The Voice of the Persecuted Church

Not even children are exempt from possibility of triggering Islamic rage.
ISTANBUL, May 13 (CDN) — Pakistan’s notorious “blasphemy” laws can put even children at risk, and Christians say the days when they could teach their offspring pat answers to protect them from accusations of disparaging Islam or its prophet seem to have passed.

A 30-year-old Pakistani woman who grew up in Lahore said her Christian parents taught her formula answers to keep from falling prey to accusations under the blasphemy statutes, such as “I am a Christian, I can only tell you about Him.” But even then, before radical Islamists began influencing Pakistani society as they have in recent years, schoolchildren were taught not to discuss religion, she said.

“We knew never to get into religious discussions with others,” she said. “We had them at home – our parents would put us through the drill of asking us tough questions to see how we answered. Only now I realize that was practice for school.”

In this way, she was imbued with the fundamentals of the Christian faith and at the same time learned that she should discuss it only with her parents, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Though the Christian faith is inherently evangelistic, the need to remain silent is even more important today, she added.

“Christians constantly face questions like, ‘What do you think of the Quran, do you like it?’ and, ‘What do you think of Muhammad?’” she said. “One answer is, ‘As a Christian I have only read the Bible, I can’t read Arabic.’ These questions used to be easier to answer, we had formulas. But those are not working any more. We just tell children ‘Don’t talk about religion in school.’ This is shaky ground now.”

The blasphemy statutes signal to non-Muslims that they are second-class or “dhimmi” status citizens who must stay within narrow social boundaries, leave or be killed, she said.

“Some parents don’t even tell their children about Jesus, because they are scared they will go to school and say something wrong,” she said. “One street kid did not know anything except about the blasphemy law. When her mother was asked why she did not teach her daughter about Jesus instead of the blasphemy law, she replied, ‘If I tell her too much, she will talk about it on the street, and someone will kill her or charge her with blasphemy.’”

The street child, she said, was afraid to tell her what church she attended.

“She said the mullah in the shop behind us was listening, and as she said that, I saw the man nearly fall off his chair from trying to listen to us,” she said.

An entire generation, Christians fear, is growing up not knowing their faith for fear that it will lead to potentially disastrous schoolyard talk. Moreover, children required to take Islamic studies in school are in danger with a single misstep.

“If they write anything or misspell anything to do with the prophet Muhammad, they can be in serious danger,” the source said. “In fact, the other side of this is that they are made to answer questions saying what a wonderful man he was.”

Christian kids in predominantly Muslim areas don’t have friends to play with, as even a cricket game can be risky, she said. Adults are equally fearful.

“People in offices are silenced into submission,” she said. “The fear is creating aggression.”

Conviction under Section 295-C of the blasphemy law for derogatory comments about Muhammad is punishable by death, though life imprisonment is also possible. Curiously, accusers in blasphemy cases cannot repeat the alleged derogatory comments without risk of being accused of blasphemy themselves. Section 295-B makes willful desecration of the Quran or use of an extract in a derogatory manner punishable with life imprisonment. Section 295-A prohibits injuring or defiling places of worship and “acts intended to outrage religious feelings.” It is punishable by life imprisonment, which in Pakistan is 25 years.

Law Leading to Lawlessness
A district court judge last November stunned the nation and the international community by handing down a death sentence to a Christian mother of five for allegedly speaking ill of Muhammad.

Subsequently three politicians spoke out against the blasphemy law that put Asia Noreen (also called Asia Bibi) in prison. Two of them have been killed for standing up for Noreen and against the blasphemy law. One is in hiding for fear of her life.

Noreen, mother two children and stepmother to three others, has been in prison in solitary confinement since June 2009, accused of having blasphemed against Muhammad, after a verbal disagreement with some women in the village of Ittanwali, near Lahore. If she is released from prison, her life will be at risk. Her husband and children are on the run, receiving constant threats from Muslims who say they will take justice into their own hands.

Thousands of Pakistanis who think and believe differently than mainstream Muslims are at risk of being slandered under the blasphemy law, and those who live in poverty or are illiterate are particularly vulnerable. Personal vendettas from neighbors, co-workers and rivals are the most common reasons blasphemy law cases are filed, according to Paul Marshall of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom.

“Most victims are Muslims, but non-Muslims or minority Muslims suffer disproportionally,” said Marshall. “Ahmadis [an unorthodox Islamic sect] are probably proportionally the greatest victims. There are more victims from mobs and vigilantes than from the government itself, but the government bears responsibility because it does not protect the victims.”

Suspected Islamic extremists in Faisalabad shot dead two Christians about to be acquitted of blasphemy charges on July 19, 2010. The Rev. Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his 30-year-old brother Sajid Emmanuel were shot days after handwriting experts on July 14 notified police that signatures on papers denigrating Muhammad did not match those of the accused. Expected to be exonerated, the two leaders of United Ministries Pakistan were being led in handcuffs under police custody back to jail when they were shot.

