July 1, 2017
Christians in Pakistan fear that sending a tweet or posting a comment on Facebook could now land them in serious trouble.
The Government has launched a crackdown on online content deemed to be ‘blasphemous’. Christians fear that extremists will make false accusations against them – and perhaps even set up fake social media accounts in their name.
Pray for our Christian family in Pakistan who are seriously concerned that this cyber crackdown could further limit religious freedoms.
Last month, mobile phone users in Pakistan received texts from the Government warning them against sharing or uploading ‘blasphemous’ content online. The messages also gave an email address for reporting such content, which Christians fear will be used against them.
Nabeel Masih, aged16, has been detained since September for allegedly posting on Facebook a ‘sacrilegious’ photo of an Islamic holy site: his lawyer says Nabeel is illiterate.
Meanwhile, Ishfaq Masih, a 23-year-old Christian from Lahore, was recently arrested after a local Muslim accused him of blasphemy following a dispute over a repair bill.
- Pray that our Christian family in Pakistan will trust God for His justice. Pray that they will know that God’s purposes will stand (Isaiah 46:10).
- Pray for the swift release of Nabeel and Ishfaq. Pray that God will comfort them and their families.
- Pray that Pakistan’s Government will take firm action to tackle extremism and uphold religious freedom, for the sake of peace, justice and equality.
(Source: Morning Star News) Release International.
