Having lived through many years of oppression as a Christian in Pakistan, United Reformed Church elder Aftab Alexander Mughal from East Blackburn, North Western Synod continues to use his gifts and talents to work towards a more just society, both in the UK and his country of birth. Aftab tells us more:
Christianity is the biggest religion in the world, and millions of Christians are able to live a peaceful life, but in some countries many Christians face discrimination and oppression.
Pakistan is one of those where native Christians face persecution and live in absolute poverty because they don’t have access to equal opportunities. As a Pakistani Christian, that unpleasant experience has had a significant influence on me.
Pakistan is an Islamic country, which was born on 14 August 1947 after the partition of British India. Christians, a religious minority, make up 1.5%of the total population of more than 200 million.
After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, St. Thomas preached the good news in India. However, the majority of Christians are decedents of those who found Christianity during the mass conversion of the early 20th century.
My grandfather was a Muslim religious leader, so when he converted to Christianity, his family abandoned him. My parents were devout Christians, especially my mother who was a massive inspiration to me. I observed that although Christians around me lived in absolute poverty, their faith was very strong.’
The partition of India in 1947, which gave birth to the nation of Pakistan, caused great rifts between communities of differing faiths, with unspeakable violence and suffering to follow, lasting decades. Aftab continues:
‘When, in 1984, a Christian neighbourhood and its church was attacked, I decided to raise my voice against human rights violations and injustices against all downtrodden sections of society, including religious minorities. Firstly, I formed a Christian youth group, started publishing a magazine, and wrote articles for the national media.
In 1992, I joined the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), which was created in 1985 by the Roman Catholics Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference. I used to organise seminars, workshops, conferences, rallies, hunger strike camps and press conferences. Many Muslim members of the civil society, journalists, lawyers and trade unionists were part of our campaigns. Sometimes, even government ministers supported our demands. As a result of one of our campaigns, the government of General Pervez Musharraf restored joint electorates for minorities in 2002.
Human rights activism is not easy in Pakistan, so I faced a lot of pressures from state agencies, and non-state actors as well. I have been attacked a couple of times but carried on despite these struggles because of my faith. The following verse is always a source of great encouragement to me: “The spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” (Luke: 4:18).
Because of the ongoing troubles, some of my friends urged me to leave the country for the safety of my family. We fled Pakistan and arrived in the UK in 2005 to start a new life. Although I have been living in the UK for 14 years, I still raise my voice for a just society in Pakistan by publishing a monthly e-magazine, ’Minority Concern of Pakistan’.
I became a member Westbury Gardens United Reformed Church and continue to serve the people who need help the most. For the last few years, I have been helping the refugee community in Blackburn to integrate into local society. My focus is to empower them, so they can have the independent and dignified life which so many are unable to enjoy.
