Religious Freedom – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) advocates for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on our shared Universal Human Rights of Freedom of Thought, Freedom of Conscience, and Freedom of Religion, (UDHR Article 18). R.E.A.L. notes the issuance of : interim report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief- “Freedom of religion or belief” A/76/380-“Attributes of Freedom of Thought.” This is posted at the United Nations website at: https://undocs.org/A/76/380. This interim report discusses: (a) freedom not to disclose thoughts; (b) freedom from punishment for thoughts; (c) freedom from impermissible alteration of thoughts; (d) enabling environment for freedom of thought. This interim report also discusses seven related issues: (1) torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; (2) surveillance; (3) coercive proselytism, anti-conversion and anti-blasphemy efforts; (4) intellectual freedom and education; (5) existing and emerging #technologies; (6) mental health; (7) conversion practices.

In addition with the global attacks on Freedom of Information, R..E.A.L. is also posting a copy of this interim report here at RealCourage.org.

R.E.A.L. provides a link to this report in Adobe Acrobat format at:
https://www.realcourage.org/freedom-of-religion-thought-un-10-2021/

R.E.A.L. also provides a link to this report in plain text form a t at:
https://www.realcourage.org/freedom-of-religion-thought-un-10-2021-2/
(It seems wrong and counterproductive to require a shared report on Freedom of Thought to require a commercial company Adobe Acrobat to have an “account” to read the report.)

R.E.A.L. is encouraging public review and discussion of this interim report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, on Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion.

R.E.A.L. has been sharing this information on social media on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/realhumanrights/status/1499364992843460612

Persecution of Ahmadi Muslims Report Shows Denial of Religious Freedom, Human Rights in Pakistan, Other Countries

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports the universal human rights of freedom of religion for all. But for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, such freedom is regularly under attack especially in Pakistan and among other areas of the world, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt, Gambia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

R.E.A.L. has previously reported on terrorist attacks on Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as terrorist killings in the United Kingdom and official institutionalized attacks on Ahmadi Muslim freedom of religion in Indonesia.

In Pakistan, such institutionalized hatred and denial of religious freedom of Ahmadi Muslims is part of Pakistan law and government practice. This includes the anti-Ahmadiyya Ordinance XX of 1984 “to prohibit the Qadiani group, Lahori group and Ahmadis from indulging [what the the Pakistan government calls] anti-Islamic activities.” This Ordinance XX effectively prevents Ahmadi Muslims from preaching or professing their Muslim beliefs. In Pakistan, Ahmadi Muslims are denied the right to profess the Islamic creed publicly or call their places of worship mosques. In addition to such institutionalized persecution in Pakistan, the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is a target by anti-human rights extremists who have committed terrorist attacks on their mosques during prayers killing 100 worshipers, attacks on Ahmadi Muslims throughout Pakistan, and use of Pakistan’s “blasphemy law” to target and officially persecute Ahmadi Muslims.

Terrorist Attack on Pakistani Mosques Leaves Muslims Injured (Photo: K.M. Chuadary / AP) — Pakistan – Terrorist Attack on Ahmadi Mosque in 2010 left nearly 100 dead and another 100 injured (Photo: K.M. Chuadary / AP)

An annual report is issued on the stark persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan, titled “A Report on Persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan.” The latest such report, for the year 2015, shows the extreme and institutionalized persecution against Ahmadi Muslims. The report, published in English and in Urdu,

In May 2016, the Persecution of Ahmadis group has stated: “Pakistan is increasingly descending into chaos and becoming a place where members of Ahmadiyya community are increasingly marginalized. It has become very difficult for Ahmadis to live and practice their faith in peace. There is an organised campaign underway to deprive the members of community of their basic rights, such as right to worship and work or take education. The hate mongers seem to have an extensive support network and funding to publish hate material and organised conferences and events to spew hatred. There was a significant increase in hate propaganda against the community. The government agencies responsible for implementing the laws are being manipulated by opponents of the community. Instead of upholding the law, they continue to cave into the demands of extremists.”

In the annual report, there is a discussion of forced ban on Ahmadiyya literature, as well as the growing proliferation of violent anti-Ahmadi literature such as the “sale of the ‘Tohfa Qadianiat’ written by Maulvi Yusuf Ludhianwi, in which he requires the readers ‘not to leave a single Qadiani alive on earth’.” The report also states: “Majlis Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat Peshawar issued a pamphlet which states: ‘It is Jihad to shoot such people (Ahmadis) in the open.’ ”

This annual report also describes the killing of Ahmadi Muslims for their faith. It states: “Ahmadis have been murdered for their faith since the promulgation of Ordinance XX. Till now hundreds have been killed, and not even 5% of the killers have faced justice. People are told by mullas that Ahmadis are Wajib ul Qatl ‘must be killed’. All this encourages
criminals to attempt murder. ” In 2015, this included known reports of two Ahmadi Muslims for their faith in Lahore and in DJ Khan.

Ahmadi-Pakistan-Muslim-Persecute — Pakistan: Ahmadi Muslims Murdered for their Faith in 2015 per annual report – Mr. Ikram Ullah and Mr. Nauman Najam

In Lahore, the report describes the murder of a 21 year old man, Nauman Najam. It states an: “Ahmadi youth, Mr Nauman Najam was shot dead in Karachi at about 8 p.m. in his shop by unidentified killers. Earlier in 1974 anti-Ahmadi riots in Gujranwala, three of his elders, the grandfather and two uncles were killed on one day by the mob.” The report also quoted an Ahmadiyya head office press release: “He was a decent and law-abiding citizen who was liked by everyone who knew him. His life stands in stark contrast to the cowardice of sectarian hate-mongers. His killers clearly came with one motive and that was to kill him because of his faith, as he had no animosity with anyone or had any political association. The spokesperson of the Ahmadiyya Jama’at in Pakistan Saleemuddin said, ‘This death because of a callous attack on an innocent man is saddening but not surprising as with discriminatory laws present in Pakistan every Ahmadi’s life is in danger. It has been highlighted many times that the situation for Ahmadis in Pakistan is worsening with every passing day, and during last year 11 Ahmadis were killed because of their faith. Hate mongering and hate crimes against Ahmadis show no signs of abating. On the other hand the government has made tall claims to curb hate speech but on the ground hate material is openly published and distributed with impunity. ‘”

