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Monday 28 January 2013

King's College London seeks views on relationships between people from diverse faiths of Pakistani origin in the UK


King’s College London is conducting research on the persecution of Pakistani religious minorities in the UK Pakistani community. The aim of the research is to understand if and how Pakistani religious minorities continue to experience discrimination, persecution, or intimidation by other Pakistanis in the UK.

The researcher would like to interview members of the UK Pakistani Christian community about their experiences with discrimination, exclusion, persecution, or intimidation by Pakistani individuals, organizations, or groups. Examples may include but are not limited to: anti-Pakistani Christian protests or leafleting, discriminatory education or employment policies, organized boycotting of Pakistani Christian businesses, exclusion from Pakistani community organizations, organized mobilization against Pakistani political candidates for the expressed reason of his/her faith, distribution of anti-Pakistani Christian, literature, TV or Radio programs, vandalism of homes or churches, violence or its threat.  Physical evidence, such as photographs, video tapes, leaflets etc. will be very helpful.

The researcher is also looking for evidence that the discrimination, exclusion, persecution, or intimidation of Pakistani Christians is driven by individuals, groups, or events in Pakistan or local actors and events in the UK.

Interviews will take place at our offices on 11th February, 2013 beginning at 1030 AM.  If you would like to contribute please make contact with us prior to the event. 

All research will be anonymous. NO NAMES WILL BE PUBLISHED.


If you would like to donate to the work of the BPCA please use the following details:


Pay by using the PayPal facility on the top right hand corner of our blog and electronic means of transfer will be initiated when you click donate written in the yellow oval. 

You can also send your contributions by cheque payable to;

British Pakistani Christian Association.
Address : British Pakistani Christian Association
57 Green Lane
Ilford
Essex
IG1 1XG 

Alternatively should you wish you can pay by BACS, direct debit or standing order by paying into the following account details: 

Sort Code: 20-67-90 
Account Number: 63468976

Evangelist and his young Daughter fear for the lives after threats from exteremists!


BosNewsLife reported on the safety concerns for an evangelist and his daughter, after threats received due to their outreach programnme:

Evangelist Kamran Gill

The  young daughter of a Pakistani evangelist remained in hiding Wednesday, January  23, after Muslim extremists allegedly threatened to kill her.
“My  10-year-old daughter Shifa Gill is not going to school,” said Reverend Kamran  Gill, who survived an assassination attempt while evangelizing in Pakistan’s  Punjab province.
“She is hidden in a secure place right now,” he  added.
Gill, who lived in provincial capital Lahore before fleeing to the  United States, told BosNewsLife that the troubles began in June last year when  he attempted to preach among those suffering in some of Punjab’s notorious brick  kilns.
Overburdened by loans, some 4.5 million generations of workers  spread across 18,000 kilns around the country toil for nothing more than a  promise of freedom, according to the Asian Human Rights  Commission.

CHRIST’S HOPE
Gill, a 39-year-old  widow, said he wanted to spread the hope he found in Jesus Christ among workers,  youth and other “marginalized communities” in the region.
Yet  fearful of losing business, “Muslim extremists” oppose his Christian activities,  which also include working for several aid and advocacy groups, he  said.
“Muslim extremists threatened me and even tried to kill me when I  tried to preach in a village,” Gill explained.
Accompanied by a fellow  evangelist and his daughter, he was allegedly stopped by an angry crowd. “They  insisted to stop us from coming in this village and preach.” He said soon after,  one or more Muslim hardliners “opened fire” at him, but missed.
“I was  saved by His graceful hands,” he recalled, referring to Jesus Christ. “Soon  people from the village came out and they also ran after  me.”
Pakistan - Evangelist Gill
CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY
Several months later, a  Swedish Christian missionary wasn’t so lucky. Birgitta Almeby, 71, was shot by  suspected Muslim extremists in Lahore and eventually died December 3 in a  Stockholm hospital.
Like Gill, she was also involved in aid and education  projects for impoverished people.
Gill said he was forced to hide his  daughter, after she initially remained at his home. “However I am very concerned  about her,” he said. “I fear she will be killed.”
Gill’s Christian  daughter isn’t the only child suffering for what militants call a “Western  ideology”. This month Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl who  survived an assassination attempt by Taliban militants, was discharged from a  hospital in Britain.
Gill, whose wife passed away in September 2011, is  concerned about the future of his small family.
CHRISTIAN  CONCERN
The tensions have also added to concerns among local  Christians. “It is ironic that a person stands to educate the masses, instead  they start threatening him,” said Priest John Samuel from the Lahore  Diocese.
Heavily Islamic Pakistan has come under international pressure  to improve protection for minority Christians and  children.
“Unfortunately a few people in Pakistan want to keep the people  covered with illiteracy, so that they can use them for their gain, ” noted  Samuel in a statement.
“We condemn such a violation of the basic human  rights and we condemn the threats given to the evangelist for his work,” he  said


If you would like to donate to the work of the BPCA please use the following details:


Pay by using the PayPal facility on the top right hand corner of our blog and electronic means of transfer will be initiated when you click donate written in the yellow oval. 

You can also send your contributions by cheque payable to;

British Pakistani Christian Association.
Address : British Pakistani Christian Association
57 Green Lane
Ilford
Essex
IG1 1XG 

Alternatively should you wish you can pay by BACS, direct debit or standing order by paying into the following account details: 

Sort Code: 20-67-90 
Account Number: 63468976

Paul Bhatti a man who lacks vision and insight say Pakistani Christians!


Paul Bhatti was interviewed on BBC's Hard Talk. He seemed unconvincing and even tried to overlook Christian persecution . Our community has long believed that he took the role simply to get on the gravy boat and many believe that  his selection through nepotism would lead to sycophant status. 

Even then, it is deplorable that when questioned on his brothers death and the failure to capture Shahbaz Bhatti's killers, he simply said he had no option but to believe his cohorts in the government; drawing a sigh from the presenter Stephen Sackur. 

View this video to see how easily he put aside the concerns of our community to bolster his unworthy government role:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS9-ksDlL8Y

Since his recent Hard Talk interview condemnation of his comments have been universal throughout our community.  I include one of hundreds of facebook conversations on this topic: