Joint Christian and Sikh delegation to 10 Downing Street and the Pakistani Embassy

Funeral of Jaspal Singh

A community mourns one of their dear departed

In the aftermath of the recent Taliban beheading of a Sikh man, I approached leaders of the Sikh community to encourage them to join us to petition for better Human Rights for minority faith groups in Pakistan. Sources state that Jaspal Singh was travelling with two other men whilst on a visit to other members of their family, when they were kidnapped by Taliban militants and a ransom was exhorted from their families. Reports state that the kidnapping occurred 41 days ago and it is said that the families of the the victims did not initially want media or Police involvement, due to a fear of reprisals. Since the devastating news of the death of Jaspal that has alarmed the Sikh Community, the Taliban have requested a 20,000,000 Pak Rupee ransom to free Surjeet Singh and Gurvinder Singh the remaining abductees.

I received the following comment from Ravjeet Singh of United Sikhs:

"Hi Wilson, Thanks for your email. I will look into if we can help in anyway with your cause, sadly I can't make Thursday as its to short notice but I will try and ask someone else. I have put my name on the petition. Please see our press statement relating to recent events in link below."


Community Mourns the Brutal Beheading of Peshawar Sikh by Taliban
UNITED SIKHS Appeals for Concrete Action to Protect Minority Communities in the Region
http://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-23-02-2010-00.html

Dr Jasdev Rai of the Sikh Human Rights Group, could not attend our petition submission to 10 Downing Street or the Pakistani High Commission, however, he has indicated his support.

I am pleased to announce that Upkar Rai and Sukminderjit Deol, from the British Sikh Council, will be attending the petition submission event at 10 Downing Street and the Pakistani Embassy. I have a particularly dear and strong friendship with the Sikh Community, much due to a friendship with a Tarsem Lalli an ex-colleague of mine who has been a Human Rights activist for many years. Tarsem and I challenged the UK Passport Office on a discriminatory practice that resulted in the refusal of entry to baptised Sikhs at Passport Offices, due to their wearing of a Kirpaan (ceremonial knife). An ensuing risk assessment has made it possible for Sikhs to be served in the same way as other British Citizens without any "potential" threat to the safety of others. I should advise that no Sikh has ever been prosecuted for misusing their Kirpaan in the UK.

Sikhs and Christians in Pakistan have a history of working together and supporting one another. In the UK this allegiance is no different. By working together in this way we hope to raise the profile of the injustices and malpractice occurring in Pakistan. Our aim is to bring succour to persecuted communities of all faiths in particular minority faith groups. We challenge the Pakistani Government to provide safer communities, better quality of life, parity of opportunity, equal citizenship and fairer justice to all. Moreover, we hope our efforts will inspire the British Government and European Union to take a more concerted interventionist policy in resolving these issue, for a country that operates as one of their allies and is in receipt of various funding streams for internal development.

Our Petitions will be delivered to 10 Downing Street at 12:00 on Thursday 25 February 2010. We also hope to deliver a petition to the Pakistani Embassy for 13:30 and await final confirmation. Please come and join us to show support if you are free and pray for the event itself - that it might create some impetus for change in Pakistan. Most importantly, pray for succour, and justice for the families of Jaspal Singh and Shazia Bashir two victims of the social injustices in Pakistan.

Romail from Pukaar seeks to heal community wounds!

Image of the debonair Romail in full flow!

Dear All,

Many attacks have taken place against minority citizens of Pakistan, especially the Christians. And now in the news this past week is story of Pakistani Sikh who was beheaded after being kidnapped in the Khyber district.

We will be discussing this latest attack on EAVA FM on Wednesday 24th February between 12 and 1pm. Our studio guests will include Manzoor Moghal MBE JP, Chairman of, Muslim Forum.

Rev'd. Javaid Iqbal chairman of ethnic minority forum, Diocese of Leicester, and on the phone Resham Singh Sandhu MBE, Chairman of the Sikh Welfare and Cultural Society and Wilson Chowdhry, vice-chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA).

Tune into 102.5 FM or www.eavafm.com to hear the discussion live.


Kind Regards,
Romail Gulzar

Two Sikhs beheaded in NWFP!

Image shows NWF provinces in which Sikhs have a sizable population and have been forced to pay a Jizya Tax. Two Sikhs were beheaded when their families could not afford to pay a ransom, fears have increased for the safety of other potential victims.

It was with great sadness that I heard of the tragic loss of two Sikh men in a Taliban beheading, yesterday. The Sikh Community has been supportive of Pakistani Christians and Dr Jasdev Rai of the Sikh Human Right Group attended our recent protest from the Pakistani Embassy to 10 Downing Street. We will be praying for the Sikh community of Pakistan and condemn the actions of the Taliban. The BPCA are submitting a petition to 10 Downing Street after a 12 year old Christian Girl - working as a domestic servant - was tortured, raped and killed. Perhaps you would like to support our petition?

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justice-for-shazia-bashir/

We are taking the petition to 10 Downing Street and the Pakistani Embassy on Thursday 25th February at 12:00. We have now invited leaders from the Sikh Community to generate a Petition before this event so that they can submit alongside us in a joint delegation. We must work together to stop vulnerable communities form being persecuted in Pakistan.

Many of you may not be aware of my strong association with the UK Sikh Community:

http://britishpakistanichristian.blogspot.com/2010/01/sukhwinder-singh-martyr-for-justice-and.html

Minority faith groups will need to galvanise themselves for a protracted battle against oppression and will only succeed if united. If not I can only envisage more sorrow for our communities.