In DJ Khan, the report describes the murder of a 37 year old man, Taunsa Sharif. It states “Mr. Ikram Ullah, a 37 years old Ahmadi was murdered in his medical store. Four unidentified men came on two motorcycles, stopped in front of his store and opened fire at him. Several bullets hit him including one in the head, and he died on the spot. The killers raised slogans at the spot and cheered that they had dispatched an infidel to hell. The bereaved family includes one widow, one daughter aged 5 years and a son aged 18 months. Mr. Ikram Ullah was an active member of the local Ahmadiyya community. He was a very noble person who had no personal vendetta with anyone. It is relevant that almost a month earlier some terrorists attempted, unsuccessfully, to attack Ahmadi worshippers in the local mosque. This resulted in injuries to a constable on duty. The police arrested some suspects in follow-up sweeps. A criminal case was registered against the attackers. Mr. Ikramullah was an important witness for the prosecution. Spokesman of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan, Mr. Saleemuddin strongly condemned this tragic incident and expressed his grief and sorrow. He said that continuous hateful propaganda against Ahmadis all over the country is the primary reason of such incidents. He said that according to the National Action Plan effective action was to be taken against all promoters of hate, but mullas freely indulge in hateful and vicious propaganda against Ahmadis in rallies that are authorized by the administration. He demanded early arrest of the killers of Mr. Ikram Ullah and the delivery of justice.”

The annual report states of a mob attack against Ahmadi Muslims in Jhelum: “One of the most high profile cases of the year was the mob attack on an Ahmadi owned chip-board factory in Jhelum. Though sparked after an allegation of defiling the Quran, according to press reports the attack was pre-planned. Ahmadi residents of the factory and in surrounding vicinity were forced to flee from their homes and were lucky to escape with their lives.”

The annual report describes ongoing attacks on Ahmadi mosques. The report states that “One Ahmadiyya mosque was demolished, two were sealed, one disfigured and another one forcibly occupied temporarily and its furnishings set ablaze.” “Ahmadiyya mosques remained a priority on the hit-list of religious extremists. The authorities in Punjab shared ‘the piety’ attributed to defiling Ahmadi places of worship. In Panchnand, District Chakwal, authorities themselves razed the minarets and the arch of the local Ahmadi mosque. A civil judge in Gujrat ruled that a mosque that was in Ahmadis’ use, possession and care for almost half a century should be handed over to non-Ahmadis. In Jhelum, after the devastating attack on Ahmadi-owned factory, when calm returned, the mullas decided to take over a near-by Ahmadiyya mosque the next day. They not only occupied it in the presence of LEAs but also set on fire its furnishings.”

This report shows the continuing rampant and institutionalized persecution against Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, in contradiction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), signed by Pakistan.

But when it comes to Ahmadi Muslims, Pakistan directly violates such basic human rights and religious freedom, which it has agreed to protect. While Ahmadi Muslims once had religious leadership in Pakistan, they were forced to move their religious leadership to the United Kingdom. Now in 2016, we have seen that Pakistan migrants to the United Kingdom are threatened even there.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) calls for human rights groups and those committed to our shared human rights to recognize this attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community’s religious freedom as a blatant and vicious attack on their universal human rights, and to call for Pakistan and all of the countries associated with the persecution of such Ahmadi Muslims to protect and preserve such universal human rights of freedom of religion that are a right for all of our fellow human beings.

Report: 130 Blasphemy Cases Against Pakistan Christians

Father James Channan, O.P., the former Vice Provincial of the Dominican order in Pakistan, is director of the Dominican-run Peace Center in Lahore, Pakistan, and provided an interview to a Catholic charity on the conditions of persecution of minority Pakistan Christians. In that interview, when asked about the number of Pakistan Christians imprisoned for blasphemy, he stated: ” there are 130 Christians whose trials are proceeding.” He also made clear that this cruel and unjust “blasphemy law” was regularly abused as “a tool to settle business disputes or personal vendettas.”

Father Channan also reported that this blasphemy law is also used against Muslims (who are the vast majority of Pakistanis), with 950 Muslims charged with blasphemy (as R.E.A.L has also reported on). He clarified however that: “there is a big difference between accusations of Muslims and Christians: if one Muslim is accused, just one Muslim is accused. But in the case of a Christian being accused, an entire community, an entire neighborhood is accused. And in several cases the entire Christian village or a Christian neighborhood has been burned to ashes.”

R.E.A.L. supports our Universal Human Rights for all people, including the freedom of religion, equality, security, and dignity, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),

Pakistan is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified as of June 23, 2010, as well as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Pakistan religious oppression of minorities, such as its repressive Blasphemy Law is in direct contradiction to its international agreement of ICCPR Article 18, which includes “1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”

We urge all – in Pakistan and around the world – to be responsible for equality and liberty.

Pakistan Christian Couple Shot in Terrorist Attack Over Faith

The Pakistan Christian Post reports on a terrorist shooting of a Christian husband and wife, Aleem Masih and his wife Nadia Masih, by religious extremists who opposed their marriage and religious freedom. The husband Aleem Masih was murdered by gunshots and his wife Nadia remains in the critical condition in the hospital after surgery to remove bullets from her stomach.

The terrorist attack took place on July 30, 2015, in a village near Youhanabad (11 miles from Lahore), after repeated threats by Nadia’s family due to her religious beliefs.

The Pakistan Christian couple had been repeatedly threatened by the wife’s family, reportedly due to her conversion from Islam to Christianity, and the couple had filed court papers to seek protection from such threats. After repeated threats, the couple had fled to Narang Mandi (about 37 miles away from Lahore), and where they could not be found. But when Nadia went to a doctor in a village near Youhanabad, she was apparently recognized. Members of her family came to attack her and husband.

The report states Nadia’s father (Muhammad Din Meo) kidnapped the couple by gunpoint and drove them to a remote location where Nadia’s brothers brutally beat and shot them. The terrorist attack resulted in the death of Aleem Masih and serious injury of his wife Nadia.

