Positive first step for Pakistan's Christians

In the last few years there has been several stories coming out of Pakistan about the persecution of the Christians in that country. Recently the Pakistani Government appears to have started to make attempts to improve relations between the Muslim majority and religious minorities such as Christians. It is hoped that this is the first step in bringing about religious freedom for Pakistan’s Christians.

By ACN Staff

Protests in Karachi over the abductions and forced marriages of Christian girls. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Religious minorities in Pakistan, such as Hindu and Christians, face high levels of discrimination and persecution for their religious beliefs. The Pakistani Government has taken the first of what will hopefully be many steps to ensure the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan, including Christians. The Pakistani Government has issued out an appeal to non-Muslim Pakistanis. In this appeal the government announce the creation of a new governmental department that will focus on harmony between the Muslim majority and non-Muslim minority of Pakistan. It is hoped that this will start serious moves towards freedom for Pakistan’s religious minorities. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) conducted an interview with Professor Shahid Mobeen, a professor of philosophy in Rome who is from Pakistan on this issue.

Professor Shahid Mobeen. (Credit: Catholic Radio and Television Network)

The persecution of Hindus and Christians in Pakistan have some differences. With Hindus it is partly motivated by political considerations, given the tension between Pakistan and the Hindu majority India. The Persecution of Christians in Pakistan tends to be more overtly religious in motivation. There are two major issues facing religious minorities in Pakistan at the moment. The first are the country’s blasphemy laws. Pakistani Christians are often brought to court will false charges of blasphemy. If found guilty, the accused can face the death penalty. The most infamous of these cases was that of Asia Bibi, who was on death row for eight year before being set free. The other major issue, which has become more prevalent over the last year, is the kidnapping of Christian and Hindu girls by Muslim men, who then force the girls to convert Islam and place them in forced marriages. This issue has been growing, Professor Mobeen lays out the stark figures:

“Until last year, the forced conversion of Christian girls counted about 1000 cases per year. In 2020, the cases rose to over 2000.”

Sonia Bibi, a 24-year-old Christian woman who was shot and killed in November 2020 after refusing a marriage proposal and invitation to convert to Islam by a Muslim man. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Professor Mobeen hopes this first move by the Pakistani Government to address the plight of Pakistan’s Christians will be followed by more action in the coming years. He has said:

“It is a first positive step towards the protection of the rights of non-Muslims in Pakistan to exercise their freedom of religion. However, it is little more than a sign of good will.”  

There have been some positive develops on the grassroots level. There are individual incidents of Muslim and Christian communities in Pakistan cooperating for mutual benefit. This is very encouraging, but they remain isolated incidents. Real government action to protect Christians is needed. Professor Mobeen has identified the education in Pakistan as being one of the key areas that needs to addressed if Christians are able to live freely in the country.