Persecution in Pakistan

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/4/9/how-death-and-despair-haunt-pakistans-christian-minority

When it comes to the Subcontinent, most in the West are likely to think of the troubles that Christians face under Narendra Modi's BJP government in India. And indeed, Christians continue to face threats and harassment by his administration and its paramilitary proxies such as the RSS.

But we must forget the Christians in Pakistan. They have always faced difficulty under the Islamic Republic and tensions over the now-broken alliance with Washington, internal political instability, and economic hardships have not helped.

This long-read journalistic piece from Al Jazeera was certainly moving and one's heart goes out to these folks as they persevere in the face of hardship. I cannot condone all their actions nor their attempts to turn to the courts, but it's easy to condemn them when I'm not standing in their shoes.

One wishes the Christian communities in the West might consider for a moment dispensing with some of their extravagance and set aside the required pittance to get these people some gear to make their work safer. Living as a dissenting minority in a sacralist society they are second-class citizens. If Christians were more faithful in the West, we would find our status significantly reduced as well. But obviously that is not the case and in disobedience to the New Testament, the Western Church has completely sold itself out to the quest for mammon and power. While these folks in Pakistan certainly deserve help, I tremble at the thought of Western Dominionist teachings infiltrating their circles and destroying the beauty of their meek and obedient testimony – a pilgrim testimony that rejects the world.

I will pray for them and pray that they work toward finding some other avenues of work and living – not that they may flourish or be 'successful' in the way the West reckons it, but that they may escape dying in the sewers.

It's a shame – all the more with Modi in power – but I wonder why in the past they have not considered migrating to nearby India. Maybe they have tried and the doors are not open.

I must say that I sincerely wonder – were Christians reduced to this kind of status in a place like the United States, just how many would remain in the faith? Looking at places like Albania, Bosnia, and even Türkiye we see examples of populations that gave in to the dominant forces and ruling class within society. Once 'Christian', large elements of these populations acquiesced to Islam during the late Middle Ages. These are but more recent examples. I'm just not sure the American gospel would stand in the face of that kind of pressure and social reduction. It's something to contemplate. In the meantime pray for the Christians of Pakistan.

See also:

https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2016/04/pakistan-imperial-blowback-and-shapur.html

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-shapur-effect-in-pakistan.html

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-politicisation-of-christianity-in.html

https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2020/11/afghanistan-and-iraq-at-end-of-trump-era.html

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2023/02/assessing-musharrafs-tenure-1999-2008.html

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2016/07/on-death-of-sydney-schanberg.html