Aleem Masih was shot in his ankle, stomach, and through his mouth, which instantly killed him. Nadia’s brother Muhammad Azhar shot her repeatedly and believed that she was dead, and sought to brag about his terrorist murder on the Christian woman. The terrorist called all Christians “dogs” and claimed that they all should be killed.

Muhammad Azhar was arrested by the police. The Pakistan Christian Post reports that the “FIR (First Information report) got registered under sections 302, 324, 34, 148, 149 PPC and FIR No. is 945/15. ”

When the police came to arrest Muhammad Azhar, Nadia Masih was found to be still alive. Local supporters of Muhammad Azhar’s terrorist attack prevented police from getting a statement from Nadia Masih on the attacks. She remains in the hospital in critical condition. It is uncertain if she will survive.

Naeem Masih, the brother of murdered Christian Aleem Masih states that his friend, Hanooq Yaqoob, witnessed the terrorist shooting of the Christian couple. The Pakistan Christian Post reports that Naeem Masih’s wife stated that she “told the Voice team that she heard the people of the Village shouting and rejoicing at the murder of Aleem and saying that they can send their sons to death happily if they kill more Christians.”

In March 2015, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) reported on the terrorist attacks on Protestant and Catholic Christian Churches by the Taliban killing 15 Christians and injuring 80. These terrorist attacks were also in the Youhanabad area near Lahore. Pakistan Christian Congress leader Nazir Bhatti stated in March 2015 that “Violence is rising against Christians in Punjab province where incidents of burning alive Christian children, women and men happen on pretext to blasphemy law while setting on fire homes of Christians is matter of every week and culprits walk free on street.” Members of civil society have been calling for law enforcement and government action to stop such continuing terrorism. Geo TV reports that suspects have been arrested in the March 2015 attack, but details are not yet available.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) calls for the rule of law and end to such mob terrorist behavior against Pakistan Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. R.E.A.L. supports our Universal Human Rights for all people, including the freedom of religion, equality, security, and dignity, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),

Pakistan is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified as of June 23, 2010, as well as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Pakistan religious oppression of minorities, such as its repressive Blasphemy Law is in direct contradiction to its international agreement of ICCPR Article 18, which includes “1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”

We urge all – in Pakistan and around the world – to be responsible for equality and liberty.

Pakistan Christian Women Accused of Blasphemy and Abused by Mob; Extremist Cleric Arrested by Police

In Sheikhupura, Punjab, a mob of violent extremist sought to kill two Pakistan Christian women and her husband on a false charge of blasphemy, before the Pakistan police surrounded the village, protected the Christians, and arrested the cleric leading the lynch mob.

Pakistan Christian Post reports on the torture of two Christian woman in Sheikhupura, Punjab; the woman and her family was dragged out of her home beaten and tortured, over a dispute on a carpet sale. Per the report, a mob of villages made a false charge of blasphemy against the Christian women, then tortured her, shaved her husband’s head, and her sister-in-law painted their faces black, put shoes around their neck, and paraded them on donkeys. The alleged assault took place in Chak 460, a village in Sheikhupura district, some 30 kilometers from Punjab’s provincial capital Lahore.

The Pakistan District Police Officer (DPO) arrived to get the situation under control. In the report, “hundreds of Police men” “reached the village,” and “The police took over the entire village and surrounded the village to control the situation.” The Pakistan Christian woman was taken into protective custody with her family, and moved to an undisclosed location. Reportedly the “police will stay in the village few days for the safety of the other Christians.”

The AFP and Pakistan Today news media also reported that a cleric accused of leading the mob to try kill the Christians on the false charge of blasphemy has been arrested.

The news agencies reported that Sohail Zafar Chattha, the district police chief, stated:”One of the clerics who led the mob demanding the arrest of the couple and their death was at large, he was arrested today (Friday) and we are looking for a barber who ignited the whole issue.” The police officer stated “I told him I would not register a case because no blasphemy has been committed. But I have registered a case against the cleric and 400 others for inciting violence and endangering the lives of the couple.” He stated “the mob meant business. They wanted to kill them right there.”

Responsible for Equality And Liberty applauds the actions of these Pakistan police in protecting the lives of these oppressed Pakistan Christians from this lynch mob, and for the arrest of the extremist cleric behind these attacks. But the police will not always be able, or willing to arrive on time, in every case to protect such religious minority. Pakistan needs to recognize that more fundamental human rights change is necessary for protection of religious minorities and to stop the abusive blasphemy law as a basis for murder and mayhem by extremists.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty supports and defends the universal human rights of all people, and it reminds Pakistan of its obligations and commitment under international law. We challenge the Pakistan blasphemy law as a direct attack on our shared universal human rights.

Pakistan is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified as of June 23, 2010, as well as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Pakistan Blasphemy Law is in direct contradiction to its international agreement of ICCPR Article 18, which includes “1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.” The Pakistan Blasphemy law is in direct opposition to these shared universal human rights for the Pakistan people and for all people. Pakistan needs to decide whether or not it is a member of the nations of the world that respects human rights and dignity, or it is a clear and unquestionably self-declared rogue nation which rejects these global standards necessary for a free people.

R.E.A.L. urges the Pakistan government and the Pakistan people to end the oppressive blasphemy law which attacks the rights of Pakistan Christians and other religious minorities, and which is used as a method to harass and intimidate people with a grudge against a Pakistani in any identity group. These attacks on our shared universal human rights have to end. We urge Pakistan to realize the need for change and to truly become responsible for equality and liberty.

Out-of-Control Pakistan Blasphemy Law Used to Oppress Christians, Others

The ongoing imprisonment of Pakistan Christian woman Asia Bibi highlights the ongoing oppression of Pakistan Christian, other Pakistan religious minorities, as well as Pakistan majority Muslims, by the oppressive blasphemy law, used as a tactic to silence unpopular voices and to oppress others. As part of our commitment to our shared universal human rights, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) challenges Pakistan’s blasphemy law and its use to kill, oppress, and intimidate others.

