ICC Note: 

In London, a Pakistani family suffered eight years of persecution for converting to Christianity from Islam. The brutal hate delivered to this family by Islamic Extremists was so detrimental that numerous armed policemen escorted Nissar Hussain and his family out from their home in Bradford for good. It is shocking for such level of religious hatred to take place in a nation like the U.K. However, it is common for Christians to face persecution in the hands of Islam in whatever part of the world. British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA) chairman Wilson Chowdhry makes the point that Christians often have to give up jobs and communities and flee and live underground in Pakistan, but did not suspect the chances of it happening in the UK too. He states that Christians are in the situation that they are in, largely due to a refusal by significant segments of society, media and authorities to take this phenomena seriously, due to political correctness and fear. Hussain hopes that people will come to understand the true lethal predicament faced by converts from Islam. 

11/11/2016 Pakistan (Pakistan Christian Post) – Yesterday, news cameras caught the end result of an 8 year old campaign of religious hatred against a Christian convert and his family, Nissar Hussain with multiple car loads of armed police escorting him and his family to pack up the last belongings from their home and leave Bradford for good, such is the level of hatred and credible death threats against the family. The case has raised serious concerns about the level of hatred against converts from Islam in this country, reflecting an age old and worldwide phenomenon. The Hussain family have been put through immense emotional, psychological and financial strain due to the effects of the ongoing campaign of murderous hatred against them, and until fairly recently also faced an uphill struggle in convincing people in authority just how bad their situation was, hampered, many are convinced, by the well documented fear of being labelled ‘Islamaphobic’, a fear that has featured in several recent cases such as the Rotheram sex abuse cases.

The entire Hussain family have been moved to a safe house, provided by the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA) in partnership with other charities. Wilson Chowdhry, BPCA chairman, said ‘When I helped set up the BPCA, the focus was on the situation of Christians in Pakistan, and those who had to flee as refugees to other countries. I don’t think I ever imagined that I would be doing what we are now, dealing with Christians effectively made internal refugees here in the UK.’

The BPCA safe house programme is in addition to at least one other already existing UK scheme of safe house protection for Muslims fleeing forced marriages and for converts from Islam. Mr Chowdhry commented ‘We have seen some estimates that about a third of all so called ‘honour-killings’ in this country involve those deemed to be apostates – those who have abandoned Islam, most often for the Christian faith, and also fairly often for atheism or secular humanism.’

One of the reasons Hussain has faced such hostility is that he spoke out. However, among some Christian circles, it has been well known for a long time that many other converts live in hiding, fearful for their lives, cut off from old family and friends, some even feeling the need to move every few months at times to try and avoid being tracked down.

Mr Chowdhry said ‘We have come across this in Pakistan too, where Christians, not just converts, have to give up jobs and communities and flee and live underground, and we have it happening in the UK too, even though on a lesser scale. With the help of various groups and charities, we are setting up rescue snatch squads for people facing religious hatred because of their conversion from Islam, particularly for our Christian brothers and sisters, as we anticipate things getting worse, not better, certainly in the near to medium future. In large part, we are in this situation because of a refusal by significant segments of society, media and authorities to take this phenomena seriously, due to political correctness and fear. We hope that is coming to an end; if so, it is not a moment too soon.’

He added ‘We often hear words of condemnation from some Islamic leaders, and words that change is needed within the Islamic community on this issue. We have heard such words before. Whilst we recognize that genuinely moderate Muslims face a big battle, some groups position themselves as moderate when they are anything but. Words are fine, but they are cheap. Until real, substantial and sustained change is evident, the question of whether some groups and individuals are issue false words and positions under the doctrine of taqiyya is very much relevant, and it is something to which the authorities and society needs to be more alert.

…