Muslims threaten Christian community in Pakistan
Pakistani Christians in a Punjab village face threats from Muslim extremist groups to convert to Islam, leave the place or die.
The Muslim group that is harassing Christians is believed to have been influenced by the growing number of ISIS fighters in Pakistan, according to Mission Network News.
The village, Chak 44, has a population of about 2,500 to 3,000, a tenth of which comprises the religious minorities – Christians and Shia Muslims – who experience the greatest persecution in the area.
Bruce Allen of Forgotten Ministries International shared the story of a 24-year-old man, Imran Masih, who had misplaced his phone. Masih's phone contained video clips of his colleague's Muslim wedding as well as an alleged video of a Christian pastor. Eventually, the phone wound up in the hands of a shopkeeper, who saw the videos.
When Masih went to the shopkeeper to ask for his phone, the shopkeeper accused him of blasphemy. Tensions rose during the confrontation until a death sentence was issued not just against Masih but also against the 35 Christian families living in the village.
Masih hid from the Muslims who were threatening him. However, the conflict escalated quickly that local Muslims announced they would burn the houses of the Christians unless they turn Masih over to the authorities for execution.
The discord between the Christians and the Muslim extremists grew worse that even if the police were able to restore some order, they could not do anything to stop the Muslim extremists from persecuting the Christians.
"Their Muslm neighbors are refusing to sell food to them, give them jobs," Allen said. "They're demanding that the Christians leave the village, convert to Islam or be burned along with their homes."
Unfortunately, the increasing conflict in the village has not been covered by the local media. Pakistani Christians from other villages are the ones who brought the message out and asked for help. Forgotten Ministries International picked up the story to let more people know about what's happening in Chak 44.