Christian Lawyers’ Foundation President Khalid Gill said the two bodies bore cuts and other signs of having been tortured, including marks on their faces, while the brothers were in police custody.

Most recently, 40-year-old Arif Masih, of a village near Faisalabad, was arrested from his house on April 5 after Muslims accused him of ripping pages of the Quran and writing a threatening letter ordering them to become Christians. His brother claims that a neighbor fabricated the accusations in order to acquire property adjacent to that of Masih’s.

Though the much-abused blasphemy law is punishable by death, at times vigilantes have taken matters into their own hands. At least eight Christians accused of blasphemy are estimated to have been killed since 1986. The number of Muslims accused of blasphemy and killed extra-judicially may be twice that figure.

For secular-educated Pakistanis, the blasphemy law has come to symbolize the measure to which extreme Islam has overtaken society. In the span of three months, radical Islamists murdered two of the nation’s most outspoken leaders against the blasphemy law. On Jan. 4 Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab Province, was murdered, and on March 2 parliamentarian Shabaz Bhatti, who as federal minister for minority affairs was the only Christian cabinet member, was assassinated in Islamabad.

A third official, Sherry Rehman, a parliamentarian from Karachi, led an effort to reform the blasphemy law after Noreen was sentenced to death last year. Taseer, Bhatti and Rehman were the most vocal about injustices Noreen has suffered and their disapproval of the law. Rehman, in hiding since Taseer’s murder, is said to be next on the Islamic terrorists’ hit list.

Noreen’s case drew little attention before she received the death sentence. One advocate said he believes that had her case not drawn so much attention, she would have been quietly acquitted by a higher court without criticism abroad or at home. Now her release would look like a win for the “Christian” West, he said.

“Hence, we are not going to have any concrete benefit out of whatever decision comes on her,” said Asif Aqeel, leader of the Community Development Initiative. “I don’t see any decision having some fruitful result.”

Aqeel concurred with other Christians that the blasphemy law has led to a steep drop in freedom of expression. Mosques in neighborhoods where blasphemy cases are filed become centers for inciting people to the streets, where destruction ensues. Since Noreen’s death sentence in November, sermons against changing the blasphemy law are commonly broadcast from mosques, especially in neighborhoods where there is a Christian presence.

“People do not talk, and it is proving an embargo on thinking,” Aqeel said. “It has caused vigilante justice, and several incidents have taken place. After that, now whenever this issue arises, people become afraid that it might turn into a demolition of the entire place.”

Victims of the blasphemy law cannot hope for justice from local police, who “do not dare to declare innocent anyone accused of blasphemy,” Aqeel said, and often lower court judges and magistrates do little to give them their rights. “Now the slogan is that the one who sympathizes with the blasphemer is also a blasphemer,” he said, pointing to the deaths of Taseer and Bhatti.

Pakistan is moving increasingly towards a state driven by fear of extremists, where even moderate politicians make conservative choices to appease Islamist threats, according to Sara Taseer Shoaib, daughter of the late Taseer.

“Pakistan is definitely becoming more right-wing and extremist when it comes to religion,” she said. “Religious parties are gaining a cult following, and even moderate leaders are trying to gain popularity and votes by taking a right-wing position.”

The reasons for this shift to the ultra-right, she said, are many: conservative issues like defense of the blasphemy law serve to deflect attention from the real issues of poverty and lack of hope; there is an increasing trend to blame all woes on the West; and there is a prevailing sense of a need to defend Islam as the perception remains that it is under global attack.

Shoaib said her father spoke about Noreen as a member of Pakistan’s poor, disenfranchised minority. Determined to defend her and the rights of others like her, Taseer had visited Noreen in prison before he died.

“He felt that she was a victim of the ambiguity of this law, and [that] she was unable to defend herself fairly,” she said. “[He felt that] she was the prime candidate where the unfairness of this law could be brought to light. He wanted an amendment to the law which is man-made.”

The source from Lahore said that fear among Christians after Taseer and Bhatti’s death is palpable. Christians feel left alone, not knowing who to trust.

“Everything seems to have snowballed,” she said. “People are really, really scared. Someone who you see as out there defending you and speaking for you has been silenced; someone just goes up to him and shoots him.”

She said Christians feel that the mentality of their Muslim fellows has hardened as the Pakistani Taliban and other extremist elements seem to be holding the government and people’s minds hostage.

“For the extremists, it’s no longer making Pakistan a Muslim country, but how they use Pakistan to promote the cause of Islam across the world,” she said. “It’s not for love of the nation, or national identity, but entirely about religious identity. That completely isolates those who do not subscribe to the same views … you are on the street in terms of identity and your social belonging in the community.”

