Pakistan

How are Christians harassed, discriminated against and persecuted?

Christians in Pakistan live in danger. One main reason is the country's blasphemy laws, which are applied in outrageous ways. A well-known example is Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death simply because she, as a Christian, had a discussion with a Muslim colleague about faith.

But the law is one thing, because the Pakistani authorities have yet to actually carry out death sentences on blasphemy charges. The problem for Christians and other dissenters is that Islamic extremists incite crowds to commit vigilantism and attack people who are merely accused of blasphemy or fighting to change blasphemy laws. From 1947 to February 2021, at least 89 people have been killed by civil society extremists, according to the Pakistani Center for Research and Security Studies (2021).

And here we are at the heart of the problem for Pakistan's Christians and other minorities - the danger they continue to live in. According to the German sociologist Max Weber, it should be a hallmark of a state that its police and authorities can ensure peace and order so that all citizens can live in safety. According to the Fragile State Index report from 2023, Libya was the 17th most unsafe country in the world.

On the one hand, there are of course several examples of authorities succeeding in protecting Christians. But on the other hand, Islamic extremists have gained influence in the police, authorities, politics and the judiciary, so that in some cases officials are passive when crowds attack Christians. In August 2023, things went wrong in Jaranwala in the Punjab province, where 21 churches were burned. 

The Associated Press (AP) reported in 2020 that around 1,000 minority girls are kidnapped annually in Pakistan, especially girls from Christian and Hindu families. After kidnapping, the girls are forcibly married (nikah ritual) to older men and forcibly converted to Islam.

Evangelism in silence

Pakistan has a Christian minority, with the majority born into Christian families. The Christian minority can legally meet in churches and in some cases for large religious meetings where foreign preachers speak. However, it can be risky for a Muslim to attend church as their spiritual quest becomes known in the local community. Therefore, media evangelizations and informal fellowships are a way forward for Muslims seeking answers in the Christian faith.

What does the Danish European Mission do

Since 2005, more than 7000 vulnerable girls, mainly from the predominantly poor Christian minority, have received sewing training, and hundreds of children have been sponsored to attend school. This helps the Christian minority to help themselves, as the next generation is given the opportunity to learn to read, count, get an education, work and stand on their own feet.

In addition, thousands have received emergency flood relief throughout the years.