Kamran is Krazy!

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on September 21, a group of Muslims looted and then burned a Christian family’s home and car in Gujar Khan, Pakistan. As the only Christian family in the neighborhood, they have faced repeated harassment and violence at the hands of their Muslim peers.

One of the victims, Fiaz Masih, told ICC, “An armed group of Muslims led by Muhammad Kamran intruded Bashir Masih’s house in daylight and thrashed the entire family.”

On September 20, Muhammad Kamran and his companions beat Fiaz’s elderly parents as they were cleaning the house. “My father got injuries and mother’s hand got fractured,” Masih explained. “Muhammad Kamran often threatened us to bear the consequences if we don’t leave the house. His abusive and threatening conversation is recorded on the mobile phone.”

“The attackers beat men, women, and children of the family and therefore some of us have severe injuries. They set fire to the house, including beds, furniture, sofa, cabinets, televisions, refrigerator, air-conditioners, fans, and vandalized vessels and other stuff,” he continued. “A new vehicle was set on fire and other valuables [including] cash money, jewelry, prize bonds, and mobile phones were looted.”

“The local police have registered the First Information Report # 504/18 against the culprits, however they have reportedly secured a Bail-Before-Arrest,” Masih added. “Our father, Bashir Masih, was a sanitary worker. He built this house a few years back, when he retired from his job, however Muslims could not bear that Christians would live in such a good, big, and furnished house.” 

“We are the only Christian family in the neighborhood. They wanted to snatch our property. Therefore, they started threatening us to leave the house otherwise they will [accuse us of] committing blasphemy against Islam,” Masih continued. 

Regarding a previous attack, he added, “This Muslim group did not like Christmas celebrations and therefore since we, the Christians, are vulnerable, they blocked the main street which leads to our house. In reaction we submitted an application to the police station against this blockage, but police did not listen to us and therefore the group attacked and beat our family members in January.”

While speaking with ICC, Chaudhry Shamoun Qasier, Chairman of the Union Council, expressed his shock over the series of recent attacks against Christians in Pakistan. He said, “It seems that persecution of Christians is at [a] high scale this year. The sad part of this development is the denial and cover-up of the police officers and successive governments.”

Qaiser hopes that the newly elected government will take protection measures seriously to ensure that religious minorities are treated as equal citizens.

For interviews with William Stark, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

5th Anniversary of Peshawar Bombing

International Christian Concern (ICC) and Pakistan’s Christian community are commemorating the martyrs of Peshawar’s All Saints Church bombing five years after the attack. The All Saints Church bombing is the deadliest attack on Christians in Pakistan’s independent history, with more than 130 Christians killed and 600 requiring immediate medical attention.

At 11:45 a.m. on September 22, 2013, two suicide bombers associated with the Pakistani Taliban detonated in the church’s courtyard. The church, established in 1883 and considered one of the oldest Christian institutions in the city, had just concluded its Sunday service. Hundreds of church members were gathered in the courtyard when the bombs exploded.

Although five years have passed since the attack, the agony and suffering of the families still linger as three more people joined the list of martyrs as a result of their injuries over the past five years. These martyrs include Zamir, Cecilia, and Farah.

The victims’ families still struggle to survive each day. Shumaila Robin, a widow with two children, said, “I don’t believe five years have [passed] without Robin, my husband. It seems he is around. However, it’s reality. Living without a life-partner is a challenge and bringing up two children is a great responsibility. I often meditate, what if it would have not happened?”

Fahmeeda William, who spent roughly three years in bed due to severe injuries, described her reaction, “I don’t want to recall those moments of destruction. Even after five years of that bloody attack, I still feel my body shakes, my ears shut down, and my heart stops pumping. I have nothing more to lose as the attack damaged my whole life. I buried three members of my family and becoming [a] widow is unbearable and an agony.”

While speaking with ICC, Ishaq John, a lay-pastor at All Saints Church in Peshawar, expressed his dissatisfaction with the security arrangements and lack of compensation that was promised by authorities.

John said, “A few policemen are deputed around the church building every Sunday. However, these steps are not adequate nor is the security personnel serious in their focus. We were expecting more concern by the newly elected government, however we haven’t seen a notable change in the behaviors or protecting religious minorities and their places of worships. Therefore, Christians are still under fearful atmosphere, and they feel [like they are] living in isolation and a rejected group of people by the majority.”

John informed ICC that two events will be taking place this year on the fifth anniversary to commemorate the martyrs, including a memorial prayer service at 11:45 a.m., the exact time when the bombers attacked. The church will be singing worship songs in the evening and renowned Gospel singers will perform to commemorate the martyrs.