Growing Issue
Aqeel said blasphemy looms larger in Pakistani minds and anti-Christian sentiment is growing for both socio-economic and global reasons.

In today’s impoverished Pakistan, and after U.S.-led wars in Muslim-majority Iraq and Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, people see even Pakistani Christians as allies of the West threatening their identity, he said. Poverty and a religion that upholds violence as a means to an end only fuel this mob mentality, he said.

“This has helped create a sense of alienating the Muslim world, and that the ‘blasphemous’ West is trying to snatch the values by movies and technology and globalization and trying to capture areas of the Islamic world,” Aqeel said. “Because of this, their sense of insecurity has made them more religious.”

As a result, blasphemy has become a larger issue, he said.

Pakistan’s law against defaming religion was amended in 1982 to include desecrating the Quran and in 1986 to include disparaging Muhammad. Since then, at least 37 blasphemy law suspects have been killed while in police custody, according to Aqeel.

On March 15, Qamar David, 55, died while serving a life sentence in a prison in Karachi for alleged blasphemy. Prison authorities claimed that David died of a heart attack, but his supporters have called for an investigation, as he had received threats and was subject to beatings and mistreatment from prison authorities. (See “Pakistani Christian Sentenced for ‘Blasphemy’ Dies in Prison,” March 15.)

While the murders of Bhatti and Taseer have helped to remove a “Defamation of Religions” resolution from United Nations consideration – for now – the assassinations have also brought any movement toward amending Pakistan’s blasphemy laws to a standstill.

“Although there is a section of media that is highlighting the issue of blasphemy, the situation hardly allows any movement or legislation on this subject,” said a Pakistani lawyer on condition of anonymity. “In my experience in the past 24 years, I have not seen [such a] stalemate condition, mainly due to the violence and terrorist threat that prevails.”

Pakistani Muslims Kidnap Christian Girl over Brother’s ‘Affair’

Religious tensions high in village where influential family has threatened further retaliation.
LAHORE, Pakistan, May 19 (CDN) — An influential Muslim family in a village near Sheikhupura is holding a 17-year-old Christian girl hostage because one of her brothers allegedly eloped with a woman from the Muslim family.

The Muslim parents have threatened further retaliation against the Christian family if they do not produce their daughter, whom they have also threatened to publicly shoot dead as an “honor killing.”

An area clergyman identified only as Father Emmanuel called the situation “critical,” saying it has pitted the area’s 1,800 Muslim families against its 70-to-100 Christian families and could lead to violence.

“It’s always been like this,” Emmanuel said. “No one objects when a Christian girl is forcibly taken or dishonored by a Muslim man, but when a Muslim girl falls in love with a Christian boy it becomes a matter of their honor,” he said.

Abid Masih, a welder at a factory in Sheikhupura, about 40 kilometers from the Punjab Province capital of Lahore, told Compass by telephone that the family was asleep in their home in Ghazi Minara village on Friday night (May 13) when armed Muslims belonging to the village’s influential Gujjar family arrived at their doorstep.

“When I opened the door, the men told me that my younger brother, Sajid, had eloped with a girl from their family, and they had come to search for them,” Masih said.

He said he tried to convince them that the family did not know Sajid’s whereabouts, as he had not been home for two days, and they began threatening to harm Masih unless his family found the runaway couple and handed them over.

“By this time my maternal uncle and cousin had also come out, and together we tried to tell them that we didn’t even know that Sajid was having an affair with the girl, so how could we know where they had gone?” Masih said.

The Muslim woman who allegedly eloped with Sajid was identified as Saleha; both are in their early 20s.

Masih said that the men then forcibly took him, his younger sister Rakhel, his uncle Mukhtar Gill and maternal cousin Indryas with them to their house.

“As soon as we reached their home, they started beating and cursing us and continued to torture us all night” in an effort to get them to disclose the couple’s “hideout,” he said.

Masih said that at daybreak on Saturday (May 14), the Gujjars freed the three Christian men but kept Rakhel hostage in their home, saying that she would be returned only after they found and handed over the couple to them. Rakhel is in her early 20s.

“We were helpless,” Masih said. “The Gujjars are very powerful, and we could not convince them to send Rakhel with us. Since Saturday we have been trying to locate Sajid but failed.”

The Muslim family has sternly forbid them to report the abduction of Rakhel to police, warning that they would be unable to escape the consequences, he said.

On Monday (May 16), Masih said, Saleha’s father, Aslam Gujjar, telephoned him and told him that if the family did not find the couple soon they would also abduct Rakhel’s 17-year-old sister, Maryam. The next night, the Gujjars released Rakhel and forcibly took Maryam, he said.

