The gathering started of small and grew slowly.
As we cried out for justice led by Gerald Sunny people stopped to listen whilst seeking our flyers.
People of all races joined us to call for Justice for Asia Bibi.
Toby Iweka from Christian Concern led the clamour for Freedom for Asia
Ranbir Singh from the Hindu Human Rights Group joined us and provided a rousing speech on Equal Rights!
Toby provided a short sermon, a prayer and led us in worship.
Toby challenged the President of Pakistan to see justice done for Asia!
We chanted slogans for freedom and worshiped God with equal intensity! If you look closely Alan Craig is the man hunched over behind the banner...
The cold weather could not stop those committed to see justice done.
The protest grew slowly and reached a peak of close to 35 people - brave enough to call for justice and freedom for Asia, despite the potential extremist threat and cold weather.
I stood on Tip Toes as I tried to hug my new found friends...Ruby Akhtar (Christian Wing EDL), Pastor Samuel Noel (Southall Baptist Church), and Stephen Green (Christian Voice)
Pastor Samuel Noel's Colleague joined us too!
We had an interesting Post-protest conversation with Stephen Green who has committed to attend our next protest.
Stephen Green will encourage more of his group member to join our protest on the 2nd July.
Premier Christian Radio and other media of our protest, we have noted that there have been an additional 200 signatures to our electronic petition. Directly after the protest we noted 6 new comments on our blog and lats night on the BBC 10 O'clock News (closer to 10:15), for the first time ever, a Pakistani Christian Minority concern featured on mainstream news.
That's right a full 5 minute feature including an interview with Ashiq Masih the husband of Asia ensued. We have been plugging the BBC with stories since the outset of the scandal and cascaded Ashiq's contact details (via solicitors working on the Asia Bibi Appeal) to BBC Reporters) and believe wholeheartedly that our group has been a main trigger for the BBC coverage, that occurred last night.
The protest went well despite the low turnout of around 35 people (much due to weather and travel impediments), Those that came enjoyed the outing and claimed a spiritual victory for Asia. All day Premier Christian Radio and BBC Asia Network highlighted our protest to the wider public - we are grateful for their contribution.
Some of the speakers could not make it due to the weather, however the following guest speakers did attend:
- Stephen Green (Chriistian Voice)
- Alan Craig (Leader Christian Peoples Alliance)
- Ranbir Singh (Hindu Human Rights Group)
- Ruby Akhtar (Christian Wing EDL)
- Samuel Noel (Heston URDU Fellowship- Southall Baptist Church)
This was a short snap protest and had great impact despite being small in number, your BPCA remains committed to the cause for better peace, unity, equality and justice in Pakistan.
Here is one write up about our protest:
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/31061#CurDomainURL#/blog.cfm
Here is what Premier Christian Radio said (this is a short snippet of a much longer interview that was aired):
http://www.premier.org.uk/news/current/petition%20calls%20for%20release%20of%20asia%20bibi.aspx
Here is what a BBC Radio Interview said about the situation in Pakistan (Flick to section on Asia Bibi):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w7c3x
Brother Wilson,
ReplyDeleteGod' Many Blessings to you and to all of your colleagues, partners, supporters and well wishers in this couragous stand in defence for Human Rights Violations and much more for the cause of our Pakistani Christians and for professing their Faith in Jesus Christ. I am delighted and so are our members of the Board of Directors for Reach Out International, Inc. USA, that you and your supporters in England, are taking up the cause of repealling Assia Bibi's death conviction under Pakistan's blasphemy law.
Please count us in with you - Pakistani American Christians, in this just struggle, as many of you know, for the last two decades I have, in conjunction with other Pakistani American Christian leadership, led the charge and continued to vehemently voice the concerns of the religious persecution for Christian minorities in Pakistan, with the Embassy of Pakistan, the visiting Prime Ministers and other high Federal Ministers & officials; the White House; the Senate and Congress of the United States in Washington DC and the United Nations Headquarters in New York, in every form of dialogue, protest rallies and holding public meetings.
We join with the hundreds of thousands and millions of other Christians, in their fervent prayer, that our God will hear our petition to save the life of Assia Bibi and her continued strength of faith in the saving Grace of Jesus Christ in this time of her great testing and persecution. We pray for you and all other Christians overseas and in Pakistan, for the strength of your conviction and efforts to continue this peaceful struggle, in seeking justice for the ongoing persecution of religious minorities of Pakistan and in other countries in the Asian region.
We appeal to the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Justices and all other people of Pakistan, to do all that is possible to save the life of Assia Bibi.
Prayerfully yours in the service of Jesus Christ,
Samuel P. Mall
Executive Director
REACH OUT INTERNATIONAL Inc. USA
Washington. D.C
Dear Wilson Sahib,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your quick response. I have been busy sending copies of that mail to several other people.
Yes you can use my email to promote this cause as best as you wish. We shall also sign in for your Petition.
