Opposing Polio - Taliban campaign against health teams

A teenage Pakistani victim of polio (Photo ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS / AP)

Once a worldwide scourge, Polio is now basically confined to 3 countries, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The World Health Organisation has made a goal of totally eradicating this disease.  Pakistan is one of the key battlegrounds, and the WHO is finding it a struggle.  Malnutrition may be one reason, but for sure, it is the intersection of the war on polio with another war that makes it an especial struggle.   The Taliban has long opposed vaccination programs.  It is unclear whether, like some Islamicists, including a UK doctor, they believe it is inherently sinful (there are Islamic scholars who take the opposite view), but they most certainly claim that it is part of an infidel western plot, and so target vaccination workers, whether Western (or other foreigners) or Pakistani.   They have long claimed that vaccination programmes are a cover for spying, even before the CIA used a fake vaccination program to help confirm Osama bin Laden's location in Pakistan, prior to their assassination of him.  In the tribal areas they control, the Taliban have banned the polio vaccination program, endangering the lives and health of some quarter of a million children.  But they, along with powerful cleric allies, are also gaining success in halting or delaying the program - and so endangering the lives of yet more children - in other areas, by the simple expedient of shooting and / or kidnapping the doctors and health care workers.  In July, a UN doctor was injured in an attack in Karachi.  

In October, gunmen on motorcycles shot up a vaccination team giving drops to under 5's in Quetta, and one victim was killed.

Then there was a series of co-ordinated attacks over a 20 minute period in Karachi, a favourite Taliban hunting ground, just yesterday.  Four women workers were shot dead, and the polio vaccination program has been suspended in the city.  Elsewhere, in Peshawar another female vaccination worker was fatally shot - she died of her injuries later that day.  

Experts say Pakistan is an especially key battleground against the disease because of the danger of reinfection of other nations.  Recent cases in China came from Pakistan, and the number of children paralysed in Pakistan has been rising, with 200 recorded last year.  

The Taliban once again show themselves to be students of evil and death.

Christians shot dead, chocolate teapot police

Map of Karachi showing Essa Nagri

We have received news from Karachi that yesterday yet another Christians was shot dead in Essa Nagri.  MASS have told us that at 4:20am on 12th September, Muslim terrorists again entered the Christian slum community of Essa Nagri and opened fire, killing Yousaf Masih, son of Inyat Masih.    The inhabitants are depressed and disturbed as the police, law enforcement agencies do nothing to stop these repeated and continuous attacks on the colony.  They are calling for prayer for the tormented Christians of the region.  We reported on recent events where police tear-gassed and shot Christians resulting in one death and several injuries.  

Sources  1, and MASS reports by Facebook

In addition, several weeks ago a Muslim gang in Faisalabad attacked and shot Yaqoob Masih, a Christian.  He has now died of his injuries in hospital.  His family are protesting because, once again, the police have taken no action against the Muslim gang.  

Source 2

Marriage, mobs and murder

Faryal Bibi aka Rinkal Kumari, example of kidnapped hindu girl

We have often documented the increasing numbers of minority girls and woman kidnapped and forcibly married and converted to Islam.  In the Sindh province it is often Hindu girls who are kidnapped in this fashion.  Although some of them say they have done so willingly out of love for Muslim men, it is known or strongly suspected in most cases that this is not true - a typical tactic is to tell them that if they don't say this, their families will be killed or have blasphemy charges made against them.  This suspicion is further heightened in a recent case in Karachi.  A Hindu factory worker, Sooda, went to court because his teenage daughter Rekha, had been taken in such a manner from their house in Gadap town, near Karachi, in December, by Ashgar, the supervisor of the factory she worked in.  In court she was dressed in a full black chaddur, so they couldn't see her at all, but she said she had converted and married willingly - the case was immediately dismissed.... and the family has never seen her again, despite the immediate promises after the court of elders from Ashgar's village that they would be allowed to meet her.  Sooda says that her family are not allowed to see her because she is Muslim and they are Hindu - even though Islamic scholars say it is fine for them to meet, but not for her to partake in any Hindu celebrations.  

Human rights workers on the ground say this is the norm, and ask if these are willing conversions, why are these girls not allowed to see their families after their 'conversion'?  BPCA asks the same.

Source

BLASPHEMY ACCUSED PULLED FROM POLICE STATION AND BURNT ALIVE

Whilst the blasphemy laws are disproportionately used against minorities, they are also used against Muslim citizens of Pakistan.  In a horrific recent case, a man named Ghulam Abbas, who was reportedly mentally ill, was accused of desecrating the Quran and arrested, but a mob stormed the police station, dragged him out and burnt him alive, injuring a number of police officers in the process.  This happened in the Chani Goth area of Punjab, and has been a trigger point for increased religious tension and attacks, leaving local Christians in fear of their lives.  A local priest says it is part of the increasing lawlessness and religious intolerance in the region.  

Source

BALOCHISTAN BUS BOMB KILLS SIX CHRISTIANS

A recent bombing involving a motorbike killed six Christians, although the target was apparently some Shia pilgrims on another bus that passed by at nearly the same time.  Local sources said that both Pakistani and Afghan Christians were on the bus, and some of them were graduates of a Middle Eastern bible school on the way to work in missions in the Balochistan province.  At least 40 other people were injured in the attack near Quetta, and 10 of the injured are also reported to be Christians.  A charity that supports the bible school is trying to raise funds for families of the victims.  

Source

The torture and murder of another Christian

Sunil Masih, murdered for going to the loo

We have received a report from one Khalid Shahzad about the murder and torture of a 25 year old Catholic called Sunil Masih, the only son of his parents. (We have not been able to corroborate the story fully yet - expect more details to emerge). The murder happened near Lahore, at a major annual event for Roman Catholics dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Catholics from all over the country make pilgrimage. The pilgrims regularly walk or bike along the same route.

The report from Khalid states Sunil was found to be missing from his group - he had gone aside to urinate. This year, some Muslims apparently had decided that any Christian who used a particular wall would be 'taught a lesson'. The report is not quite clear as to how close to this wall Sunil was, but in any case, Sunil appears to have been beaten with metal rods and then thrown on the road under a vehicle and killed. According to the report, the police also take the view that this was murder, and not a road accident, although apparently road accident fatalities are common. Sunil's father is ill with a kidney problem, and so Sunil was the families only breadwinner, and they are now left destitute with no support. His mother is said to have fainted at the news of the assassination.

Khalid also charges that the diocese of Lahore uses the funds it receives from this major money-spinning festival to further promote the event, but not to take care of the flock, or to reduce fatalities or give guidance and protection to the pilgrims.