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) chairwoman Katrina Lantos Swett and Mary Ann Glendon have gone to Pakistan to speak to Pakistan government officials to change the Pakistan blasphemy law. These USCIRF leaders state that the Pakistan “blasphemy law on its face flatly violates both freedom of religion and freedom of expression,” and they call for the U.S. State Department to “designate Pakistan a ‘country of particular concern’ for its continued record of failure in protecting religious freedom.”

In Punjab alone, Dawn has reported 262 cases of alleged blasphemous behavior.

We continue to appeal for the medical welfare and release of Asia Bibi, which has also been addressed by other human rights leaders, including the Pakistan Christian Post, Asian Human Rights Commission, Global Dispatch, British Pakistan Christians, and others. The Asian Human Rights Commission has a very useful posting with additional contacts for emails for action, which R.E.A.L. has included in our ACTION posting to get the Pakistan government to act now on her medical condition and to release her from her unjust imprisonment.

Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi accused of "blasphemy" — Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi sentenced to death for “blasphemy”

Noreen Asia Bibi (known mostly as Asia Bibi) was convicted of blasphemy by a Pakistani court in November 2010, receiving a sentence of death by hanging, based on a June 2009 argument with Muslim women who were upset with her for drinking the same water as them. A trumped up charge was made that she subsequently insulted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, which she has denied but was the basis for her arrest, conviction, and imprisonment. Over 400,000 signatures have been placed on petitions calling for her release. Christian minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti and Pakistani government politician Salmaan Taseer called for her release and opposed the blasphemy laws, and they were both killed by terrorists. Her family remains in hiding due to terrorist threats.

Pakisan: Christian Pastor Rashid Emmanuel Gunned Down in Faisalabad Court in Broad Daylight on July 19, 2010. (Photo by Jabran Inayat and GVM Television) — Pakisan: Christian Pastor Rashid Emmanuel Accused of Blasphemy Gunned Down in Faisalabad Court (Source: Jabran Inayat and GVM Television)

We have reported on many other blasphemy cases: Christian pastor Rashid Emmanuel and his brother Sajjad (who were gunned down in the streets in Faisalabad). The two brothers had left a court hearing on on charges of “blasphemy,” when they were gunned down on the court house steps, even when they had a police escort. There were rumors that they might be found innocent and released. Asia IT News reported that for days religious leaders had been “fanning the flame” of hatred against the two brothers.

We have reported on Rehmat Masih, Qamar David, Imran Masih, Robert Danish aka Falish Masih (who died in prison while being arrested for blasphemy), Munir Masih and his wife Ruqiya Bibi, and others.

We have reported on those Pakistan Christians fleeing for their lives, from such false “blasphemy” charges, such as Ms. Saiqa and Jehanzaib Asher.

Pakistan Christian Qamar David Convicted of "Blasphemy" Died in Prison Under Mysterious Circumstances, After Threats — Pakistan Christian Qamar David Convicted of “Blasphemy” Died in Prison Under Mysterious Circumstances, After Threats

With literally hundreds of cases, we cannot imagine how many we do not have specific names, places, and dates, to report on, as shown by the 262 cases in Punjab alone. One of our Pakistan contacts advises us that they are aware of dozens of blasphemy cases against Pakistan Christians with unregistered newspapers giving local coverage to such blasphemy cases, which extremists use to rationalize hatred and violence against the local Pakistan Christian community.

Our source states that people involved in recent Pakistan blasphemy cases have included Naeem Masih, Ejaz Taj, Shokath Haroon, Saiqa Mukthar, Kamran Victor, Nayab Wilson, Javed Joseph, Saima Bibi, all of whom need the support of the international human rights community. Pakistan Christians charged in trumped-up blasphemy cases are also facing fatwas against them declared by extremist Mullahs. The human rights community needs to continue to find ways to protect these people whose human rights are in immediate danger, as well as to find ways to press Pakistan to end its out-of-control blasphemy laws.

Pakistan majorities need to also realize that these blasphemy laws are not just a threat and a problem for Pakistan Christians, but are also used to oppress and threaten Pakistan minority and majority Muslims as well.

Pakistan: Ahmadiyya Muslim man, Masud Ahmad, was falsely arrested and imprisoned for blasphemy

We have also reported on other minority (and majority) Muslims caught up in this oppression, such as Masud Ahmad (Ahmadiyya Muslim), four Ahmadiyya Muslim children arrested for blasphemy, and other Muslims such as British Muhammad Asghar, as a well as 60 year old Muslim woman, Akhtari Malkan, attacked for dropping a receipt on the ground which was built up as “throwing the Qur’an” on the ground, a factory owner killed for taking down a calendar and accused of blasphemy.

Karachi University’s Dean Faculty of Islamic Studies, Dr Shakeel Auj - Murdered after Blasphemy Charge to Pakistan Police (Source: BBC) — Karachi University’s Dean Faculty of Islamic Studies, Dr Shakeel Auj – Murdered after Blasphemy Charge to Pakistan Police (Source: BBC)

Blasphemy charges have been brought against well-known majority Muslim figures out of spite and hate, including Pakistan singer Junaid Jamshed, actress Veena Malik (initially sentenced to 26 years in prison before a Supreme Court stay), and even an Islamic studies professor. Muslim Dr. Muhammad Shakil Auj, a professor of Islamic studies in Karachi, had blasphemy charges filed charges against him with the police for blasphemy by a local seminary for being “too liberal”. He never saw a court room as he was shot to death first. His name was removed from the university website hours after his death.

The out-of-control blasphemy laws in Pakistan are an offense to the universal human rights not only of Pakistan Christians and other religious minorities, but also an offense to all Pakistan people and the people of the world.

Pakistan is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified as of June 23, 2010, as well as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Pakistan Blasphemy Law is in direct contradiction to its international agreement of ICCPR Article 18, which includes “1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.” The Pakistan Blasphemy law is in direct opposition to these shared universal human rights for the Pakistan people and for all people. Pakistan needs to decide whether or not it is a member of the nations of the world that respects human rights and dignity, or it is a clear and unquestionably self-declared rogue nation which rejects these global standards necessary for a free people.

