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Hi, How did you celebrate Easter this year? For my family, it was a time of joy and peace as we celebrated the new life we have in Jesus. Yet for many Christians in Pakistan, this season brings up memories of another Easter Sunday in 2016, when their lives changed forever in a very different way. Qaiser Maqsood was one of hundreds of Christians who had gathered in Lahore’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, when it was targeted by suicide bombers. At least 72 people were killed in the blast, and Qaiser suffered severe head injuries: ‘…the doctors had declared me 95% brain dead. They had informed my family that I am badly injured and would not survive, but God gave me a new life for which I am very grateful...’ Six years have passed, but Qaiser’s life will never be the same. He still suffers from short-term memory loss, and struggles to remember what he’s doing or whether he’s eaten. Six years have passed, but the Christian community in Pakistan are still awaiting justice. We want to secure justice for the survivors of this horrific attack. We want to see the perpetrators held to account, but we need your help. Will you make a gift of £4 to support our advocacy in Pakistan, and all over the world? Sadly, there are many communities around the world whose faith makes them vulnerable to attack at Easter. Barely two weeks ago, over 40 soldiers raided a cathedral in Myanmar/Burma during a Lent prayer service. They detained the congregation for hours, before placing several church leaders under incommunicado house arrest, including the Archbishop of Mandalay. No one should live in fear because of their religion or belief. I want to encourage you that your gift of any size makes a difference for those who are suffering for their faith – and so do your prayers. As Sara, another survivor of the 2016 Pakistan attack, said: ‘I am hopeful that even now people around the world continue to pray for us.’ Grace and peace, |
