ACN petition & protest march to protect Pakistan's Christians

Some time ago I wrote about the horrendous story of Arshed Masih in Pakistan, a Christian who was tortured and murdered simply for refusing to convert to Islam. The story was reported on Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions website: the mainstream press tends to pay very little attention to what tend to be seen as "isolated" events. However there is a pattern: there has been a quantifiable increase in attacks on Christians in countries with a Christian minority, and in Pakistan the anti-blasphamy laws are increasingly being used to justify persecution of the Christian minority. ACN reports that 14 attacks on Christians in Pakistan in the last two months alone are directly related to the country's anti-blasphamy laws.


Aid to the Church in Need and the British Pakistani Christian Association have launched a petition asking the British Prime Minister to

"call upon the government of Pakistan to take action to promote justice and equal human rights for all irrespective of faith or any other diversity.

The Blasphemy Law of Pakistan (sections 298A and 295 B&C of the penal code) is being used to settle personal vendettas. We ask that the Blasphemy Law provide universal protection for all faiths, with better auditing of authorities involved with its practical application, or that the law be repealed in its current form"

You can sign the petition here.

Please support the suffering faithful in Pakistan - and encourage friends and family to sign as well.

Aid to the Church in Need will also be joining a Protest March against Pakistan's blasphamy laws. The march is orgnised by the British Pakistani Christian Association and will bring together Christian and Muslim leaders, united against religious injustice.The march will take place in London next Saturday, 2nd July. I won't be in the UK, but would encourage any readers in or around London to consider showing their support.  More information at the ACN website and on the British Pakistani Christian Association blog.