Masih said the Gujjars have announced that they would shoot Saleha dead in the village center as an “honor killing” for eloping with the Christian.

“They have warned us that if we approach the police, they will turn the issue into a religious matter, and the bloodshed there would make the Gojra carnage small by comparison,” he said. At least seven Christians were burned alive by Muslim mobs in Gojra after the spread of a rumor of blaspheming Islam on Aug. 1, 2009.

Emmanuel, who has long ministered in the area, said he was trying to help reduce tensions.

“We are trying to talk to some local Muslim leaders to convince the Gujjars that it was an individual’s action, and they should not vent their anger at the innocent family, but it seems an uphill task at the moment,” he said.

Asif Aqeel, director of European Centre for Law and Justice’s branch office in Pakistan, told Compass that his organization was in contact with the family and was considering measures to address the situation.

“We were quite perturbed over Rakhel’s abduction and have been thinking of ways how to resolve the situation amicably, but now Maryam’s kidnapping has forced us to rethink our options,” he said.

Aqeel said the options include registration of a criminal case over the abductions and enlisting a court bailiff to recover Maryam from illegal detention, but this could exacerbate tensions, as the Gujjars are influential and would be forewarned by police of an impending raid.

“A failed raid may endanger the lives of the entire family and imperil the security of other Christians of the area,” he said, adding that family members were also caught in a dilemma as the Gujjars had threatened retaliation if they sought legal assistance.

Aqeel said they were trying to gather mediators from both sides to convince the Gujjars not to hold the entire Christian family responsible for Sajid’s apparent action.

“This is perhaps the safest way to avoid bloodshed and rescue the Christian girl, who is left at the mercy of the angry Muslims who feel they have been dishonored by a ‘petty’ Christian,” he said.

“The British Government should speak up for persecuted Christians”
says Canon Yaqub Masih who was speaking to Christians in the Government on the subject of Persecuted Christians around the World at the Foreign Office. His audience included the Under Secretary of State. He claimed that worldwide anti-Christian persecution is not only increasing but also becoming more violent and deadly. “I think it is fair to say that today Christians are the single most heavily and extensively persecuted group in the world,” Canon Masih said. “The British government ought to speak out more firmly, clearly and frequently, but the major obstacle to speaking out more forcefully is political correctness and a misplaced reticence on the part of the Foreign Office and the rest of the British government regarding Britain’s deep historical and cultural connection with Christianity, and a misguided desire not to be seen to be defending the human rights of Christians.”  He was highlighting the situation in Iraq Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan – especially its Blasphemy Law which he described as being ‘like a sword hanging over the Christians’.
“Those who are accused of blasphemy are subject to harassment, threats and attacks,” Canon Masih continued. “They are subject to immediate incarceration, most are denied bail, and those who are acquitted of blasphemy usually go into hiding or leave Pakistan. Recently two high profile individuals have been killed, because they raised their voice against the blasphemy law. As Christians we should feel the pain of those who are suffering, because we are all part of the body of Christ. We should also be concerned for this nation, as some people are becoming intolerant in our own society, and are too fearful to express their views, in case they are accused of racism. God has put us where we are for a purpose, so show let us show our concern and raise our voice for the voiceless.”
 
I am convinced that neither death nor life will be able to separate us from of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Canon Yaqub Masih
pakistanchristianconcern@blogspot.com

Administrator Heather Ahmed

Heatherahmedpcc@gmail.com

Canon Yaqub Masih can be contacted on Yaqubmasihpcc@hotmail.co.uk
Or administrator Heather Ahmed on heatherahmedpcc@gmail.com

“The British Government should speak up for persecuted Christians”
says Canon Yaqub Masih who was speaking to Christians in the Government on the subject of Persecuted Christians around the World at the Foreign Office. His audience included the Under Secretary of State. He claimed that worldwide anti-Christian persecution is not only increasing but also becoming more violent and deadly. “I think it is fair to say that today Christians are the single most heavily and extensively persecuted group in the world,” Canon Masih said. “The British government ought to speak out more firmly, clearly and frequently, but the major obstacle to speaking out more forcefully is political correctness and a misplaced reticence on the part of the Foreign Office and the rest of the British government regarding Britain’s deep historical and cultural connection with Christianity, and a misguided desire not to be seen to be defending the human rights of Christians.”  He was highlighting the situation in Iraq Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan – especially its Blasphemy Law which he described as being ‘like a sword hanging over the Christians’.
“Those who are accused of blasphemy are subject to harassment, threats and attacks,” Canon Masih continued. “They are subject to immediate incarceration, most are denied bail, and those who are acquitted of blasphemy usually go into hiding or leave Pakistan. Recently two high profile individuals have been killed, because they raised their voice against the blasphemy law. As Christians we should feel the pain of those who are suffering, because we are all part of the body of Christ. We should also be concerned for this nation, as some people are becoming intolerant in our own society, and are too fearful to express their views, in case they are accused of racism. God has put us where we are for a purpose, so show let us show our concern and raise our voice for the voiceless.”
 
