Articles
Posted on Fri 12 June 2015
Persecution of Pakistan’s Christians by fanatical Islam is a betrayal of Jinnah
Christians in Pakistan come from diverse backgrounds and social classes. On the one hand, they have contributed, out of all proportion, to their numbers to nursing and teaching. On the other, the conversion over a hundred years ago of caste less people has created an underclass which has suffered disproportionately because of discrimination and persecution.
There has been significant middle-class flight and this highlights the parlous plight of those left behind. To be fair, the founders of the country were inspired by nationalist ideals which sought a homeland for the Muslims of South Asia but also included any minorities living within the boundaries of the new nation as equal citizens.
They were definitely not theocrats. However, almost from the beginning there has been incessant pressure from radical Islamists to turn Pakistan into a theocratic state where Christians and other minorities were reduced to being�dhimmies�(a medieval term for conquered non-Muslims, subject to their own laws) under Shari’a.
To read the full article published by IB Times, click here.