O que hoje significa ser-se cristão no Paquistão

(também publicado no Substack)

Meeting lawmakers at the Portuguese Parliament

These last days of Advent I have been following a delegation of Christians from Pakistan visiting Lisbon, Portugal. They represent the Peter John Sahotra Foundation, an institution of good courageous people that provides the Christian community with relief from the heavy burdens of poverty and religious persecution. The couple Sadaf and Joel Amir Sahotra have been meeting members of the Portuguese Parliament, civil society organisations, media, schools and universities. The purpose of this visit is to update the Portuguese society about the situation of Christians in Pakistan with key facts and to find new opportunities of cooperation on the issues of human rights and education.

Pakistan is a 240 million country with about 1% Christians living mainly in Punjab, but also in smaller communities in Sindh and Karachi. The majority of these 2.5 to 3 million people face poverty and all of them live under the stress of religious intolerance. It will be easy to find Christians in sanitation jobs, as domestic helpers or in the hard brick kiln production in Pakistan. These are all low-income jobs; the wages are earned in a daily basis and child labour is often involved.

Mr and Mrs Sahotra addressing a school audience in Portugal

As Mr. Sahotra informed, ‘even in government job advertisements, it is often stated that sweeper and janitorial posts are “only for non-Muslims.” This practice reinforces humiliation and exclusion. Educated Christians rarely find opportunities beyond menial jobs, regardless of qualifications.’However, the starkest picture is the condition of thousands of Christian families that are trapped in generational debt and are forced to work in brick kiln factories. Their living and working conditions are extremely hard. Clean water, healthcare and education are only mirages. The most fragile are more exposed to abuse: ‘young Christian women and girls are especially vulnerable to harassment and sexual abuse by kiln owners and supervisors, often without legal recourse or protection.’

Another problem is the Blasphemy Law. These laws continue to be the source of great injustices and fear. Many innocent Christians have been falsely accused and imprisoned for years. False accusations continue to trigger mob violence against Christians. Entire Christian neighbourhoods – houses and churches – were burned to the ground in tragic incidents such as Joseph Colony (Lahore, 2013) and Jaranwala (2023). In Sharia courts, non-Muslim lawyers are not allowed to represent its clients, restricting access to justice and minorities’ representation. Christians still face social exclusion, workplace bias, forced conversions and hate speech, particularly in rural areas.Long time ago, Muhammad Ali Jinnah said to the Pakistani people: ‘You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State. (…) We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State.’ This was Mr. Jinnah’s presidential address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in the 11^th of August 1947 – just three days before the formal Independence Day of Pakistan. The promise of Pakistan’s founding father remains only a dream for the Christians and other religious minorities’ peoples of this country.

Mr. Jinnah promising religious freedom in Pakistan, 1947.

The international community may help by funding Christian projects in Pakistan – such as schools – or offering scholarships and training opportunities abroad for young Christians. Surprisingly for some, Christianity in Pakistan is older than in parts of Europe. Saint Thomas the Apostle spread the word of Jesus Christ as far as the Bay of Bengal. Our common Christian heritage is also to be cherished in the small villages of Punjab and Sindh.

For more information about what means to be a Christian in Pakistan today, please visit the Peter John Sahotra Foundation’s website and check also the Aid to the Church in Need 2025 report on Pakistan.

Mr Joel Amir Sahotra being interviewed at Rádio Renascença

As a Portuguese Member of Parliament said some days ago, “this testimony puts our Christmas into a new perspective”. Those words resonated in my heart. Students in the schools of Lisboa also realised how lucky they are to live without fear of being persecuted because of their faith.

Thanks for your kind attention. Thanks dear friends Sadaf and Joel for your moving courage. And I wish a blessed Christmas to all of you.