ACTION: Pakistan Christian Asia Bibi Bleeding in Multan Jail – Falsely Charged with “Blasphemy”

We have received reports the Pakistan Christian woman Asia Bibi has been suffering from intestinal bleeding and is vomiting blood, while she remains imprisoned in Women’s Multan Jail in Punjab. Asia Bibi was falsely accused of “blasphemy” in 2009 from women who were upset that a Christian woman drank from the same water supply as she did. She is mother of five, and was sentenced to death in 2010, and her appeal is pending in Supreme Court of Pakistan against decision to uphold her death sentence from Lahore High Court. The Pakistan Government must act immediately to deal with her urgent medical condition and her human rights violations. The Supreme Court must also intervene to ensure she is getting medical treatment to respect her legal court appeal.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L), along with other human rights groups, urge our fellow human beings to contact the following today to advocate for Asia Bibi’s immediate medical treatment and her release. It is cruel and unusual punishment to allow a prisoner in jail to be suffering from intestinal bleeding without treatment.

Pakistan Christian Woman Asia Bibi Needs Medical Help in Women's Multan Jail; Unjustly Imprisoned on False Blasphemy Charges — Pakistan Christian Woman Asia Bibi Needs Medical Help in Women’s Multan Jail; Unjustly Imprisoned on False Blasphemy Charges

Pakistan is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified as of June 23, 2010, as well as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Pakistan has commitment to the international agreement of ICCPR Article 5, which states “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” Furthermore, Pakistan’s commitment to the ICCPR Article 18, which includes “1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”

The deplorable conditions under which Pakistan Christian Asia Bibi is being held, and her lack of medical treatment must be cause for action by the government of Pakistan today. Such conditions would even be in contempt of Geneva Conventions during war time, let alone for a civilian mother of a 5 year old child. The Pakistan government must be responsible for such human decency and international law. We also call again for the Pakistan to release Asia Bibi on her false imprisonment on “blasphemy” charges.

R.E.A.L. urges human rights activists to contact the following individuals on Asia Bibi’s desperate situation. UPDATE: the email addresses for the Pakistan President, PM, and Supreme Court are now using blocking methods. R.E.A.L. will update this when we have the fax numbers for them.

Pakistani President (see this link for contacts in the office)
Name: Mamnoon Hussain
Secretary’s Office Name: Mr. Saeed Ali
Email: dir_secretaryoffice@president.gov.pk

Pakistan Prime Minister
Name: Mian Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister House, Islamabad, PAKISTAN
Email: info@pmo.gov.pk (email currently being blocked)
Phone: +92 51 920 6111
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Reported Alternate Email: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
Additional Alternate Email: pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
Facebook Site:
https://www.facebook.com/PrimeMinisterOffice

Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister:
Name: Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif
Telephone: 042-99204906-14, 042-99203222-3
Fax: 042-99204915, 042-99203224

Pakistan: Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights
Federal Minister of Law and Human Rights, Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights, Old US Aid building, Ata Turk Avenue; G-5, Islamabad, PAKISTAN
Name: Mr. Pervaiz Rashid
Email: contact@molaw.gov.pk
Fax: +92 51 9204108

Governor of Punjab
Governor House, Mall Road, Lahore, Punjab, PAKISTAN
Name: Mr. Rafiq Rajwana
Fax: +92 42 99203044
Email: governor.sectt@punjab.gov.pk

Mr. Chief Justice of Punjab Province
Lahore High Court, Shahra-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore, PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 42 99212951-66
Fax: +92 42 99212279
Email: webmasterlhc@lhc.gov.pk

Federal Minister for Interior
R Block, Pak Secretariat, Islamabad (Pakistan)
Name: Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
Tel : 0092-51-9212026
Fax: 0092-51-9202624
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com
Alternate Email: ministry.interior@gmail.com

Inspectorate General of Prisons
Punjab Prisons, Link Jail Road, Shadman, Lahore
Name: Inspector General Mian Farooq Nazeer
Telephone: (042) 99200498, (042) 99200570, (042) 99200582
Fax: (042) 37595016
Email: punjabprisons@gmail.com

Women’s Jail Multan
Name: Superintendent of Jail Ms. Fakhra Azra
Phone: 061-4234784
Fax: 061-4234784

Mr. Chief Justice of Punjab Province
Lahore High Court
Shahra-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore, PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 42 99212951-66
Fax: +92 42 99212279
Email: webmasterlhc@lhc.gov.pk

Pakistan Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights
Name: Mr. Ashtar Ausaf Ali
Phone: + (92-51-9210062)
(92-51-9212710)
Fax: + (92-51-9202628)
Email. stateminister@molaw.gov.pk

Supreme Court of Pakistan
Honorable Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk
Telephone: +92 5192 20 581-600
Fax: +92 5192 13 452
Email : mail@supremecourt.gov.pk (email currently being blocked)
Mr. Justice Tahir Shahbaz
Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk (can get “over quota” response)

Pakistan Special Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights
Name: Mr. Justice (R) Muhammad Raza Khan
Phone: + (92-51-9202712)
Fax: + (92-51-9202628)
Email: secretary@molaw.gov.pk

Name: Mr. Shahbaz Sharif
Chief Minister, Government of Punjab
Province Chief Minister
Secretariat 5-Club Road, GOR-I, Lahore, Punjab, PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 99205065
Email: cmcomplaintcell@cmpunjab.gov.pk

Name: Mr. Rana Sana Ullah Khan
Minister of Law, Government of Punjab, Punjab Secretariat, Ravi Road, Lahore, Punjab, PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 99212004
E-mail: law@punjab.gov.pk

Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan
Name: Chief Justice, Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan
Email: Registrar@federalshariatcourt.gov.pk

Paksitan Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony
Name: Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf
Phone: 9214856
Email: sardarysf1952@gmail.com
Name: Mr. Muhammad Iqbal Siddiqui
Email: saifkhan57@gmail.com

National Commission on the Status of Women
Name: Ms. Khawar Mumtaz, Chairperson
Phone: 92-51-9224875
Fax: 92-51-9224877
E-mail: info@ncsw.gov.pk