I am convinced that neither death nor life will be able to separate us from of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Canon Yaqub Masih
pakistanchristianconcern@blogspot.com

Administrator Heather Ahmed

Heatherahmedpcc@gmail.com

Church Leaders and Government officials pay Tributes to
Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan Federal Minister for Minorities
at a Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving

CANDLES were lit in S. Margaret’s Church, next to Westminster Abbey, in London on Thursday 17th March 2011 at 6.30pm in memory of murdered Federal Minister for Minorities in Pakistan, Mr Shahbaz Bhatti. Church Leaders Including the Archbishop of Canterbury and a Catholic Bishop representing the Archbishop of Westminster, the High Commissioner For Pakistan, a Government Minister, MP’s and Lords attended the Service.

In his sermon the Bishop of Pontefract said: “Our tribute to Shahbaz and our resolve will be to follow his love of truth and justice. Not limited by fear in the face of adversity and persecution. And having the courage to continue his work to fight against discrimination, intolerance and religious disharmony, and to cherish the idea of a multifaith society in which all persons would live together in harmony with equal opportunities.”

Canon Yaqub Masih who met with Mr Bhatti when he went with a delegation in December 2009 on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury said in his tribute: ,

“Shahbaz lived his life fighting for the rights of minorities in Pakistan saying he had decided to give his life to serve others, as he believed Christ had done for him. He is a martyr for his faith. Sadly his Christian principles were the very thing that caused his death. Those who killed him used the gun to silence him rather than enter into open debate and discussion. He is not with us today but his memories will always remain with us. His principles ,his Values and his fight for the rights of the minorities in Pakistan. I pray to God that he will raise other leaders like Shahbaz Bhatti who will stand for every citizen of Pakistan and make Pakistan a better and more peaceful Country to live in. ”

Mr. Masih also read tribute on behalf of the retired Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry, who could not attend the service due to personal reasons wrote in his tribute: “Shahbaz Bhatti has left us shattered, shocked, heartbroken and angry. The religious minorities in Pakistan have lost a bold and courageous leader. who despite all threats and warnings continued to fearlessly raise a voice against discrimination and religious intolerance. As for me, my loss goes beyond all the above – i have lost a son.”

Tributes were also given by Mr. Alistair Burt Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Bishop Alexander Malik, Bishop of Lahore who had flown to England for the service.

The candle lit service was organised by the Bishop of Pontefract, the Rt Rev. Tony Robinson and Lay Canon Yaqub Masih (Chairman of Pakistan Christian Concern).

CANDLES will be lit in Huddersfield on Friday night in memory of murdered Pakistani Minorities Minister, Mr Shahbaz Bhatti.

The Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Rev Stephen Platten and the Bishop of Pontefract, the Rt Rev Tony Robinson last night condemned the assassination of Mr Bhatti who visited this Diocese just last September to talk about the plight of minorities in his country and to meet with Asian Christian groups here.

Bishop Tony, who chairs the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Pakistan Focus Group said the local Asian Christian community were deeply saddened by his death and wanted to mark this terrible tragedy.

“It was a great shock to wake up this morning to hear he had been murdered in cold blood by extremists just days after being sworn in the new Government of Pakistan, “ said Bishop Tony.

“He worked tirelessly as a Christian for minorities and spoke out in favour of the repeal and reform of the blasphemy laws which were used so arbitrarily against Christians.

“His death will not stop the calls for justice and freedom of speech which is the right of every human being,” he added.

On Friday evening a memorial service to remember his life and work will be held at St Cuthbert’s, Birkby, Huddersfield for the local Asian Christian community and later this month, a service of remembrance is expected to be held in London.

Mr Yaqub Masih, President of the UK Pakistan Christian Concern said: “It is a very black day for the freedom of minorities in Pakistan when a Christian is martyred for standing up for human rights and freedom of speech.

“We pray for Mr Bhatti and his family and supporters at this difficult time,” he added.

Pakistani Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who opposed the country’s controversial “blasphemy law“, has been shot dead in Islamabad.

He died after gunmen opened fire on his car as he was travelling to work this morning (2 March). The Pakistani Taliban told BBC Urdu they carried out the attack, and pamphlets attributed to them and al-Qaeda were found at the scene. They warned that anyone who criticised the blasphemy law would be shot.

Mr Bhatti (42) had received death threats for urging reform of the blasphemy law and because of his support for Christian mother-of-five Aasia Bibi, who was sentenced to death under it last November. But he remained defiant, saying last month, “I have been told by pro-Taliban religious extremists that if I will continue to speak against the blasphemy law, I will be beheaded.” But he said his faith gave him strength:

As a Christian, I believe Jesus is my strength. He has given me a power and wisdom and motivation to serve suffering humanity. I follow the principles of my conscience, and I am ready to die and sacrifice my life for the principles I believe.