For interviews with William Stark, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Acid attack kills Pakistani

International Christian Concern (ICC) has documented a sharp escalation of attacks against Coptic Christians in Egypt within the last two weeks. During these incidents, the violence grew as a result of an absence or delayed presence of security forces. All of the affected churches were seeking official recognition, which sparked the wave of violence. Furthermore, in an attempt by authorities to avoid equally enforcing the law, the affected communities reported an increase in pressure to participate in reconciliation sessions with their attackers.

Badar Masih, Faraz’s father, informed ICC that, “Faraz was a young graduate and serving as Assistant Admin Officer in a local hospital for about two years. On September 5th at around 2 a.m, when he was going home from the hospital some unknown assailants sprayed acid upon him.” This is not the first time Faraz has been attacked.

Masih continued, “A few months back, Faraz was beaten by some men who were covering their faces. However, we did not report it to the police, as Christians are often not heard in police stations.”

Talking to ICC over the telephone, Faraz’s mother shared that “Faraz often complained that some of his Muslim staff members were unhappy with his excellent performance and they disliked Faraz for his honesty and Christian background.” While she admitted that they had no evidence of the allegations, it is not an uncommon occurrence.

While reflecting on her son’s life, Faraz’s mother added “My son was running my kitchen. He was very gentle to everyone in the vicinity. He had no enmity. He was an active member of the Church. However, he was usually not given a day off to go to Church for Sunday prayer service.”

Masih claimed, “My son was targeted for his Christian faith. I don’t think we, the Christians, are safe in Pakistan. However, it is our country and we love it with our soul and spirit. We won’t seek refuge.”

“We [still] want justice from the government,” pleaded the mother. Masih’s family is not alone in their experience.

In April a Christian girl named Asma Yaqoob was attacked by a Rizwan, a Muslim man, for refusing his marriage proposal. She later died during treatment on April 22, 2018. 

Social activist Ayube Qaiser told ICC that, “It is sad to note that increasing religious hatred and intolerance manifesting in different incidents is making life unbearable for religious minorities in the country. Their trust in the state as a protected citizen is being damaged badly. Often Christians are not accepted by their Muslim colleagues. They face different false allegations until they are removed from their post…This particular case is simply target killing on account of religious motivation.”

For interviews with William Stark, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Muslims hunt Copts in Egypt

International Christian Concern (ICC) has documented a sharp escalation of attacks against Coptic Christians in Egypt within the last two weeks. During these incidents, the violence grew as a result of an absence or delayed presence of security forces. All of the affected churches were seeking official recognition, which sparked the wave of violence. Furthermore, in an attempt by authorities to avoid equally enforcing the law, the affected communities reported an increase in pressure to participate in reconciliation sessions with their attackers.

In Sultan village, three Muslims were arrested on August 24 after trying to burn the church. This is the fifth attack against the village’s Christians since July. The escalation began after Christians began praying in an adjacent church building constructed more than two years ago. A Muslim who participated in the mob attack told ICC, “What makes us angry is that when they were building the building where they are praying now, we asked the priest, ‘Is this a church?’ The priest said, ‘No… the owner is building for his kids.’ Now it is as if we have been foolish… we are writing a complaint and we don’t want this priest here in the village.”

It is believed that the situation in Sultan has contributed to the rise of violence against Christians elsewhere in Egypt. A statement issued by the Minya and Abu Qurqas Diocese said, “The extremism in the neighboring village of Sultan has been experienced for weeks because of the lack of deterrence. The infection has spread to this village… [There is] the possibility of spreading your grief to other villages because there is no punishment to the instigators and deterrence to the aggressors.”

The village of Demshaw Hashem experienced an attack on August 31 that left four Copts injured and has continued to escalate. The attackers were protesting the church, which was subsequently closed. Congregants were forced to hold funeral rites in the street on September 6 for an elderly member because of the church closure. On September 9, Christians refused to attend a reconciliation session on the grounds that they want the law applied to the situation. 

“We are worried and hope that the new governor will solve our problem,” Mina, who lives in Demshaw village, told ICC. “We are oppressed and cannot express our opinion. The government is controlling the village. The attack has affected the eastern side rather than the western side because of the existing Christian minority, and is currently puzzled by the continuation of these problems for years.”

Isaac Ibrahim from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, told Watani, “What happened in Damshaw Hashim is not the only one of its kind, but a recurrent pattern in a number of provinces during the recent period in order to shut down existing churches and to make them unsuitable.”   

Meanwhile, in the village of Esna, Christians are still struggling with the consequences of an August mob attack against the church. Five Christians were arrested despite being the victims of the attack. On September 6, the Christians’ jail sentences were extended for another 15 days.

