“Indeed, the unbelievers among the people of the book and the idolaters will remain in the fire of Gehenna. They are the most vile of created beings.” (Qur’an 98:6)
“On the Ground: Persecution as a Christian Woman in Pakistan,” International Christian Concern, March 30, 2023:
03/30/2023 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – We interviewed one of our staff members based in Pakistan to get her personal experience dealing with the dynamics of her faith and gender in the fundamentalist Islamic country.
This is our conversation:
People in the west often have a view that Pakistan and other Islamic countries create suffocating cultures for women, especially Christian women. What has your experience been as a Christian woman living in an Islamic country?
As a Christian woman living in Pakistan, I feel that there is a certain judgment criterion that precedes my reputation. A general label regarding the clothing choices of Christian females and how they are an easy target to be persuaded and invaded for various reasons and purposes. There is always a false perception in the eyes of others in society that Christian females are liable to be explored in relationships as Christian females have several liberties to exist within the environment more than Muslim women.
The Christian community faces discrimination in all aspects of life based on their religion, and the discrimination is supported by the constitution, law, and policies designed by the state. Women are the marginalized segment of society and being a minority woman is being double jeopardized.
I faced discrimination at my university while studying at a private university in Lahore. Being the only Christian student in the electrical engineering department, I faced a lot of discrimination. A teacher deliberately used to give me an “F” grade because of my faith, and I repeated that course three times during the tenure of that teacher, failing to secure a grade other than “F.” However, I managed to get an “A” as soon as the teacher was replaced.
Have there been situations you’ve found yourself in that have caused you to fear for your safety because of your faith? If so, could you describe one of those events?
The moment I learned the gravity of my faith being a danger to my safety was when Salman Taseer was murdered due to taking a stance for Asia Bibi. A nationwide holiday was announced 12 years ago on the 5th of January for national mourning for him.
In this nationwide holiday, we learned to mask our true feelings for the case of Asia Bibi and to behave ourselves in college by not taking part in any discussions. Salman Taseer was a hero in our home, yet when I came to the horizons of my college, I learned to comprehend the fact that Salman Taseer was a sinner who never deserved a funeral just for the reason he spoke up for the rights of minorities in Pakistan. I was brought up in a Christian institution, yet I felt scared in between the walls of that college, for in every corner, I could just listen to the whispers of how my faith is condemnable theology.
There are so many events that I’ve experienced throughout my life where I’ve felt that my safety would be jeopardized by my religious identity. On the day Asia Bibi got released, it was nationwide chaos for Christians. Many of us couldn’t drive with the symbol of a crucifix in our cars; university students, even my sister, were exposed to this incident of brutal torture.
What would you like people in the West, specifically other sisters in Christ, to know about Christian women in Pakistan?
In most cases, Christian women in Pakistan are the breadwinners in their households. They are the ones facilitating and providing for their families, and most of these Christian women are nurses. Christian women in Pakistan are brave and bold enough to be the witness and source of the true gospel in their workplace and their groups through their living example. They are sharing Christianity rather boldly through their conduct and demeanor. They are ambassadors of Christ in the Muslim community of Pakistan….
PRCS says
If they want to escape Muslim persecution:
the simple–though difficult to actually do solution is to (1) move to India and two (2) push the Indian government to send their Muslims to Pakistan and/or Bangladesh.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
India’s decision on CAA, which allows non-muslims from the neighborhood to seek refuge in India – is unconnected to whether they force their muslims, or even illegal foreign muslims, to go back to their countries
PRCS says
But, the point was Muslim persecution.
To emigrate to a still Muslim-infested India will not solve that–as the current situation demonstrates.
tgusa says
With sadness I will paraphrase a line from an old movie, Forget it Jake it’s Pakistan.
Deodata says
If this is the case, they can never moan about Islamophobia.
Bobf1958 says
And there lies the problem! We in the West are expected to allow these believers of islam all the rights that they have and believe in in their Muslim majority countries while we Christians allow them to go from outright persecution up to death… and we’re importing this idealism as we speak! Pray for the innocent! Pray for the brave woman and men like this true sister of Christ!
Watto35 says
Pakistan discriminâtes against western, Christian men and women. The women getting abused terribly and on a daily basis. Yet we in Britain are allowing in these disgusting sub-humans, allowing them to further abuse our kindness, education system and our young women.
I may have missed the point but would somone, anyone, explain to me why we are allowing these animals into our country?
James Lincoln says
Watto35,
I’ll take a stab at it:
1. Financial incentives for NGOs, etc.
2. Virtue signaling.
3. Self-hate.
4. Leftist “values”.
5. Fear of islamic terrorist attacks from outside the country.
6. Fear of being called racist / islamophobic, etc.
In many more reasons – none of them good.