Persecution Blog

VOM and Persecution Featured on Moody Radio

Earlier this week VOM's Todd Nettleton was a guest on In the Market with Janet Parshall, aired nationwide on the Moody Radio Network.

In the 30-minute interview with Parshall, Nettleton shared updates about the persecuted church, including his recent visit to the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC to deliver Call For Mercy petitions. He also discussed the wait for election results in Nigeria, recent protests over rising persecution in India and VOM's efforts to provide Bibles to believers facing persecution in restricted and hostile nations.

Please click here to listen to this interview (a new window will open; Nettleton's interview begins at about the 26:20 mark). We are thankful to Moody Radio and all of our media friends who help VOM share the stories of our persecuted family.

You can also hear Todd each week on VOMRadio.

More Asia Bibi Petitions Delivered

Yesterday, I was part of a VOM delegation delivering Call For Mercy petition names to the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC. It was an honor to represent so many American Christians who have prayed for Asia Bibi and her family, and who have added their voices at www.CallForMercy.com, asking the Pakistani government to let this Christian wife and mother out of prison and return her home to her husband and daughters.

This means that almost 700,000 people have signed the petition and had their voice shared at the embassy during our three visits there.

Once again, we were received cordially and courteously. The embassy official that we met with on the first two occasions is no longer at Pakistan’s Washington DC embassy, and so this time it was a new contact there. He was very kind, and seemed appreciative that Americans would make the effort to speak out on behalf of a Pakistani woman.

He told us that the petition papers we delivered would be put into a diplomatic pouch and returned to Pakistan and to the national government there—something we were not promised on our first two visits.

He said Asia’s appeal is currently filed with the Supreme Court, but didn’t offer any insights about how soon the case will be heard. Our VOM contacts in Pakistan have said that it could be years before the Supreme Court rules. I asked if he felt the judges could rule fairly in spite of threats and the assassination of political leaders who have spoken out in Asia Bibi’s behalf, and he expressed confidence that they could.

I asked if there was any chance of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws—the ones under which Asia Bibi was sentenced to death—being changed. He shook his head with what might have been sadness and said that, at least in the near term, he did not see changes happening.

As we finished our time together, I told him that there were thousands of American Christians who were praying for Asia Bibi, but who also were praying for Pakistan. He expressed his gratitude for our prayers.

We don’t know the impact these petitions will have, but we do know it sends a clear message that the world is watching Asia Bibi’s case; freedom-loving people in every corner of the globe are waiting to see how Pakistan will rule in this important case. Please join me in praying that God will use our visit today to plant seeds that may grow into blessing and even acquittal for Asia Bibi.

If you have not yet signed the petition—and shared it with your Christian friends and invited them to sign as well—please go to www.CallForMercy.com now. Our goal when we launched the petition was a million signatures. We're more than two-thirds of the way there; we need your help to reach our goal.

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 16 years. He’s travelled to more than 20 restricted and hostile nations and interviewed hundreds of believers who’ve faced persecution for their Christian witness. As VOM’s principle media spokesperson, Todd has done more than 2,000 interviews with media outlets ranging from Moody Radio to the BBC and Los Angeles Times. He is the host of VOM’s weekly radio show, VOMRadio. He is the principle author ofRestricted Nations: North Korea and was part of the writing team for four other VOM books.

BBC Interviews Asia Bibi Family

Last week the BBC broadcast an interview with the husband and daughters of Asia Bibi, the Chrisitan wife and mother sentenced to death in Pakistan under that nation's harsh and unjust blasphemy laws.

Here is the resulting BBC story:

 

Asia remains in jail after the High Court in Lahore upheld the guilty verdict and death sentence last year. She has appealed the case to Pakistan's Supreme Court, the final step in the legal process in Pakistan. No timetable has been set for when the Supreme Court will take up the case.

The Voice of the Martyrs continues to stand with Asia Bibi and her family. You can write a letter of encouragement to her, as well as sign a petition asking the Pakistani government to release her. Please continue to pray for this brave Christian woman.

Asia Bibi: Justice delayed is...

Two weeks ago today, our sister Asia Bibi was scheduled to finally have the appeal against her conviction for blasphemy and resulting death sentence heard by High Court in Lahore, Pakistan. The hearing didn’t happen. No reason for the delay was announced, and no new hearing date was set.

It was the fifth time her appeal has been scheduled to start…and the fifth time there has been a delay. The reasons for the delays have been varied: there have been sick judges and lawyers who couldn’t make it at the appointed hour.

The reality is that no judge wants to hear her case. If they uphold the conviction and death sentence, the world will rain down criticism on the injustice of putting to death a Christian wife and mother. But radical Muslims in Pakistan have announced that there will be a price to be paid by any judge who overturns the verdict and allows Asia Bibi to go free. For the judges, it is a no-win situation.