One of my very good friend and partner in community and human rights issues, Ms. Sharon Jones in New York, has already contacted me over the phone several times. She is working on organizing details of a Protest Rally in New York in front of the United Nations, next week. Details are still being worked out. On behalf of her organization, she will be sending Letter of Appeal to the Pakistan Embassy, in the USA. There has been good response and interest coming from several other organizations and individuals. Several of the Pakistani American Christian organizations are already following up on this Assia's Blasphemy Case, with the concerned authorities at the Pakistan Embassy and with US Government.
Blessings.
Sam Mall
My dear Wilson,
ReplyDeleteI am very pleased with your work among Pakistani Christians and support you in your efforts .I know you are a brave man.My prayers are with you always.
Love to all.
Dr.M.R.Chowdhry
No it does not rest with the Govt. It rested with the person who is duly sentenced by the court of competent jurisdiction. Even now it rest with the criminal. If she sincerely and whole heartedly repent and apologise, she can still decide her fate. In such cases even the President or full Parliament has NO AUTHORITY toPardon whether you get 350 or 350,0000 signatures.
ReplyDeleteThe criminal has to do the right thing here. No one else can help her.
Do you honestly think the court was out to get her ? or gave this verdict under pressure ?
Please hold your horses there. A muslim can forgive the killer of his mother but
this is one thing that NO muslim in the world can condone or forgive..
Rgds
Haroon Wasti
Dear Wilson
ReplyDeleteDay in and day out you go on churning out propoganda against Pakistan as if all muslims here have nothing else to do except persecte rape or kill the cheistians. For God sake have a heart . What will you answer to the Lord Essa ? No harm if the truth with all its proper perspective is given but you give half truth and conceal the other half to give the specific colour to a news.. it is neither fair nor just and religious. Save your hereafter and stop spoiling your own grave , for your ownself. May be here you will make some money or may be you will get some praise but then ultimately only you have to face the Lord ALONE. What will happen then ?
You may show my letter on your blog.
Aasia Bibi's case is still in court and she has been VALIDLY sentenced by the Session Court. Not once have I seen her statement that she is innocent of the crime and she was framed.
I did not see any letter or protest march notice from you in favour of Dr. Aafia in USA. Just because Americans are christian too ? Is it fair..
I kept you on my mailing list simply because I felt that you may be a fair person without any religious bias but so far I have constantly felt otherwise. If so then what is the point in out keeping connection alive ?
Rgds
Haroon Wasti
Haroon,
ReplyDeleteThe minister of Minorites has already reported on the case. His finding suggest the initial case was based on aconcoted story based on personal enmity...? If you want to share the story of Dr Aafia, please do so if ther is a petition I am sure that Christians would support you aganist any persecution. So please send that also. This is a BPCA blogsite and our focus is the plight of Pkaistani Christians, whether you believe it exists or not we believe our evidence supports our premise.
We do support other faiths in their campaigns and I await details of the case you have referred to.
Kind regards
Wilson
How many marches did you conduct for Aafia Siddiqui and how much money did you collect for her family ?
ReplyDeleteRgds
Haroon Wasti
Sorry just to get this straight, you are supporting members of the EDL who routinely target minority groups, particularly pakistanis in the UK with violence and intimidation, along with chants such as "we love the floods in Pakistan" (and run by a convicted violent ex BNP member) to highlight the plight of persecuted christians...
ReplyDeleteso its ok to persecute a minority providing its not YOUR minority? Do you think Christ would support smashing up muslim owned business and triggering race riots??
The BPCA held a peaceful protest and without invite 10 members of the EDL joined us. One of whom is a Pakistani Christian and heads their Pakistani Christian Wing. All the demonstrators were peaceful and when we asked the Police if the group was high risk or racist they did not believe so. The 10 members that joined us all helped with setting up and deconstruct of our event. No wrong words were spoken and overall their demeanour and support was much appreciated. It was the |Christian wing and Jewish Wing of the EDL that joined us and as such we could not see how there presence conflicted with our event. Moreover, they joined us in our chant for freedom of Asia Bibi and signed our petition and did not use our event to promote any personal agenda. We will not be inviting EDL to our next protest, however if they choose to come and demonstrate peacefully with us we will have no issue. These words are spoken having discussed the group in detail with the Met police.
ReplyDeleteSorry Wilson, I'm sure you are not a follower or supporter of the EDL but to use the help of the far-right to highlight the plight of someone who is being persecuted will actually damage your cause. If you don't think they are racist please do your research into the group and their key figures.
ReplyDeleteI am sure elements of the group are far right and I understand your reservations. However, if anyone wants to join our peaceful protest and join in with our shout for change in Pakistan. We will allow them to dos so. The EDL will not get a direct invite, however, any members who are in sypathy with our concerns are free to join. Any rabble rousers will be controlled by the Police and removed from the protest.
ReplyDelete