Embassy of Pakistan, 3517 International Ct NW, Washington, DC 20008
Name: Ambassador, Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani
Phone: 202-243-6500, Ext. 2000 & 2001
FAX: 202-686-1534
Email: ambassador@embassyofpakistanusa.org
info@embassyofpakistanusa.org
Name: Dr. Asad M. Khan, Deputy Chief of Mission
Phone: 202-243-3251 & 202-243-6500 Ext. 2002
Email: dcm@embassyofpakistanusa.org

Central Police Office (CPO), Punjab
Name: Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera, PSP, Inspector-General of Police, Punjab
Phone: 042-99210062-3
Fax: 042-99210064

We also urge you to reach the:
Women’s Rights Association (WRA)
Central Office
ADDRESS House #13 Hans Road New Shalimar Colony
Bosan Road, Multan, Pakistan
Name: Shaista Bukhari
FAX NO+92-61-6513386
EMAIL ID wra.org.pk@gmail.com
wrapakistan@hotmail.com
http://www.wra.org.pk

Please note – this is R.E.A.L.’s best effort to obtain these contacts for action. We don’t have control over their email or fax accounts. The Pakistan government will let some email accounts get full (over quota), block some, and will turn off some of their fax machines. Keep trying. A lot of them will work, and we urge you to directly contact them on this immediate issue. When they make themselves inaccessible, we understand first-hand how frustrating this is in our efforts to communicate with these Pakistan government officials.

Phoenix: Armed Extremists Protest in Front of Mosque

In a display of anti-Islam fever, a group of nearly 200 had a protest in front of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix mosque in Phoenix, Arizona. The group was led by former U.S. Marine soldier Jon Ritzheimer. While the protest did not result in injuries or deaths, the image of numbers of individuals armed with weapons in front of a house of worship is a disgrace to America’s commitment to our Constitutional rights and our Universal Human Rights.

The media debate about the protest largely was centered on Mr. Ritzheimer and his supporter’s views on Islam. But that is not the real issue in this debate. The unanswered question is his view and his supporters’ views on the Constitution of the United States and our shared universal human rights. Our Constitution’s Bill of Rights protects our freedom of religion (under the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment); the same Constitution which Mr. Ritzheimer made a solemn vow to support and defend. America also is committed to freedom of religion under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 18, signed by the United States on December 10, 1948, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Part III, Article 18, signed by the United States on October 5, 1977, and ratified on June 8, 1992.

In the United States of America, and in international law, freedom of religion is not simply a “good idea.”

Freedom of religion is THE LAW.

Freedom of speech and protest is also THE LAW.

But freedom of speech and protest, while holding an automatic weapon, is no longer “public protest.” It is nothing less than cowardly, despicable threats, which are a disgrace to all Americans, our Constitution, and our universal human rights.

Phoenix, Arizona Protest in front of Islamic Community Center on May 29, 2015 (Source: Twitter) — Phoenix, Arizona Protests in front of Islamic Community Center on May 29, 2015 – with Cowards Holding Automatic Weapons (Source: Twitter)

According to the reports, this protest was the result of a terrorist attack on a Texas school earlier in May, during a “Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest,” designed to insult Muslims. As CNN reported, “The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix is the mosque that Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi attended for a time. They’re the men who drove from Arizona to a Dallas suburb to shoot up a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest there. Both were killed by police early this month.” But the rest of the story is that Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi shot at a security guard in an attempted terrorist attack there. That is the violence we have seen from other pro-violent jihad extremists. Those criminals paid the price for their criminal violence with their lives. This does not discount that there may be other extremists supporting Simpson and Soofi; there must continue to be a human rights call to challenge extremists, and even terrorists in every area of this nation. Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) reported on and condemned the terrorist acts by Simpson and Soofi in Garland, Texas, and we defended the right to unpopular, contemptible speech by those they attacked. But there is a difference between respecting the freedom of such unpopular speech, and those extremists who take automatic weapons to protest in hate in front of a house of worship.

The idea that over 100 individuals believe that it is acceptable in the United States of America to hold an “armed” protest outside of a house of worship is an insult to the Constitution, and a slur against the laws of this nation and our shared human rights.

If this were any other nation, the images of armed individuals protesting outside of any house of worship would bring the voices of outrage and disgust from human rights activists, the United Nations, and those committed to religious freedom. So it must be, of course, with the United States as well. The number of “armed individuals” appear to be a small minority of the total protesters. Does this matter? If 100 protested outside of a Pakistan Christian church, a European Jewish synagogue, or any other house of worship anywhere in the world, but only a “small minority” of the protesters held machine guns, would this still not be a source for human rights outrage? Of course, it would, and it must, in the United States of America as well.

Furthermore, the vicious language of some of the protesters show their contempt towards the United States’ Constitution and our commitment to universal human rights of freedom of religion. The protest organizer’s call for protesters to bring guns to the event – “[p]eople are also encouraged to utilize there second amendment right at this event” – is an embarrassment to all patriotic Americans who respect our Constitution and our shared freedoms. We were lucky that no one got injured or killed – THIS time. But the failure to be consistent in our support for Constitution and our human rights remains an issue where we must continue to make change.

An Arizona Muslim activist also reported that the Arizona protest supporters included extremists advising participants to bring ammunition “coated in pig blood and fat.” R.E.A.L. has confirmed this with our own investigation as well. This path to hate, depravity, and violence can be reversed. It begins with a consistent support by all Americans for the truths that we hold self-evident, our commitment to our shared human rights, shared human dignity, and in America, our support for the Constitution.

It begins by being Responsible for Equality And Liberty – everywhere, for all of our fellow Americans, and for all of our brothers and sisters in humanity.

Pakistan: Attack on Catholic Christian School in Lahore

Another attack on a Pakistan Christian school by extremists was reported by Fides and by the Pakistan Christian Post on April 17, 2015. The attack was made by gunmen on the Christian Catholic St. Francis school. This was another in a repeated series of attacks on Christian organizations in Pakistan, and especially around the Lahore area.

Fides reported that the “St Francis High School” is a Catholic high school located in the district of Bahar, in the Anarkali area, near Lahore. According to Fides, a “student and two security guards were injured and were taken to hospital. The reasons of the attack have not yet been established, and investigations are being carried out.” Both the “St. Francis High School”, and the “St Mary High School” were closed.

