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The Voice of the Martyrs
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Christians in Pakistan are showing resilience despite persecution from their families because of their belief in Jesus Christ.
The Voice of the Martyrs recently received information from Pakistani contacts that Christians remain steadfast in their faith, although they are losing relationships with their families because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
According to “Karim,” who comes from a devout Muslim family, “After I became a Christian in 1997, I visited my family during the Muslim festival called, ‘Eid-ul-Zaha,’ where Muslims sacrifice animals before Allah. I questioned my mother asking her why she was sacrificing animals to Allah and yet in the Christian faith Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for us. I explained there was no need to sacrifice any animals. My mother was shocked. She started verbally abusing me and told me she had noticed a change in me, but had never thought it was because I had converted to Christianity.”
Karim’s mother was angry and told him he could read the Bible and miss prayers at the mosque, but had to remain a Muslim because the rest of the family would not understand his conversion.
“Before I left home my brother asked if I was reading the Bible and if I had an interest in the Christian faith. He slapped and verbally abused me, saying Christians are “Churda,” dirty people. He said Christians would make me dirty and I should stop reading “Churda’s books, the Bible,” Karim added.
Karim has lost jobs because of his faith and he constantly moves to avoid harassment from members of his extended family. He became a Christian after talking to a Christian co-worker. After discussing Christianity, Karim asked the man to give him a Bible. Although he was reluctant, one day the co-worker pulled the Bible from his undershirt and gave it to him. “I kept that Bible in my drawer. For two and a half years I was reading it everyday. I started a comparative study of the Bible and the Koran. I saw there was a sequence, continuity and discipline in the Bible. I could not find these things in the Koran,” Karim said.
“One day I read where the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, and after this I also asked Jesus to teach me how to pray. I said, 'Jesus, I have no teacher who can guide me and teach me about the Bible and faith, give me the Holy Spirit so I can learn about this faith.’ From that day the Holy Spirit has been my teacher,” Karim added.
The Voice of the Martyrs has assisted some persecuted Christians in Pakistan through, the Families of Martyrs fund and Action Packs. Pray that believers in Pakistan will remain strong in their faith despite increased persecution.