Samuel, a graduate student living in Minya, shared with ICC, “We are living in a no-law state and survival of the fittest. The Christians have great naiveté, so the state treats them as slaves, that’s easy to make them waive their rights.” 

Mohammed, an engineer from Minya who supports violent efforts to close down churches, told ICC, “We do not consider the churches as God’s house… it is a place where polytheists are performing prayer. They are not praying to one God and we would not permit to have such a building among our villages.”

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “As these attacks demonstrate, an absence of law and security only encourages Islamic hardliners to continue targeting Christians. Rather than working to protect the rights of Christians, the authorities are instead compounding the problem through neglect and a lack of diligence. This combination creates a false sense of legitimacy to the violence facing Christians. The authorities must take a firm stance that it values its citizens equally, regardless of religion.”

For interviews with Claire Evans, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

VHP attacks people in Premnagar

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) severely injured three pastors in an attack on Saturday, September 8. The attack took place under the close watch of local policemen in Premnagar, located in the Barely District of India’s Uttar Pradesh State, where Christians were holding a two-day spiritual retreat. Pastor Ashok Benjamin, Pastor Vijay Masih, and Pastor Shivcharan were among those injured in the assault, sustaining wounds to their heads, hands, and lower backs.

Local sources told ICC that a mob of 50 radicals under the leadership of Pawan Arora, the district chief of the VHP, and a few policemen attacked a hall where approximately 25 Christians were meeting for a two-day spiritual retreat. While hurling verbal insults at the Christians, the mob savagely beat the three pastors who were leading the retreat.

“All of this happened in the presence of the police,” Pastor Masih, a 36-year-old pastor who was gravely injured in the attack, told ICC. “The police did not come to our rescue. Rather, they joined the mob in accusing us of doing forcible conversions.”

“I have terrible pain in the lower end of my spinal cord,” Pastor Masih continued. “The whole area is swollen as they kicked me there with force. Now, I am unable to walk.” 

“Over a dozen people hit me with stones on my head, kicked me, and punched me,” Masih said, describing the attack. “I was in shock and did not know what to do. Their intention was to kill us, but God saved us from the mouth of death.”

“They want to kill my husband because he is a pastor and preaches about Jesus,” Sandra Ashok, Pastor Ashok Benjamin’s wife, told ICC. “My husband received multiple fractures to the nose and [a] clot in the eye. They also hit him on the head. He was bleeding heavily from his nose and also his head.”

After the attack, Pastor Benjamin was able to stand witness in the police station amid a large crowd. As he reported the attack, still covered in his own blood, the police asked him what he was doing at the retreat.

“Our lives are in danger with the negative publicity we receive, claiming we do forcible conversions,” Pastor Masih explained. “Still, I will not stop preaching Jesus.”

Although there was pressure from VHP members, the police did not file forced conversion charges against the three injured pastors. Instead, the police forced the Christians and radicals to agree to a compromise.

Two other anti-Christian attacks led by Hindu radicals took place in Uttar Pradesh in the past week. On September 2, police arrested pastors in Faizabad after they were falsely accused of forced conversions. The police kept the pastors in police custody for more than five hours, but later released them due to a lack of evidence.

William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “We here at International Christian Concern are extremely concerned by the continued attacks on Christians in India, especially in Uttar Pradesh. Every day, new reports of persecution are being documented. Many Christians fear this may be the new normal for their community as Hindu radicals have been allowed to attack Christians and other minority communities with impunity. India must take steps to counter this growing wave of intolerance and violence. Until then, the attacks will likely continue to increase in both number and severity.”

For interviews with William Stark, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org

Hindus to invade Chicago this weekend

On September 7, 8, and 9, the World Hindu Congress will take place in Chicago, Illinois. The conference will feature a variety of speakers, including prominent Hindu leaders, members of Congress, NGO leaders, and other notable individuals. The event presents a misleading image of a harmonic and diverse collection of speakers who will tackle issues that span the cultural and governmental fabric of India. However, there is a much more sinister reality at play behind the scenes of the event. Many who will be participating in the event have extensive track records of calling for violence and discrimination against religious minorities.

The event is organized by a number of organizations that include the Hindu America Foundation (HAF) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) of America, an organization that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) classified as a “militant religious outfit.” This is a classification that has been truly earned by the group’s leaders who, on several occasions, defended, and even called for, attacks on Dalits, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and other minority communities in India. Furthermore, the organization’s members have carried out extremist vigilante attacks against religious minorities accused of eating cows and for engaging in a baseless conspiracy called love jihad. Often, these attacks happen based on mere speculation and baseless accusations against individuals who are members of religious minority groups and lower castes in India.