According to the Pakistan Christian Post, “Unidentified gunmen began firing and as the guards on duty outside the school intercepted, they were caught in the firing and got injured. The students of the school have been directed to leave the school premises. The investigation is underway to find out the main reason of attack. The Churches and Christian institutions already have warned about security threat from hardliners. Behar Colony is the second largest Christian residential area in Lahore and Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan.”

St. Francis School Attacked by Extremists in Lahore, Pakistan area

Those who believe in our universal human rights and accepts the rule of law for any society, must reject the extremist violence against minority Christians. We must all reject this violence and seek and end to the oppression in Pakistan.

Human Rights for Oppressed Christians: Love Means Action

Christian human rights matter, as Christians as oppressed around the world, a call to love one another is a call to action for human rights.

Christians worship and pray on Friday, known as “Good Friday” to the Christian community, as they remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As they do so, there is no greater time for Christians to remember this sacrifice of love and take such action to demonstrate their love for one another by actively supporting the oppressed people around the world, including their Christian brothers and sisters.

Across the nation and the world in churches on Easter Sunday, there will be Christian pastors and worshipers who will rejoice in their eternal salvation through Jesus, which is truly the point of the Christian faith.

On this Good Friday, Christians can also remember Jesus’s painful, brutal sacrifice of his life on Earth for humanity, as well as the commandment he gave his followers. In John 13:34-35, Jesus is quoted as with this new commandment “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” This was a command, not a suggestion, and it is an imperative for the billions in the Christian community.

The commandment to love one another must be more than social pleasantry. Christians are right to offer kindness and friendship in their community and fellow human beings are the world. Love is an active verb seeking more than pleasant thoughts, and it calls for action to help those in need. The command to love one another means giving our outstretched hand to our brothers and sisters in humanity around the world, suffering from oppression, poverty, abuse, and despair. As a Christian myself, surely our hearts are big enough that when we love one another, we can reach out to help one another. That is what people who love one another do.

The Christian ethic requires that we reach out and love one another of every identity group, religion, ethnic background around the world, including our defense of rights of our fellow human beings, who we are taught to love.

Certainly this outreach must also include love and support for their fellow Christians who face oppression and violence. With 2.2 billion Christians in the world, the commandment to love one another should produce group the largest human rights activists in the world. Instead, there are small, but determined groups of human rights activists, missionaries, and asylum supporters, whose courage and persistence provide an example for the entire community. Their impact and influence of these activists far outweighs their limited numbers. The Christian community of 2.2 billion can do much more and must coordinate more of their efforts in defending the human rights of oppressed people around the world, including our own Christian brothers and sisters.

As a starting point, let us assume that if we love one another, we believe that our fellow human lives’ matter. The eternal lives of Christians have always been our priority, as it must be in the Christian faith. But our love for one another should also include a commitment to work for the rights and security of our fellow Christians, rather than abandon them around the world to be hunted down, tortured, imprisoned, and killed. Our loved ones deserve that we care for their well-being. All of the lives of our fellow human beings matter; Christian lives matter as well.

Yet in many churches around the world, the oppression of our fellow human beings and of our fellow Christians will be not the topic of sermons in weeks and months to come. Many are uncomfortable discussing such issues, and billions of Christians are uninformed by their religious leaders. Christian churches are for prayer and honoring God, not for politics. But following the command to love one another is not a political issue; it is a moral issue of responsibility to love one another, and to care for each other’s well-being.

The oppression of Christians around the world is every bit of an evil as the historic bondage and slavery that we have challenged for generations for Christians and others around the world. Within the Christian community, we need a new generation of abolitionists, who seek the abolition of oppression of our Christian brothers and sisters. They need to be freed from the slavery of oppression, torture, and murder; they need to be freed from prisons where they are enslaved for their faith. If we love one another, surely the injustice to them must be a cause for our action.

We can do more in defending the human rights of oppressed Christians around the world, who are regularly being tortured, raped, murdered, and imprisoned. We Christians must pray. But we must also reach out our hands, open our hearts, and open our lives to our brothers and sisters who need help. There must be more than us shaking our heads and stating “isn’t that a shame.” If we are commanded to love one another, that command calls for us to do something to help our loved ones in times of need. As we remember the sacrifice for us, surely we can sacrifice for those we are commanded to demonstrate our love.

The Open Doors organization estimates 100 million Christians face persecution, and according to the International Society for Human Rights, up to 80% of acts of persecution are directed at people of the Christian faith. If we seek to act to love one another, we must also work to help our brothers and sisters suffering around the world. It is not pleasant to see this suffering or to recount it. Perhaps some leaders view the problem of our oppressed brothers and sisters too unpleasant to discuss. But the Christian community must come together to understand the magnitude of the oppression of Christians today. This is a global problem, and it requires context of the global issue for the resources of the billions of Christians to work together.

There is no crime, no abuse of human rights, no murder that cannot be committed against Christians around the world – without apparent impunity. The billions of Christians need to become aware of this and develop a voice of love for one another, where we seek the protection of our loved ones. Our love for one another must be a challenge to those who oppress Christians around the world, and to reject the policies of Dechristianization by extremists in nation after nation. The universal human rights of all people include the freedom of religion for Christians.

In Pakistan, we have seen attacks on three churches in the past two weeks, and we have seen the continuing institutional abuses of Christian minorities. On March 15, two Christian churches were attacked during Sunday prayer services in the Youhanabad neighborhood of Lahore, with 15 killed that day and nearly 80 injured. Another three more Christians died from the attack, including a six year old girl, bringing the death toll from that attack alone to 18, and the situation has continued to worsen with arrests of hundreds of Christians. Days later, another Christian church was targeted for an attack in Pakistan. Pakistan Christians have long been a target of attack, abuse, mob murder, violence, and oppression. This has included use of the Pakistan “blasphemy” law to rationalize oppression, imprisonment, and violence against Christians. Mobs have previously destroyed Christian villages in Gojra, burned to death a Christian husband and wife in Kasur district, and have made numerous attacks on Christians. The Pakistan “blasphemy” law is also used to imprison Christians such as Pakistan woman Asia Bibi, based on hatred and grudges from non-Christians against them; Asia Bibi has been given the death sentence for trumped up and false charges of blasphemy and remains in a Pakistani prison.

