Pakistan: Rape Victim in Hiding
Jul 04 2006
Postings >> Pakistan

A Pakistani woman who was attacked and raped after converting to Christianity has fled her home in Karachi with her husband and two young daughters.

Sehar Muhammad Shafi, 24, is the daughter of a Muslim evangelist. She secretly turned to Christ, then married a Christian, Naveed Paul, in 2004.

When Shafi contacted her family to tell them about her marriage, a large mob attacked her home: Shafi and her family 'barely escaped with their lives' through the back door, according to Compass Direct.

Then, when she called from a local pay phone to ask her family to stop harassing her, they rang the phone booth owner to tell him Shafi had committed apostasy. This man, known only as Rana, followed Shafi home, forced his way in and raped her at gunpoint -- to punish her for her 'unpardonable sin'.

Shafi and Paul are now trying to start a new life in another city, with the help of RI partner Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS).

They fear being discovered by vigilantes and have had to move on several times. The couple have even tried to leave Pakistan but were denied visas.

Their plight highlights the precarious position of Muslims in Pakistan who change their faith. These so-called 'apostates' can find themselves cut off from their families, excluded from employment, and may even face torture and death at the hands of militants. So why take the risk? As Shafi told Compass Direct: 'We've fallen in love with Jesus, so how could we betray him?'

• Pray for the safety of Shafi, her husband Naveed Paul and their two young daughters. Ask God to grant them the strength to stand firm in their faith.
• Pray for Shafi's Muslim family. Pray that they would be moved by her Christian witness and stop harassing her.