Christians will be protesting countrywide in Pakistan tomorrow on Pakistan’s "Minorities Day” against the discrimination and lack of protection they face. The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) reported on Tuesday that Christians in Pakistan have declared August 11th to be a "Black Day” because they are refusing to accept the attacks by radical Muslims and the power of state security forces in silence. "The most recent murders of Christians and the continuous misuse of the Blasphemy laws are the final straw,” said Ulrich Delius, the consultant for Asia at the STP. "The Christians in Pakistan do not wish to be second-class citizens any longer. They are tired of the empty promises made by the government and are demanding effective actions on the part of the authorities in order to prevent further attacks.”

"In Iran, religious minorities live in constant fear,” lamented the head of the "Teachers Association of Pakistani Minorities,” Professor Anjum James Paul. "Their religious sites are disgraced, destroyed and burned down. Traditional religious writings and sacred relics are desecrated and thrown into the dust of the street. Underage girls are forced to convert to Muslim beliefs or to get married. Prejudices against minorities are spread in schools. The schoolbooks, which are completely one-sided, are full of hate for those of different faiths. Members of minorities are not able to pray freely and are generally treated like lepers. Furthermore, members of religious minorities in Pakistan are arrested and brought to court on the basis of false allegations.”

Even in court they are not safe. For example, two Christians were murdered on July 19, 2010 as they were being accompanied by police officers out of the court after a blasphemy lawsuit. The two brothers had been falsely accused of blasphemy. Christians and Ahmadis are regularly reported by neighbours or those who hold a grudge against them, often in order to get rid of unwanted competition: In 2009, 65 Christians or Ahmadis were brought to court for blasphemy. Those deemed guilty face the death penalty.

Translated by Sophia Chambers