Mr Bhatti’s death comes just three weeks after he retained his ministerial position in a major government reshuffle – a decision that Pakistani Christians hailed as “astounding”. It also follows the assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, a Muslim, who was gunned down by one of his own bodyguards in January because he also had spoken out against the blasphemy law and supported Aasia Bibi.

MP Sherry Rehman, a Muslim, who put forward an amendment in parliament that sought to abolish the death penalty for defiling the name of Muhammad, has also received multiple death threats. She was forced to withdraw the private member’s bill last month.

In the wake of a hostile Islamist backlash to proposed amendments, the government has repeatedly stated that it has no plans to change the law.

Trauma Grips Survivors of Church Blast in Alexandria, Egypt  

A boy touches blood-stained, plywood mural that was used as gurney after the blast at the church of the Two Saints in Alexandria, Egypt. (Photo: Compass)
Blinded Christian transported to Germany amid political riots clings to faith.
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, January 31 (CDN) — The last thing Osni Naim Michael remembers seeing on New Year’s Eve was more than a dozen people standing in front of him who instantly disintegrated in a brilliant flash of light.

In the split second that followed, the shock wave of the bomb threw the 57-year-old Michael to the ground. As he lay there – bleeding, blind, deaf and unable to get up – he could feel people hurrying over him, fleeing the blast site. His daughter eventually found him, pulled him from the scene and took him to the hospital.

Several days after the attack, while recovering from injuries, Michael learned that the place he was standing when the bomb detonated marked a macabre line of demarcation; everyone between him and the bomb is now dead, and almost everyone behind him lived.

“I remember the flash and everything exploding around me,” Michael said. “The 18 people were between me and the bomb … the 18 were killed, and I was only wounded. I thank Jesus Christ for this.”

In the early-morning hours of Jan. 1, after a New Year’s Eve Mass celebration in Alexandria, Egypt, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Coptic Orthodox church of St. Mark and Pope Peter, or “(Two) Saints Church,” according to the Egyptian government. At least 22 people died in the blast or later as a result of their injuries; the remains from one or two others are still unidentified and unclaimed. Another 97 people were reportedly injured from the explosion, which witnesses initially said came from a car-bomb; area Christians suspect more than one assailant.

The latest victim to succumb to his injuries was Samuel Girgis. In his 30s, Girgis died on Jan. 21 in a London hospital after an infection from the burns that covered more than half his body, according to doctors from St. Mark’s Hospital in Alexandria. He was married and had an infant child.

The explosion left the church smeared with blood, and it shattered windows throughout the building. The damage to the structure is largely repaired or cleaned, but now the people who make up the church are left to struggle with injuries, unanswered questions and their faith.

Wounds Seen and Unseen
Michael was one of more than 70 patients who were treated at St. Mark’s Hospital for various injuries sustained during the bombing. The tall, burly Michael was largely unscathed by the explosion with one major exception – the shockwave from the blast shattered his left eye and severely damaged the other. The left eye had to be removed, and the right eye is essentially useless. His eardrums were damaged in the explosion but have almost healed.

For weeks, Michael needed constant care. His family members took turns staying with him in his hospital room – his wife during the day, and his son sleeping in a bed next to his at night. Doctors said he will probably never see again. But Michael, a manager at a petroleum factory, holds on to hope that he will see one day, either through medical or divine intervention.

On Saturday (Jan. 29), while the rest of his country was locked in political riots, Michael was placed on a plane with five others to Germany for medical treatment. Although his treatment options are now better, his prognosis is still uncertain.

“I am sure that Jesus Christ will not leave me,” he said in the days before he was transported.

St. Mark’s Hospital, a facility adjacent to and run by the Saints church, was overwhelmed after the bombing, according to Dr. Mena Michael, a cardiologist at the hospital. Police closed the bombing site and the hospital for several hours after the attack, and when the doors reopened, the hospital was deluged with people suffering burns, lacerations and crushed or missing limbs; they were full of fragments that the terrorists packed into the explosive device.

Doctors still have a large envelope full of bolts and bits of wire, which they call “foreign objects” that they removed from the wounded.

Possibly the hardest thing doctors had to face was documenting and processing the bodies of friends and colleagues who worked at the hospital. One doctor who ran the laboratory at St. Mark’s was killed with her two daughters and sister. Her husband returned to the front of the church after retrieving his car to find his entire family dead.

Michael said the whole thing was a “nightmare.”

“You have two hands, you just have two hands to work in [the body of] one patient – not in two, not in three, not in four [patients],” Michael said. “Imagine about 10 at a time, 15 at a time. What can you do?”