In Thailand, Pakistan Christian refugees have been seeking asylum, and 300 have recently been arrested and placed in Immigration Detention Centers, while the UNHCR reviews their status in applying for asylum in fleeing from the oppression of Pakistan. We continue to reach out to the Kingdom of Thailand government, the UNHCR, and United States government to provide some mercy for these refugees seeking asylum from oppression due to their faith.

In Kenya, the latest crime against Christian human rights took place on Thursday in the attacks by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab killing 147 and wounding 79 at the Garissa University College. Christians were hunted down and hand-picked for execution by the terrorist group. The terrorist group has previously targeted Christians in a December 2014, killing 36 in the village of Kormey. The Al-Shabaab group has made numerous other attacks in Niger and Kenya – attacking churches, Christian shops, and pastor’s homes.

In India, an elderly nun was recently raped in West Bengal’s Ranaghat at the Convent of Jesus and Mary at Ranaghat, Nadia District. A rash of recent anti-Christian attacks in India has including an attack on a church under construction in the Haryana’s Hisar district. Reuters India has reported that Christians feel “under siege” in India as a result of recent attacks on them.

In Libya in February 2015, 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians were marched on their knees to a bloody beheading filmed by the ISIS terrorist organization, with the beaches of Libya covered with their blood. The ISIS terror group was proud of its grisly accomplishment and shared the video of their terrorist atrocity which it called as “a message signed with blood to the nation of the cross.” Egyptian Copts have protested the outrageous murder of Christians by this terrorist group.

In Syria, ISIS terrorists recently kidnapped over 200 Christians, thousands of Christians have been forced from their homes, and according to the BBC, Syrian Christians have been ordered to convert to Islam, pay jizya (a religious levy), or face death.

In Egypt on March 27, 2015, a Coptic Christian church being built in Al Our village in the Minya governorate being built to honor the 21 Christians beheaded by ISIS in Libya, was attacked by an angry mob with Molotov cocktails, injuring seven people and burning a Christian worshiper’s car.

In Nigeria, reports continually flow in about Christian churches being burned down in town after town. As of October 2014, Nigerian news reported that “185 churches have been razed and 190,545 people displaced.” This was after the global terror organization Boko Haram’s attack on Nigerian towns in Borno and Adamawa states. In November 2014, Fr. Gideon Obasogie, Head of Social Communications of the Diocese of Maiduguri, has provided news media with further updates on the destruction of Diocese of Maiduguri, with the fall of Mubi, with an estimated 2,500 Catholic Christians killed, 100,00 Catholics displaced, and over 50 churches destroyed. Christian churches and lives have been a target for destruction by the Boko Haram terrorist group, as well as terrorist attacks throughout northern Nigerian causing thousands of women and children to flee the country to neighboring nations.

In Communist China, on March 25, 2015, a Chinese Christian preacher Huang Yizi, who opposed an ongoing “anti-church” demolition campaign that saw hundreds of places of worship destroyed, has now been jailed on trumped-up charges of “gathering crowds to disturb social order.” The Communist Chinese Party (CCP) court sentenced him to one year in prison. The totalitarian CCP has long sought to oppress people of faith and conscience as part of oppression of universal human rights. Chinese Christian have regularly had prayer sessions to protect their houses of worship, but we have reported on numerous cases where the CCP authorities bully Chinese Christians and bulldoze their house of worship.

In the United States of America, African-Americans have been a target of abuse in major cities throughout the country. This has included Christian African-Americans in the city of Ferguson, Missouri. Christian leaders have come out of their pulpit to have a voice for human rights, dignity, and justice, but also to call for peace. As one woman pastor sought to keep the peace, she was shot in the stomach by a 60 caliber rubber bullet causing a bloody wound. But she stood back up and continued her commitment for peace and dignity.

As Christians worship during this Holy Week, in terms of rights, lives, and dignity of their fellow Christians and other fellow human beings, there is much that needs to be done. This is hardly a comprehensive list of the current oppression on Christians’ human rights, but the point is that this is a global problem, which needs a global solution.

The commandment for love is not only for quiet prayer, but also a call for acting in love. For our fellow Christians, it is a call to get our leaders to influence and change the views of nations where Christians are routinely oppressed, tortured, imprisoned, and killed. It is a call to work together to find ways to help, provide asylum, and find routes for Christians who flee such oppression to find a safe haven.

Americans had a history in addressing the disgrace of slavery for those fleeing such states where human rights and dignity were denied for African-Americans. They created a network of secret routes and safe houses for enslaved African-Americans to escape slave states and their oppressors. This commitment to their journey to freedom was a commitment to human rights. Just as Americans did in their history of providing safe haven (and continuing to fight for the rights) of African-Americans, so Christians around the world must come to the aid of those Christians seeking asylum from oppressive nations.

While we need long-term efforts to change the conditions where Christians are oppressed, we also need immediate action to help our fellow Christians in crisis. Groups such as the Pakistan Christian Congress, OpenDoors, Jubilee Campaign, ChinaAid, Christian Asylum Seekers, Iman Foundation Trust, Farrukh Saif Foundation, and others seek to work to help Christians in crisis, and they need your support.

To help Christians in crisis, we also need our own “underground railroad” to help oppressed Christians fleeing oppressor nations to find freedom. We need to work with our government agencies, United Nations refugee organizations, NGOs, and other refugee organizations to help oppressed Christians who are forced to flee their oppressors find a refuge in a free nation. Christian human rights organizations need to find ways to work more cohesively together for greater impact in human rights and safety of Christians around the world.

Open Doors reports that each month 322 Christians are killed for their faith, 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed, and 772 forms of violence are committed against Christians. In Kenya alone, on Thursday, 147 people were killed, mostly Christian – in ONE DAY.

If we follow the commandment to love one another, and we respect the human rights of our fellow human beings, these global patterns of oppression must be unacceptable to the billions of Christians.

Love Means Action. Christian Lives Matter. All Lives Matter.