Source: www.MNNonlilne.org
Date: February 3, 2021
Pakistan (MNN) — Christians in Pakistan endure intense discrimination that often results in unemployment and debt. To pay these debts, many fall into modern-day slavery, unable to make enough money in forced-labor camps to ever be free again. Uncharted Ministries hopes to become involved in these desperate situations and help Christians regain their freedom.
A Desperate Situation
Recently, 8thirty8 published a story about a Pakistani couple trapped working in a brick factory. The woman lost her arm from an accident in the kiln, but the owner forced the couple to continue working regardless. This is just one example of the brutality Christians face in Pakistan, and Tom Doyle of Uncharted Ministries says this all begins with relentless discrimination against Christians.
(Photo courtesy of Muhammad Muzamil via Unsplash)
“Everything goes in favor of Muslims over Christians in Pakistan. There are Christians that can’t get regular jobs. They’re discriminated against, and they get into debt. There are those that will absorb their debt, and then put them into a life of slavery to pay back that debt. Instead of going to jail, they go into slave labor camps, and they make bricks,” he explains.
“[The creditors] keep adding interest. Many times these families never get out ever get out. In fact, there’s a special on it on Al Jazeera network. It’s a Muslim owned network, but they were just repulsed by what they saw in these brick camps where people are slaves living with just barely anything, making bricks by hand with no tools available to them.”
Slavery is outlawed in Pakistan, but the courts provide little hope for those enslaved.
“People in law enforcement are afraid for their lives. There are Islamic terrorist groups that would think nothing to take out a judge or someone that came up against them. The deck is stacked against Christians, not only socially, but within the courts,” Doyle says.
Prayer for the Oppressed
(Photo courtesy of LumenSoft Technologies via Unsplash)
As Uncharted works to help Pakistani Christians in labor camps, please be in prayer.
“Pray that God gives us wisdom on how to navigate working with government affiliate officials and how to successfully get funds to people that are trying to free these Christian families,” Doyle says. “We’re praying that God would give us favor as we get involved. We need to be praying that God finds men of peace and women of peace [in Pakistan] that are willing to help these Christians.”
To learn more about Uncharted Ministries and how you can support their work, visit their website here.
Header image courtesy of Maogee Dharshi via Unsplash