Doctors were also tasked with correcting medical procedures that they said were done improperly at a nearby state-run hospital, such as one patient whose legs were left full of fragments. That patient was Girgis.

Promises made by state officials to pay for the medical treatment have only materialized in part, doctors said, so Christian business leaders have promised to pay for the remaining costs. Still, some victims are uncertain how they will pay for their medical treatment. In spite of how medical bills will eventually be paid, most of the seriously wounded have been moved to hospitals scattered across Europe, with the bulk being in Germany.

As the bodies of the wounded continue to heal, many are now left to deal with the unseen emotional scars. A 7-year-old girl whose face was badly burned, legs were broken and had one toe amputated lay in a bed all day next to the bed of her mother, who was also injured. Michael said the girl was having an especially hard time dealing with the emotional trauma of the attack, and doctors are worried about her.

Culprits
On Jan. 23, Egyptian Interior Minister Habib al-Adly said his ministry had conclusive evidence that a Palestinian terror group, the Army of Islam, was responsible for the church bombing. The group has publicly denied responsibility for the act, and other Palestinian groups normally in conflict or even open combat with the Army of Islam have said they don’t believe the Egyptian government’s accusations.

The Palestinian groups are not alone.

From the beginning, the Egyptian government asserted that the attack was carried out by a group from outside Egypt and not by Egyptians themselves. Many Coptic leaders have publically voiced their doubts about the government’s declaration; they said the Jan. 23 announcement was just the latest example of the government refusing to admit that there is a problem with anti-Christian attitudes and violence within Egypt.

Asked about the culprits, all of more than two dozen members of the Saints church said they thought a group of Egyptians were responsible for the attack and not any outside group. They said they also didn’t believe the attack was a suicide bombing, but rather a car bombing, based on eyewitness reports. The congregation members said the bombing was part of a larger problem of Coptic Christians being persecuted and discriminated against by an Egyptian society that is increasingly hard-line Islamic and intolerant.

“Most of us believe it is something internal, not from anywhere outside,” said one woman at the church who requested anonymity. “And the government is trying to say it’s from somewhere outside to show that our country is really stable and nothing is harming us from inside.”

In the wake of the bombing, several Facebook sites and other Web sites sprang up in Egypt in support of the violence. The sentiment was echoed in the comments sections of the online versions of several Egyptian newspapers.

As if to add emphasis to the arguments of Coptic Christians, two days after the bombing a police officer boarded a train in southern Egypt and, upon seeing a group of Christians, shot at the group, killing one man. The police officer was later arrested. The same week, Mohamed Ahmed Hussein was sentenced to death for last year’s shooting outside a church in Nag Hammadi that left six Christians and one Muslim security guard dead.

One woman visiting a victim at St. Mark’s Hospital, a co-worker who is several months pregnant, said the hatred against Christians in Egypt is palpable.

“We are four out of 200 workers, and you can tell by the way they look at us now, they are happy about what happened,” said the woman, who also didn’t want to be indentified for security reasons.

One man, the son of a Christian whose abdomen had been ripped open in the blast, said that Egyptians are taught in school that Christians are “liars and thieves and bad people.”

A New Shrine
Whatever the bombers hoped to accomplish on the night of the attack, the site has now become a shrine and a rallying cry for Egyptian Christians. Copts from the Orthodox Church and other denominations are traveling hundreds of miles to visit the church.

The visitors said the bombing has increased the faith and spiritual commitment of the Copts.

The congregation has set up several displays honoring the victims. One billboard is covered with crowns representing the “crown of life” promised in the Bible to Christians who persevere “under trial.” Another display, a vinyl poster, is covered with the photographs of faces of the deceased.

Possibly the most poignant display is that of a life-size portrait of Jesus, arms outstretched, painted on a piece of plywood. After the bombing, congregants gathered the body pieces of the victims and, using the picture as a stretcher, brought them inside the church. The image of Christ, protected by glass, is smeared with the blood of those who died.

Some who came to the church stood in front of murals of the victims, posing for photographs taken with cell phone cameras. Others followed priests as they explained what happened the night of the attack. Still others wander aimlessly, dabbing tears from their eyes, or touching the faces of the photographs of the people who were killed.

A woman from St. George’s church in Giza, a suburb of Cairo two hours away by train, said the bombing has forced many Copts to re-examine their faith. Before, she said, the news of attacks and unrest would lead members of the Coptic Orthodox Church to commit themselves to their faith, “But in a couple of days everything would go back to normal.”

This time, it is different, she said. People are truly shaken.

“Most have come back to church, have repented and are praying to God,” she said. “We can go to God any time, so each one of us should be prepared to go anytime.”

