Italy Summons A Pakistani Official Over Religious Persecution

ICC calls for United States to Pressure Pakistan on Violations of Religious Freedom

Washington , D.C. (March 26, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Italian government officials summoned a Pakistani embassy official on Wednesday to express their concern over “the recent grave episode of religious intolerance in Pakistan .”

Italy has spearheaded the efforts at the European Union to protect Christians from persecution. The European Union has established a working group to protect persecuted Christians and prepare a manual for embassies of member states regarding the treatment of the persecuted. (See: /suffering/pressdetail.php?presscode=380)

According to the statement by the Italian Foreign ministry, Ambassador Economides, the head of the foreign minister’s private office, spoke with the Chargé d’Affaires of Pakistan .

During the conversation, Ambassador Economides asked the Pakistani official for information regarding the violations of religious freedom in Pakistan and “the measures taken by the Pakistani authorities to ensure that those responsible are handed over to the justice system.”

Christians in Pakistan are regarded as second class citizens and face violent forms of persecution. They also are victimized by the country’s blasphemy law which prescribes the death sentence for blaspheming the name of Mohammad or life imprisonment for desecrating the Qur’an. Muslims routinely falsely accuse Christians of committing blasphemy. The mere accusation of blasphemy incites violence against Christians. On July 31, 2009, Muslim mob burned down two churches and 80 Christian homes in the Pakistani village of Korian following a false allegation that Christians had desecrated the Qur’an. The next day, the mob killed 11 Christians in the village of Gojra .

ICC is petitioning the Pakistani government for the release of Pakistani Christians serving life sentences. (To read and sign the petition: /suffering/pdfs/2010-03_Petition_for_Pakistani_Life_inprison.pdf)

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said “We welcome the exemplary example set by Italy by raising their voice on behalf of religious freedom in Pakistan . We urge the United States government to follow this example and summon the Pakistani Ambassador to the United States for the failure of his country to protect Christians from violent attacks, thereby perpetuating persecution of Christians in the country.”

——

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.