Ideological persecution from the Islamic world

The conflict between Islam and Christianity is steeped in history and politics.

The rise in violent Islamic extremism came under the global spotlight after the events of September 11, 2001 when Islamic extremists flew two planes into the World Trade Center towers in the United States. Unfortunately, the use of ideological extremism has continued, and there remains a fanatical element within the Islamic community that seeks to convert or kill those who do not adhere to the teachings of their prophet. Whilst most in the Islamic community abhor the violence perpetrated by these select few, the broader impact has become nothing short of devastating to ongoing peace, security and harmony in the international community. The rise of ISIL and hard-line political Islam in the Middle East and Africa has ushered in more violence over the past 20 years, and the level of violence perpetrated against people of faith is widespread.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any end in sight, and persecution of those who practice the Christian faith remains a significant problem in the Islamic world.

Many reports examine the sustained persecution of people who hold Christian beliefs in Islamic countries. Christian converts are particularly targeted for cultural reasons, as conversion to Christianity is seen as bringing shame on the family and the community.

Pakistan

Pakistan is a dangerous country for those of the Christian faith.

Section 295 and 298 of Pakistan’s criminal code permits the death penalty for those convicted of blasphemy, insulting the Prophet Muhammad or insulting Islam. Voice of the Martyrs reports that there are currently 24 Christians on blasphemy charges in Pakistan. For example, Sajjad Masih was arrested in 2011 after being accused of sending blasphemous text messages to Muslim clerics. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2013. His sentence was revised to execution in March 2021. Police initially refrained from charging Masih under the blasphemy law but added the blasphemy charge to the complaint after pressure from Muslim clerics.

There is also the case of Pakistani pastor Zafar Bhatti who has been in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Central Jail since July 2012. Pastor Bhatti was charged with sending blasphemous text messages. On May 3, 2017, Zafar was sentenced to life imprisonment for blasphemy, a charge he denies. The mobile phone in question was not registered to his name. Zafar has appealed, but his appeal hearings have been adjourned repeatedly.

The Movement for Solidarity and Peace Pakistan has documented cases of targeted kidnapping of underage girls for forced conversion and forced marriage.[1] They report that an estimated 1000 Christian and Hindu women are abducted, forcefully married, and forcefully converted every year. Many of the victims are minors. Sexual assaults and fraudulent marriages are used by perpetrators to entrap victims and authorities are often complicit.[2]

Maria Alias Kalsoom[3]

Maria, a resident of Lahore and of Christian faith, was converted and kept in “prison-like” conditions for two years following her abduction. In December 1997, her aunt – who had married a Muslim man – and her Muslim husband lured Maria away from her home under false pretexts and subsequently converted her. Maria was then sold for Rupees 80,000 (the equivalent of $1,988 at the time) to Abdul Ghaffar, a Muslim. She was given a Muslim name, Kulsoom, upon her forced marriage to her ‘purchaser’, Ghaffar. Ghaffar imprisoned Maria, in conditions resembling solitary confinement, and subjected her to daily beatings and torture. Maria was forbidden from leaving the house or meeting anyone.

After spending more than two years in what she described as a “torture cell,” Maria finally escaped with her one-year-old son and returned to her parents’ house in September 2000. At the time, Maria was pregnant with her second child from the marriage. Her parents and brothers, however, refused her shelter or support. Maria, left without a home and marginalized within her own community, sought shelter and legal aid. She gave birth to her second child, a girl named Mariam, in May 2001 while at a safe shelter.

Maria subsequently filed for dissolution of marriage, which was granted, and child custody. While the child custody case remained under trial, the court gave Ghaffar permission to meet the children at every court hearing. On 13 September 2004, Ghaffar abducted the children — Joshua and Mariam — from court premises during his visiting hours. Maria filed an additional application against Ghaffar for the abduction. At the date of last reporting, however, the application remained pending and the children still under Ghaffar’s custody.

Nigeria

Nigeria remains an extremely dangerous place for Christians. Extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Fulani Islamic militants regularly attack Christians throughout northern Nigeria in an attempt to eradicate those of the Christian faith and turn Nigeria into an Islamic state.

Executions and torture remain rife. Over the Christmas and Easter periods, reports of kidnappings and executions took place as a warning to the broader Christian population. In March 2021, eight Christians were kidnapped from a bus in southern Kaduna state. In an attack at Christmas time, the terrorist group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) recorded the execution of Christians and declared: “This is a warning to Christians in all parts of the world and those in Nigeria.” ISWAP is a splinter group of Boko Haram, which has pledged to turn Nigeria into an Islamist state.

Christians live in constant fear for their lives and Islamic militia groups have taken over villages and farmlands in order to control local populations. Reports detail that thousands of Christians remain in camps designated for internally displaced people. Few schools are able to function due to the ongoing violence.

Ongoing violence has led to famine. Reports detail that farmers are killed by Fulani militants when they attempt to return to their farms.

West Papua

Christians continue to be persecuted in West Papua due to an escalation of violence and a crackdown on human rights defenders.

On March 15, 2021, a joint statement was issued to the UN Human Rights Council to raise serious concerns about the gross human rights violations that have occurred in West Papua. Church workers and a pastor have been killed. The human rights groups state, “Rev. Zanambani, an indigenous Papuan Pastor and Mr Tigau, an indigenous Papuan catechist were allegedly victims of extrajudicial and arbitrary executions by the members of Indonesian security forces at the end of 2020.”[4]

Authorised by George Christensen, Mackay for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party.