LAHORE, Pakistan, January 19 (CDN) — A mother of five sentenced to death on “blasphemy” charges has lived in constant fear since the killing of Punjab Gov. Salman Taseer, her husband told Compass as he came out of Sheikhupura District Jail after meeting with her last week.

Ashiq Masih said his wife, Asia Noreen (alternatively spelled Aaysa, and also called Asia Bibi), is “very afraid.” Her conviction triggered a violent chain of events in Pakistan, including the Jan. 4 murder of Taseer by his bodyguard after the governor voiced support for her.

“She knows the Muslims have announced a prize on her head and would go to any lengths to kill her,” a visibly nervous Masih told Compass. “The governor’s murder in broad daylight has put her in a state of paranoia.”

He added that threats by Islamist extremists have dampened Noreen’s hope of getting justice from the Lahore High Court, where her appeal against the conviction has been filed but yet to be taken up.

Wearing a dark cloak to hide his identity, Masih was visibly nervous after meeting with her on Jan. 11.

“She was asking me about the situation outside,” he said. “I tried to console her, but she knows it’s really bad. She’s also worried about the children.”

The mother of two children and stepmother to three others, Noreen asked him to appeal for more prayers for her, he said.

“Please tell everyone to pray for her,” he said.

Masih said prison authorities had improved Noreen’s security considerably after Taseer’s killing.

“She’s being kept in a separate cell with a warden deployed 24 hours for her security,” he said. “Only I am allowed to meet her, but even I am searched completely before they bring her out for the meeting. I just hope and pray she keeps safe inside the prison.”

Still, prison officials have reportedly said she will be transferred to another prison soon because of security concerns.

The female warden tasked with Noreen’s security the day Taseer was killed told Compass of the Christian woman’s reaction to the news.

“I was escorting her for her routine walk on the evening Governor Taseer was gunned down,” said the warden, who requested anonymity. “We were passing by a barrack when the news broke out on TV that the governor was dead … She stood there in shock for some time, and then she started screaming and crying.”

The warden added that she helped Noreen back to her cell, “as she could barely walk and kept weeping.”

“She cried all evening and also refused to have supper,” the warden said. “The governor’s killing shattered her. The governor’s visit had boosted her morale – she was very happy and every time I spoke to her, I could feel the joy in her heart. She shared with me how she had lost hope, and how God had sent Taseer to help her. A particular verse that she often repeats is from John 14:1, which says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.”

The warden said she was assigned Noreen’s security following reports that attempts would be made to kill her inside the jail. Since Taseer’s killing, she said, Noreen has grown suspicious of everyone around her.

“She’s only taken out of her cell for an hour, but even then she is fearful of her surroundings, even though all the other inmates are locked up before she’s taken out for exercise,” she said. “One can imagine how insecure she must be feeling after Taseer was killed by one of his own guards.”

Sheikhupura District Jail Superintendent Sheikh Khalid, who recently assumed charge, told Compass that Noreen was the most “high value” inmate of the prison and that he was not going to take any chances regarding her security.

“She is on the hit list of several extremist organizations,” he said, “and there are reports that she might be targeted inside the jail – moreover, she has a 30 million rupee [US$350,000] prize on her head. This is enough incentive for anyone to kill her.”

He said the prison had enhanced its security measures, and additional forces have been employed to guard the premises at night.

“No one except her husband can meet her,” Khalid said. “I have also directed her not to eat anything given to her by any person other than the wardens deployed for her security. We are trying our best to keep her safe, but life and death are in the hands of Allah.”

Noreen’s lawyer, S.K. Chaudhry, declined to discuss the future course of legal action because of the sensitive nature of the case.

Noreen has been condemned to death for insulting Islam’s prophet, Muhammad, a charge she denies. A week after her conviction, the governor of Punjab province visited her in jail. Taseer, a liberal Muslim, did not mince words as he assured Noreen of his support. He told her he believed that the charges against her were fabricated and that there had been a miscarriage of justice. He promised that he would recommend a presidential pardon for her.

During that visit, he called Pakistan’s blasphemy statutes “a black law” and called for their repeal – a demand that ultimately resulted in his brutal killing, as one of his own police bodyguards believed that Taseer had blasphemed by criticizing the law.

Masih, Noreen’s husband, said he was about to have lunch when he first heard the news of the killing of Taseer on TV.

“I had taken the first bite when the news flashed that Governor Taseer had been killed,” he said. “I was stunned, couldn’t swallow the food either … no words can explain that moment.”

He denied government reports that it was providing his family security, saying they were living in a safe-house arranged by “some friends” and surviving on money provided by Christian organizations. Taseer’s murder, he added, had shaken the little confidence the family had after the governor’s assurance of support to them.

“They killed the governor for supporting her,” he said. “He died for us, but it seems his sacrifice has gone in vain.”