Now there is an added wrinkle: blasphemy charges were filed recently against the hosts of a popular morning TV show in Pakistan, who are Muslims but had the temerity to play a Sufi Muslim song during a wedding portrayed on their program. There are reports that the government wants to have those charges overturned before they will allow Asia Bibi’s case to go forward.

Every time one of these announced hearing dates comes and goes without any actual progress on her appeal my heart goes out to Asia Bibi, her husband and especially her daughters. Can you imagine the emotional roller coaster each of these days must be for them?

Imagine you are in prison. You know you are innocent. Finally the day comes when you will be able to stand before the judge and present your appeal, to prove your innocence. You imagine the joy you’ll feel when he announces that you are free. You picture yourself wrapping your arms around your daughters; you wonder how long you’ll hold them before you let go. You picture your husband’s smile as he wraps you in a hug. How many people will be waiting at the house when you arrive home? How wonderful it will be to sleep in your own bed!

And then the appointed day comes. Your freedom is so close you can smell and taste it. You rise from bed, hopeful that you’ve spent your last night in prison.

But nothing happens. The judge is sick. Or the lawyer can’t make it. Or, even more frustrating, no reason is given but your case is not called. You spend another night in prison; but now instead of imagining your freedom you’re haunted by the thought that you’ll never be free. You picture your daughters getting married without you there.

Each time her case has been announced and then delayed, I’ve pictured Asia Bibi going through these emotional ups and downs. I’ve thought of her daughters going to bed without a hug from their mom on the night they thought they’d bring her home; her husband wondering again if he’ll ever see his wife outside of prison walls.

On June 19^th, it will have been five years since Asia Bibi’s arrest. There is a legal maxim that justice delayed is justice denied. Justice for Asia Bibi has been delayed, and then delayed again four more times. As of today, no new hearing date has been announced. Who knows when her appeal might go forward?

There are two things we can do. The first is to pray for Asia Bibi and her family. As they ride the emotional roller coaster of this case, we can uphold and support them through our prayers. Secondly, we can have a voice. Write a letter to Asia at www.PrisonerAlert.com. Write a letter to Pakistani officials through the link ("Petition Official") on her page. Ask them to stop delaying justice for our sister.

The Voice of the Martyrs continues to collect signatures on Asia’s behalf at www.CallForMercy.com. Our goal when the site was launched was a million signatures. We are almost to 700,000 right now. If you haven’t signed the online petition, please do so. Even if you already signed, invite your friends to add their voices to yours. These voices are more important than ever to try to get the Pakistani courts to move the appeal forward.

Justice delayed is justice denied. Justice for our sister Asia Bibi has been delayed long enough.

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 16 years. He’s travelled to more than 20 restricted and hostile nations and interviewed hundreds of believers who’ve faced persecution for their Christian witness. As VOM’s principle media spokesperson, Todd has done more than 2,000 interviews with media outlets ranging from Moody Radio to the BBC and Los Angeles Times. He is the principle author of Restricted Nations: North Korea and was part of the writing team for four other VOM books.

Asia Bibi Appeal Delayed Again

The Lahore High Court has, for the second time in two weeks, delayed the first hearing on Asia Bibi’s appeal of her conviction for blasphemy and the resulting death sentence.

A hearing last week was delayed because one of the two judges set to hear the case was unable to be in court. Today the court convened once again, but had to delay the proceedings when the attorney for the complainant was not present in the court room. The judges waited ten minutes and then announced a delay in the case.

A photo of Asia Bibi taken during a prison visit.

In the case of Asia Bibi, the complainant, or “counterparty,” is Muslim mullah Qari Muhammed Sallam. Sallam is the man who submitted the original complaint in the case on June 19, 2009. The complaint accused Asia Bibi of speaking against the Islamic prophet, Mohammed, on June 14 of that year. Asia Bibi’s lawyers told Agenzia Fides that they will point to the five-day gap between the alleged statements and the complaint being filed as evidence that the charges were fabricated.

Asia Bibi was sentenced to death on November 8, 2010. Her appeal, No. 2509, was filed with the Lahore High Court on November 11, 2010.

Reportedly, April 14 was set for the next attempt to have this initial appeal hearing. VOM contacts in Pakistan are closely monitoring the case.

Please continue to pray for Asia Bibi as she waits in prison for the appeal process to move forward. Pray also for her husband and daughters as they await the court’s decision.

You can still sign the petition asking for Asia Bibi's release at www.CallForMercy.com.

Pakistan's Blasphemy Law

World Magazine published an online story this week about the blasphemy law—Law 295—in Pakistan and how it affects Christians and other minority groups in that nation.

I was interviewed for the story:

Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy law makes it illegal to speak against Islam. Todd Nettleton, director of media development at Voice of the Martyrs, said the law is used as a weapon. Worst of all, accusers don’t need any proof. There are no consequences for false accusations, but anyone accused is arrested and imprisoned during the investigation.

