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PERSECUTION.ORG
http://www.persecution.org

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http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s05050088.htm

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 2126, Garden Grove, CA 92842-2126 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com

Thursday, May 19, 2005

POLICE BEAT AND ARREST HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN PAKISTAN
Christian human rights group calls on Pakistan to 'reign in' its police force

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The Washington, DC based human right group, International Christian Concern (ICC) says that it has recently learned of an incident involving Christian human rights workers in Pakistan.

“Human rights activists were planning a rally in the city of Lahore to protest the increased power and influence of Islamic ‘priests’ called Mullaism,” said an ICC spokesperson. “However, on May 14 at 4p.m., just before the rally was to begin, police from various stations around Lahore raided the offices and charged the activists with their batons.

“The ensuing melee included at least 10 bus loads of university student, counter-activists belonging to the Jamaat-e-Islami party who joined with police in beating the gathered Christians. Police officers and Jamaat-e-Islami members pulled the hair of the women, dragged them down the road and stripped them of their clothes. Men involved in the rally were severely beaten and later taken to Model Town Police Station along with some women. Most of the women were transported to the Race Course Police Station for Women.

“While detained, no one was allowed contact with the Christian human rights workers and no formal charges were brought against them. All of the activists were released later the same day, but it still remains unclear what provoked the violent beatings. It seems that the police had targeted the activists for their ties to Christianity, and their opposition to oppressive Mullaism that plagues Pakistan.”

The spokesperson added, “International Christian Concern strongly denounces this violence and calls on Pakistan to reign in its police force. This is just the latest in a long string of violence carried out by police targeting Christians. In the past, police have arrested Christians and beaten the prisoners to death, with no charges filed.”

ICC is a Washington, D.C., based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC delivers humanitarian aid, trains and supports persecuted pastors, raises awareness in the US regarding the problem of persecution, and is an advocate for the persecuted on Capitol Hill and the State Department.

For more information, contact: Jeff King
Phone: (301) 989-1708
Email: icc@persecution.org
Website: www.persecution.org
Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). Wooding is the co-host of the weekly radio show, "Window on the World" and was, for ten years a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com.
danjuma1@aol.com.

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.