**Two Christian Pakistani teenagers arrested on blasphemy charges**
– Two Christian Pakistani teenagers, aged 18 and 14, were arrested in Lahore in May 2023 on charges of blasphemy after a policeman claimed to have heard them being disrespectful of the Prophet Muhammad.
– Pakistan has the strictest blasphemy laws among Muslim-majority countries, with potential sentences of life in prison or even death for those convicted.
– Christians and other religious minorities make up only 4% of Pakistan’s population but account for about half of blasphemy charges.
– Blasphemy laws and discrimination make life increasingly difficult for Christian citizens in Pakistan.
**Christianity in Pakistan and its connection to the caste system**
– Many Christians in Pakistan trace their religious affiliation back to the activities of missionary societies during the 19th and early 20th centuries in the Punjab region of British-ruled India.
– Early evangelization efforts focused on upper-caste Hindus, with the assumption that they would convert members of the lower castes. However, this approach yielded few converts.
– American missionaries in the late 19th century began baptizing low or no caste Hindus directly, offering them hope of escape from the Hindu caste system.
– After the creation of Pakistan in 1947 as a homeland for Muslims, many Christians chose to remain in the country, believing that Islam rejected social divisions like castes.
– However, the caste system continued to exist in Pakistan, and Christians, especially those living in major cities like Lahore, are often relegated to poorly paid and hazardous jobs such as sanitation work.
**Discrimination and poverty faced by Pakistani Christians**
– Pakistani Christians living in major cities, including Lahore, are mostly employed as sanitation workers. Government agencies and newspaper ads explicitly call for non-Muslims for these positions.
– Christians are often refused other job opportunities and experience widespread poverty. A 2012 survey in Lahore found that the average monthly income for Christian families of five was well below the poverty line defined by the World Bank.
– Pakistan’s dictatorial president from 1978 to 1988, Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Islamized the country and added Islam-specific clauses to the blasphemy laws, leading to increased oppression and persecution of Christians.
– Blasphemy laws intended to protect Islam have been misused against Christians and other minorities to settle personal scores or business disputes.
**Conclusion**
– The arrest of two Christian Pakistani teenagers on blasphemy charges highlights the ongoing persecution faced by Christians in the country.
– The connection between Christianity, the caste system, and discrimination in Pakistan reveals the social and economic challenges faced by Pakistani Christians.
– Blasphemy laws and systemic discrimination contribute to the marginalization and poverty experienced by Christians in major cities like Lahore.
– The international community must address these issues and advocate for the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan.
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