I have twice been a part of VOM teams delivering petitions to the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC on behalf of one of Law 295’s victims—Asia Bibi. Both times we were welcomed with kindness into the embassy and reminded that more Muslims are accused of blasphemy than Christians.

We were also told that the system works…that when someone is innocent the courts will eventually set them free. That is sometimes true, but it is also true that some of those set free have been murdered by radical Muslims after they were set free, and some were murdered even before they could appear in court.

Perhaps Asia Bibi will be set free, her appeal granted and the death penalty she was sentenced to thrown out by the High Court. But when? The years she has been in prison, separated from her husband and daughters, are years she will never get back. And no court decision can change that.

Please pray for Asia Bibi. Please sign the petition to ask Pakistan’s government to set her free at www.CallForMercy.com. Join us in this call for mercy from an unjust law that affects so many of our brothers and sisters in Pakistan.

Todd Nettleton has served the persecuted church and VOM 15 years. He has been interviewed more than 2000 times by various media outlets. He's the author of Restricted Nations: North Korea, and served on the writing team for FOXE, Extreme Devotion, Hearts of Fire and other VOM books.

Asia Bibi Petition Drive Continues

Last week, we updated you with recent developments in the case of Asia Bibi, a Christian wife and mother in Pakistan who is facing the death penalty for allegedly blaspheming Mohammed.

VOM continues to collect signatures from around the world asking Pakistan's government to release Asia Bibi from prison and allow her to be reunited with her husband and daughters. To date, more than 666,800 people have added their names to this Call for Mercy.

Today we encourage you to get involved in this vital campaign. First, if you haven't, add your voice to the Call For Mercy petition drive.

After you've signed the petition, invite your friends and relatives to add their voices as well. One tool to help you do this is the following video, which was the top video in VOM's Call For Mercy video contest. Post a link to the video on your Facebook page or share it via Twitter (use the hash tag #CallForMercy) or other social media channels.

 

VOM's goal, when the Call For Mercy campaing launched, was 1,000,000 signatures. Already we've made two deliveries of petition signatures to the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC. Help us reach that goal by encouraging your friends to sign the petition today.

You can also encourage Asia Bibi directly by writing her a letter through Prisoner Alert.

Update on Asia Bibi & Please Sign the Call for Mercy Petition

If you are a member of our Be-A-Voice-Network  than you may have already received our latest notice about Asia Bibi, but in the event you are not a member, I wanted to share with you part of the email that was sent.

In June, we received the latest update fromAshiq.  Here's what he said:

In June, Ashiq reported that Asia was feeling better. She said another group had brought her some food and clothes, and she was thankful for them and for all her prayer supporters.

This is good news, because in April, Asia was feeling very discouraged.  Please pray for Asia Bibi and add her to your prayer list so you can pray for her often.  If you have not yet signed our Call for Mercy petition for Asia, we are still wanting to reach one million signatures and we still have close to 400,000 more signatures to reach that goal.  Click here to sign now!

We would also like to ask you to write Asia a letter of encouragement using our Prisoner Alert page.  Click here to write Asia and then share with others how they can also write her a letter.

Sign the Call for Mercy Petition for Asia Bibi & Send Asia A Letter of Support

Today I wanted to remind you that we are still working towards getting ONE MILLION signatures in support of Asia Bibi who has received a death sentence and been charged with blasphemy in Pakistan.

We are so blessed to have over 613,000 people who have already joined the Call for Mercy for Asia.  Will you join them if you haven't signed the petition yet?  Click here to sign the petition and learn more.

We would also like you to consider writing a letter to Asia Bibi using our Prisoner Alert page.

Over 13,000 encouraging letters have already been written to Asia and it would be wonderful if we could increase that number to 25,000 so that those in Pakistan know that we have not forgotten our sister who is in chains.  Please click here to write your letter of support today.

Group Urges UN Action to Free Pakistani Christian

The cry for mercy for our sister in Pakistan, Asia Bibi, who has been in prison since 2009, has now been presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

CBN News is reporting that, “Fifty human rights activists from around the world are calling on Pakistan to free Asia Bibi, an imprisoned Christian mother sentenced to death for blasphemy.”

French journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet is among those seeking justice for Bibi.

“Asia Bibi is innocent, but the Paksitani government does nothing in fear of reprisal,” Tollet explained. “By refusing to act and to impose reforms, the Pakistani government becomes the accomplice for the fundamentalists.”

Will you help us spread the word about The Voice of the Martyrs Call for Mercy petition that we have set up in order to reach one million signatures which represent one million people calling for mercy towards Asia Bibi?

Last year we did a video contest which helped propel the message of mercy for Asia. Please share this video and direct your friends and family who haven't yet signed the petition to CALL FOR MERCY.COM

We have just passed 601,000 signatures and are past our half way mark. Please spread the word!