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Christian leaders in Pakistan have demanded the removal of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor for religious hatred in the name of interfaith harmony.
On Tuesday, Shakoor attended a seminar in Islamabad to discuss the issue of forced conversions in Pakistan. According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, he addressed a one-day seminar titled "Religion Change, Issues, Discussions and Reality" at a local hotel. Some newly converted Muslims (From Christianity to Islam) were invited to give speeches on the issue of change of religion in the ceremony, in a way to make them speak against their previous religion i.e. Christianity and Hinduism, and their bad practices. To this, some Christians objected and boycotted the ceremony. They further said that the event was organized just to create hatred against minorities and their religious practices. Notably, Pakistan uses the blasphemy law to persecute Christians with the help of state and non-state actors to target minorities. Blasphemy is pinned on them with the confidence that no judge would let them off the hook, with crowds demanding death outside his court. Christians in Pakistan have been facing systematic persecution as not only their churches are being targeted but also girls who are being kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam. Christians make up less than two per cent of the population in Pakistan. Their numbers are decreasing as many of them are migrating to other countries for their safety. Christians continue to suffer targeted violence and other abuses, including land-grabbing in rural areas, abductions and forced conversion, and the vandalisation of homes and churches. (ANI)
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