CLAAS October Update

Lahore: November 22, 2009, (PCTV Newsdesk)

Praise in the midst of pain

I recently had the opportunity to visit Gojra and Korian, two towns attacked in the summer by Muslim extremists over the alleged desecration of the Koran by Christians.  Four months on and the pain and sense of injustice over those horrific events is still etched on the faces of the Christians who live there.  They know the attacks were baseless.  This was just another deadly example of Muslim extremists misusing the blasphemy law to settle personal vendettas. 

I travelled to Pakistan with Sally and Hamad Bailey from one of our supporting churches, St Paul's in Slough, and there to meet us at the other end was Joseph Francis, head of CLAAS in Pakistan.  The difficulties facing the Christians of Gojra and Korian were apparent.  They are still living in tents, their homes having been destroyed in the attacks; some of the children are unable to go to school; many of the adults have been sacked from their jobs by their Muslim employers.

To read the full story please click on CLAAS' website
http://www.claas.org.uk/news_detail.aspx?ID=349

Ruqiya Bibi and Munir Masih bailed from 295-C charges

An additional session court in Kasur district has agreed bail for the third time for a couple falsely accused of blasphemy.  A First Information Report had been filed against Ruqiya Bibi and Munir Masih under Section 295-B of the Pakistani penal code - defiling the Koran - following a spat between a local Muslim boy and their children, five-year-old Muqadass and 10-year-old Ameer.  The Muslim boy had slapped ...
Read the full story please click on CLAAS' website  

CLAAS files bail application for Naveed Shahu

Nouman Masih and Naveed Shahu were among the victims of brutal violence by Muslims against Christians in the Christian town of Gojra in August.   They were arrested by police after a case was registered with police implicating 129 Christians in the violence.  Nouman was one of those named in the case and was arrested, pending a hearing at the anti-terrorist court in Faisalabad.  CLAAS was able to secure post-arrest bail for Nauman from the anti-terrorist court but the bail application for Naveed ...
Read the full story please click on CLAAS' website



CLAAS has helped a Muslim convert's husband and mother-in-law to secure pre-arrest interim bail following false accusations of abduction.  Aqsa Masih was originally from a Muslim family before she converted by her own free will to Christianity and married Waqas Masih, a Christian.  After their marriage, Aqsa's Muslim relatives began to persecute ...
Read the full story please click on CLAAS' website