Islamabad, Jan 15 (IANS) Christians in Pakistan continue to face massive challenges – from threat of violence to discrimination – everyday as blasphemy laws in the country are being used to intimidate them and other minorities, a report has stated.
A simple accusation can also lead to mob violence against victims and their family and the wider Christian community as the weak government and increasing influence of extreme Islamist groups implies that Christian community have limited protection from the law, further increasing their vulnerability, an Open Doors report stated.
Christian women and girls are subjected to abduction, rape, forced marriage and conversion, with victims being as young as seven. However, Christians in Pakistan continue to follow their faith despite the persecution they face.
“Radical Islamist groups and even some families see conversion as a shameful act of betrayal. Christians from a Muslim background can face severe repercussions for choosing to follow Jesus. Most Christians descend from an ‘untouchable’ caste of sweepers and continue to face institutionalised discrimination,” the Open Doors report detailed.
“Christians are compelled to take low-status or hazardous jobs, often labelled filthy. Some are trapped in bonded labour, such as on brick kilns, where they work to clear a debt that they can never pay off, making it almost impossible for the family to ever lift themselves out of poverty. This entrenches their position on the margins of Pakistani society,” it added.
Majority of such incidents take place in Punjab province since most of Christians live there. However, Sindh is known for being a hotspot for bonded labour, impacting many Christians. Fewer Christians live in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, implying that isolation exposes them more to violence, as per the report.
“Not much has changed this year, with Pakistan remaining at number eight on the World Watch List, meaning life for many Christians remains bleak. Whilst incidents of violence remain relatively low, it’s largely because Christians have been forced to keep quiet about their faith – and that speaks volumes of the dangers many face in Pakistan for following Jesus,” the report stated.
–IANS
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