Pakistan’s Minorities Minister vows to end persecution of Christians
ICC Note
“We will not allow the forces of intolerance and believers of extremism to destabilise our country and to capture our beloved country for their devilish design,”
By Maria Mackay
10/12/2009 Pakistan (Christian Today India)- Pakistan ’s Minorities Minister has vowed to do everything he can to stop Christians and other minorities from being persecuted for their faith.
Shabaz Bhatti told hundreds of Christians in London on Saturday that the Pakistani government was ready to review the notorious blasphemy law that is routinely misused by Islamic extremists to attack and imprison Christians.
He acknowledged that Christians were being attacked, imprisoned and killed under the pretext of committing blasphemy and that the blasphemy charges being brought against Christians were false.
“The blasphemy laws have remained a tool in the hands of extremists to victimise minorities and innocent Muslims in Pakistan ,” said Mr Bhatti, the first Christian Minorities Minister.
“We will not allow the forces of intolerance and believers of extremism to destabilise our country and to capture our beloved country for their devilish design,” he said.
Mr Bhatti: “In many cases of violence, it is not only the law which is creating disharmony. It is the mindset of the people who take advantage of the law and the situation and they instigate and incite the people to kill the Christians, the minorities and the innocent people so we need to work to change the mindset of the people and through these intiatives and others we can bring a change in their mindset.”
