Just over a month ago, the Swat Valley in Pakistan became a Taliban stronghold where sharia law (Islamic rules) apply and the fate of the remaining Christians in the area is uncertain. In an attempt to stop the bloody showdown that has been going on for two years, the government in Islamabad reached an agreement with the Taliban to hand over all authority in the Swat Valley in the North West Frontier Province to the Taliban.
Sources have told Compass that during the wave of violence, which has killed hundreds and displaced hundreds more, around 500 Christians currently remain in the region. In recent years, over 200 girls' schools in Swat have been burned or blown up by Islamic extremists. The remaining girls' schools were closed in January, but reopened after the peace agreement in mid-February.
A pastor associated with a Sole Churh of Pkistan congregation in Swat told Yousaf Benjamin of the National Committee for Justice and Peace that with the bombing of the girls' schools late last year, all Christian families emigrated to nearby districts. After the peace and with a tentative hope of normalcy and continued education for their children, most Christian families have returned, but they dare not go to church. The attached pastor, who requested anonymity, said that "people don't come to church like they used to before". He said that Christians still need to believe that the Taliban will keep the promise of peace.
Source: Compass Direct News
