used as a tool for discrimination and settling
personal vendettas. 86% of Christians work as sewage cleaners, domestic servants or are in bonded labour, an outlawed practice of modern day slavery
since 1992, the government of Pakistan even has the audacity to promote Christian only applications for work in the sewage industry, a practice they
deem to be positive discrimination guaranteeing jobs for uneducated Christians.
The Pakistani government has failed to tackle the 7% literacy rate of Christians who are bullied, forced to place children in employment to survive
harsh economic struggles, fear proselytising of their children at school and the kidnap of their girls. Countries in the west must alter their risk
profile of Pak-Christians from ‘severely discriminated’ to persecuted, most take their directions from Britain whose incorrect Policy statement sadly
hold authoritative status.
To help Christians in Pakistan we challenge the people of good conscience to sign our petition calling for nations in the west and the UN review of
their current risk profile for Pakistani Christians. The on-line petition also calls for for better protection of minorities in Pakistan and
can be found by clicking (here).
We have set up a disaster recovery appeal to help and assist these families. Our donations will help secure medical supplies and pay for hospital treatments,
pay for funeral costs and help with the long term rehabilitation and trauma counselling of victims. If you would like to support our appeal financially
please contribute by using this link
(click here)
