Most of our readers have heard about Asia Bibi, a Christian who languishes on death row in a prison in Pakistan (‘Muslim-occupied India’) for the capital crime of blasphemy against Islam. But there are also many Christians in that same country who are kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam. The police and authorities do nothing and have even sided with the Muslim kidnappers in said cases. According to the Christian advocacy group World Vision, these forced conversions are a regular occurrence, not just in ‘Pakistan’, but in many other Muslim-ruled countries. From the World Vision in Progress website, accessed 29 October 2011:
Dear Friends,
Greetings from World Vision in Progress Foundation!
We would like to call your attention to the most recent case of forced conversion of a young couple. Mr. Shahzed Masih – 23, and his wife Rhukhsana Bibi – 20, daughter of Amanat Masih (the victim of the Blasphemy Law) were abducted on Wednesday, 26th October, 2011, by some unknown people from Farooqabad Sheikhpura.
We received a call from Shahzed Masih that he and his wife were forcibly converted to Islam.
Amanat Masih, the father of Rukhsana Bibi, was also falsely accused under Blasphemy Law in 2007. However he was acquitted from the court. Previously his son, Waris Maish, was also charged under false charges by the influential landlords of the village.
On Wednesday Rukhsana Bibi and Shahzed Maish were abducted by Muslims
clerics and influential landlords of the Farooqabad, where they forcibly
converted.We are making our lawful efforts to bring both of them out of the place where they are being kept.
We request the international community to pray for the Christians of Pakistan. Over the last three months, 24 cases of forced conversions were reported.
Christians are particularly vulnerable to these types of crimes. They do not even file a report to the police against such crimes; they usually keep silent because of the fear from the Islamic groups.
Keep praying for the Christians of Pakistan.
In Him We trust!
Executive Director
World Vision in Progress Foundation
With all due respect to World Vision and Christians, is prayer alone going to protect Christians in Pakistan (or anywhere else) from Muslim persecution?