In the latest case, just 20 miles from the capital, Islamabad, a young Christian girl named Mariam Gill went out to the market and never came back. Witnesses saw a local man, an important local businessman, Muhammed Junaid, physically snatching her from the market. He had asked her to marry him and had been refused, so he took the woman he lusted after anyway, by force, and typically, cloaked his rape by claiming he had been a pious Muslim and converted her to Islam. Again, typically, the police prevaricated, refused the application of the distraught family, and treated the Christian family with disdain by showing no interest in the matter. A local police officer, Amir Mirza, praised the culprit as 'a respectable Muslim businessman' and claimed, against all evidence, that the girl had converted and married 'of her own free will'.
Again, typically, the local Muslim religious leader, Maulana Hafeez Aziz, praised the perpetrator of this wickedness as a 'pious Muslim' and a 'true follower of Muhammed' who has 'fulfilled Sharia', who had done an act that 'only a true Muslim could do'. He stated he had 'converted Mariam to Islam' and then 'celebrated' her 'marriage'.
The lies of both the religious and secular authorities became apparent when local officials questioned Mariam. She forthrightly stated that she had been abducted and forced to convert and would not renounce her faith in Christ. The officials ordered that the girl should be returned to her family and the two 'sides' should reach an 'agreement'. However, again typically, Muhammad Junaid showed his approach - he demanded the girl he had violated thrice over be returned to him for his pleasure and continued abuse, or there would be 'terrible consequences'.
Yet again, those who abuse Christian women (and indeed those of other minorities - Hindu girls are fleeing to India in increasing numbers to escape this cadre of sadistic rapists) indulge in a culture of impunity where these perpetrators of serious crimes are praised and lauded as model citizens and religionists while the victims and their families are threatened and intimidated.
The local bishop is quoted as saying 'the cases of forced conversion are rising at an alarming rate. The matter needs to be checked, kidnapping of Christian girls is becoming a common practice in Punjab. Law enforcement agencies need to enforce the law'
Amen to that.
He also says 'It is time to take concrete action to guarantee the safety of minorities in Pakistan'.
Amen to that too.
Thank you to the people at Asia News for bringing this to our attention.
Queen Esther along with all her servants with all the Jews fasted and prayed when the Jews were about to be destroyed on the order of the king, an evil done by Haman, the enemy of the Jews.
ReplyDeleteI humbly think, we need to fast and pray across the globe for the Muslims. The devil is using them to instil fear in people. They are targeting young girls to bring more people to Islam.
One day Jesus Christ will come as the Judge of every human being. He will separate the goats from the sheep.
Sometimes I do not understand why God allows people to desecrate His Holy name. Unbelievers take His name in vain. Yet all of us who have known His grace know for sure His power to make us new human beings with minds and hearts cleaving towards Him. We have a touch of His holiness, His love. The Muslims do not know who Christ really is. They are blinded just like millions who have rejected the God of the bible. I don't really think that man will change his ways whether he is a Muslim from Pakistan who lusts after a Christian girl, rapes her and forces her to marry him; or he is a Prime Minister from Europe or a president from America. Man is a sinner unless he know he is a sinner. He needs Jesus Christ to save Him and reconcile Him to God the Father. The Christian power is not in the US or British army or world Islamisation or apartheid or communism or another...ism. It is in the blood of Christ that cleanses sinful man from sin. When you are born in Christ. you just want to please Him because you are really changed and you continue to change and as you grow in Christ through delving in the Word of God, you are really transformed. This is the power of the Christian God. The blood of Jesus can change the attitude of Muslim men towards women, whether Christians or others.
What God cannot do? He can do anything. He can convert those who are His enemies. Remember Saul who changed when He heard Christ's voice.
Lord I pray you give us great love for the Muslims who kidnap, rape and force girls to marry them, for other extremists who behead Muslim men who have converted to Christianity.
Remember Nazi Germany. Hitler felt down. But there was a time that he almost ruled the world. Remember 70 years of communism but it fell down. Apartheid in South Africa ended in 1994. Saddam Hussein fell. Dictators and their reign of terror end one day during this life. So I know kidnapping, rape and forced conversion will end one day just like slavery was abolished one day. I will always remember William Wilberforce how he fought slave trade. He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for twenty-six years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807. and Wilberforce died just three days after hearing that the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act through Parliament was assured.
Why I am talking about Wilberforce. In the end with perseverance, there is light before darkness and pain. God acts. He intervenes. If The Lord in the Old Testament fought for His people and in the New Testament gave himself as a sin offering for the sins of sinners who will make up His Kingdom and He made himself alive again from being dead. This is the God we believe in. HE says:"Let the light be, and there was light." Before existence, God was always there. Let's trust Him. He is the only One who can heal the girls who are abused. No-one knows the lives they are leading but we have a God who sees them, wipes their tears and comforts them. How can a Christian girl remain Christian when she has no bible and is forced to recite Koranic verses? Conversion to Christ is from the Lord. Fear the One who can destroy the soul not mere mortal man who destroys a corruptible body.
Wipe your tears Christians born of Christ, be comforted. As surely as He ascended to heaven, He will come the same way. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!