’All is Well'

By. Romail Gulzar (Pukaar news)

Pakistan has been promising justice since it came into being 63 years ago, yet its minorities are still being treated unjustly. Government ministers assure us that all minorities are well treated and given full security. But this is not the case. Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians may have religious freedom but there are many cases in which the government brushes aside people's problems and suffering and says, 'All is Well!'An example of this is the two girls from Multan, Anila and Saba, who were forcefully made to accept Islam. Their parents are still looking for justice and there are many more stories of a similar nature to which the Pakistani Government has failed to respond.

On the 22nd of April last year in Karachi members of the Taliban attacked Christians in the Teesar area, killing 12-year-old Irfan and injuring four other people.They beat up women and children. When Christians peacefully protested against this they were fired upon, their houses looted and torched and Bibles were burnt in the churches. The government has not responded in any positive way. The leader needs to explain why there has been no action.

In August 2009 seven people, including children, were burnt alive inGojra; again the people there are still waiting for justice. This is an echo of the horror in Shanti Nagar 14 years ago, when the whole village was burnt and many people were killed. Tragically such crimes are still continuing.

On 21st January 2010 a 12-year-old maid was raped and murdered in Lahore. In 14th February the murderer walked free. The media highlighted this appalling case but again the Pakistani justice system has failed the young girl’s parents. And although the media tried to cover this story, they were banned from all court hearings and so unable to unfold the true events. They were even attacked for their interference! Again we see the government applying its motto of 'All is Well' when evidently it is not. A couple have lost their child, a murderer has walked free and there is no justice.

It is disgraceful that minorities in Pakistan are forced to apply to foreign governments for succour. We urge the Pakistani authorities to look into these matters and provide better security in future.

For God's sake please ensure the safety of Christians and all the minorities ends.

©Pukaarnews.com

Amnesty International Report on Pakistan 2001

I have just placed the receiver of my phone down, after a very interesting conversation with , the Lead officer responsible for "Amnesty International" concerns relating to Pakistan.

She has informed me she will cascade details of our protest on the 31st July through her membership network. Moreover, she has also provided me with a contact telephone number for Mr Mehboob Ahmed who sits on the minorities panel for the Human Rights Commission for Pakistan. I will try to make contact sometime this week, to see if they can intervene on behalf of the family of Shazia Bashir.

Maya also sent me details of a 2001 report on Pakistan that still provides an in depth and current analysis of the issues in Pakistan. Click here to read more

Wilson Chowdhry will speak to 25,000 People at IFSEC Conference and Exhibition!

I could not find a 2010 log...sorry!

IFSEC is the world's leading global annual security event, uniting over 25,000 security professionals with more than 600 world leading companies. The exhibition also boasts a comprehensive educational programme. The event will run for 3 days from the 10-12 May 2010 and entry is free.

At the event series of conference modules are presented alongside the exhibition which delegates can attend to keep up-to-date with key issues, hear the very latest in legislative and technological developments, and share best practice.

Wilson Chowdhry the Vice Chair has been invited to give a presentation on on 11th May 2010 about corporate security. Wilson's session begins at 15:05 and he will be joined by the following speakers inter alia;

• Neil Stansfield, OSCT Deputy Director for Science & Technology, The Home Office
• Chris Phillips GCGI, MSyI., DCI Head of The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO)
• Simon Whitehorn, Security Management Specialist, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust
• John Shaw, Managing Director Police Support Services, G4S
• Steve Kemsley, Head of Industry Engagement, Olympic & Paralympic Security Directorate
• Mike Hurst, Vice Chairman – Strategy, ASIS International Chapter 208
• Don Randall MBE, Head of Security, Bank of England
• Paul Mackie, Compliance Director, Camerawatch Ltd
• Jonas Andersson, Axis Communications & Chairman of Steering Committee, ONVIF

[These are but a few of the guest speakers to the event we will provide a more comprehensive list once the organisers have completed the schedule.]

The topics Wilson will be covering as part of his presentation include:

15:05 Prioritising and contingency planning
Managing risk and ensuring you are focusing on the right priorities
Planning for essential business continuity and crisis management on a budget
Taking a holistic approach to corporate security

Learn more about the event here:

http://www.ifsec.co.uk/

The event organisers said;

"Thank you so much for your call today letting me know that you have agreed to speak at the IFSEC conference this year. I am thrilled that you would like to participate in the conference and I can therefore confirm your involvement as a speaker at 15:05 on 11th May 2010."

I have been criticised indirectly by one of our "most professional" Pakistani Christian reporters. If you read the same persons Facebook entries, you will see that despite his claim to scrutinise all the emails that are received by him, many have been copied directly from the emails sent to him, including the intrinsic grammatical and spelling error. The same gentleman may want to come to my presentation. Should he do so he will note that from the names displayed so far, I may be the only ethnic minority speaker at a huge event (this may not be correct and is speculation),that will be attended predominantly by leading security executives and consultants. This is a big leap for a Pakistani Christian and I hope that I will present our community in a positive light. Please do pray for me.

We have produced a petition for Justice for Shazia Bashir. A copy will be sent to the Prime Minister of the UK and one to the Pakistan Embassy. Please sign the petition and cascade this through your personal networks. For this petition to be successful we need as many signatures as possible before the 23rd February the date for the next trial.

Please click on the link below:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justice-for-shazia-bashir/

Please put your differences aside and join us in this endeavour.

Kind regards

Wilson Chowdhry
Vice Chairman BPCA