A more disturbing theme that accompanies these organizations is their ardent adherence to Hindu nationalism, also known as Hindutva. During the reign of Prime Minister Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), this radical Hindu nationalism has only grown. The BJP has adopted Hindutva as their party ideology and continues to advocate for policies that alienate all who do not fall within their definition of India. The party supported legislation on cow protection, which was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India, and openly supports anti-forced conversion laws currently in force in several Indian states. The ideology draws inspiration directly from the fascist elements of the 1930s and 40s German Nazi party. Hindutva literally embodies the themes of ‘Hindu-ness’ to all of India, and all non-Hindu elements are deemed a threat to India. Minority faiths such as Islam and Christianity fall directly in the category of non-Indian and non-Hindu, and therefore pose a direct threat to India’s Hindu-only identity. The BJP often touts the slogan that to be Indian is to be Hindu.

Much of the growth of nationalism is due to the rising influence of the VHP and its parent organization, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of which Prime Minister Modi is a member. RSS is also the grandfather organization of the BJP. The growth of the radical Hindu nationalist elements manifests in the form of increased crimes against Dalits, Christians, Muslims, and other religious minorities. The perpetrators enjoy near perfect impunity which only emboldens them to continue to harass religious minorities. Law enforcement officers and the judicial system often turn a blind eye. This is a clear indicator of the general decline in civil rights, law and order, and the overall welfare of the general public in India.

Many of the fanatical BJP and RSS leaders continue to engage in blatant hate speech and advocate for violence against all non-Hindu elements in India. They press for a complete Hindu identity for all Indians, a stance that directly violates the freedom of religion and identity guaranteed to all citizens in the Indian constitution.

In August 2014, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat (who will serve as a speaker at the Hindu World Congress), at the golden jubilee celebration of VHP in Mumbai, said, “Hindustan is a Hindu nation…Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself.”

On March 1, 2017, RSS mahanagar pramukh Kundan Chandrawat said, “Have you forgotten Godhra? You killed 56, we sent 2,000 to the graveyard. [He makes a slicing motion with his hand and the audience applauds loudly]. We – this same Hindu community – shoved [their corpses] underground [he gestures downwards, more applause]. You have killed 300 pracharaks and activists; we will present Bharat Mata with a garland of 300,000 skulls in return.”

In August 2014, a BJP chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, declared at a public meeting against the alleged ‘love jihad’ of Muslims, “If they take one Hindu girl, we will take at least 100 Muslim girls. If they kill one Hindu, we will kill 100 Muslims.”

While speaking about upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, BJP MLA Jagan Prasad Garg reportedly told the crowd, “You will have to fire bullets, you will have to take up rifles, you will have to wield knives. Elections are approaching in 2017, begin showing your strength from now onwards.” The crowd of approximately 5,000 people chanted slogans such as, “Jis Hindu ka khoon na khaule, khoon nahin wo pani hai (Any Hindu whose blood does not boil isn’t Hindu enough).”

The hatred and intolerance dates back many years in India. In 2002, a New York Times report quoted Harish Bhai Bhatt, a VHP leader, as saying “Now, it is the end of tolerance. If the Muslims do not learn, it will be very harmful for them.” The tide of Hindu radical nationalism has been a long time coming and culminated in the election of Prime Minister Modi in 2014. The BJP, RSS, and VHP will continue to push this radical ideology as a primary component of their identity and thereby continue to incite violence and hate toward all ‘non-Indian’ elements of the country.

International Christian Concern recently surveyed 1,000 Christians across eight states in India and found that an overwhelming majority of Christians (68.8%) feel discriminated against and feel that their safety is significantly threatened. 80.25% of the Christians surveyed expressed that the perception of local police was biased against them. This is especially concerning as the survey also reported that 85.61% of the Christians surveyed sense an increase of violence from Hindu radicals against their communities, families, and places of worship. The survey served as a defining indicator of the deepening hatred festering in the radical Hindu community.

In spite of the troubling realities surrounding those who have organized the World Hindu Congress, many members of Congress and public servants have pledged their support for the event and even agreed to participate as speakers and presenters. These include Republican State Legislator Niraj Antani and Democratic Member of Congress Raja Krishnamoorthi. Even major corporations such as Walmart and FedEx are participating as speakers and presenters. International Christian Concern and many partner organizations are publicly calling these key figures to boycott the event in protest.

Needless to say, the radical organizations behind the event represent a direct threat to the values that the United States and much of the world hold dear. Their ideological stance directly violates the human rights of all people and it is not in the best interest of any representative, organization, or company to support this event. The United States and all who represent and value the freedoms and principles enshrined in the US constitution should raise their voices publicly and call attention to the realities that underpin the World Hindu Congress.

For interviews with Matias Perttula, Advocacy Director, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org

About ICC
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.

Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842

International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org