If the European Court of Human Rights ever started investigating why exactly Christians are persecuted in Pakistan, it might be moved to pressure European Union officials to end their mass Muslim migration policies. But that’ll never happen.
“European Court of Human Rights: ‘Christians [sic] Converts Are Persecuted in Pakistan,’” by Massimo Introvigne, Bitter Winter, April 29, 2022:
On April 26, 2022, in the case “M.A.M. v. Switzerland,” the European Court of Human Rights has established the principle that those who convert from Islam to Christianity are at serious risk of persecution in Pakistan and are in principle entitled to asylum.
The decision is significant because it concerns a case of so-called conversion “sur place,” i.e., that occurred after asylum seekers left their country of origin. M.A.M. left Pakistan because he felt at risk due to a vendetta involving his family and a family of neighbors, which the Swiss authorities and the European Court agree would not justify asylum.
However, after he arrived in Switzerland, M.A.M., a Muslim, converted to Christianity and joined the Salvation Army. The Swiss authorities and courts agreed that his conversion was sincere and that he is an active member of the Salvation Army in Switzerland.
M.A.M. then based his asylum request on the fact that converts from Islam to Christianity may be easily accused of blasphemy and arrested for a crime that is punished by the death penalty under Pakistani law. Even when they are not arrested and sentenced, converts may be killed by their relatives, who then are declared not guilty by courts or receive very mild sentences. In the case of M.A.M., the fact that his brother was an imam made the risk even higher.
The Swiss authorities and judges, up to a decision of the Federal Administrative Court of June 2, 2020, rejected the asylum request. They examined several COI (Country of Origin Information) documents about Pakistan, and concluded that Christianity is not banned in the country and there is no general persecution of Christians there. As for blasphemy, they interpreted Pakistani law in the sense that the crime is committed only by those who publicly insult or disparage Islam, which was not the case of M.A.M.
M.A.M. was supported by ADF (Alliance Defending Freedom), the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), and Ordo Iuris – Institute for Legal Culture in his recourse to the European Court of Human Rights. The latter examined COI and documents dealing with blasphemy laws and the situation of converts from Islam to Christianity in Pakistan, including the European Parliament resolution of 29 April 2021 on blasphemy laws in Pakistan and the U.K. “Country Policy and Information Note—Pakistan: Christians and Christian Converts” of February 2021. These documents were published after the Swiss Federal Administrative Court 2020 decision, but describe a situation that existed well before.
The European Court concluded that the Swiss authorities and courts had focused their attention on the situation of Christians in Pakistan in general, but failed to examine the specific situation of Christian converts from Islam. They are indeed at risk of being either executed on the basis of the blasphemy laws, as charges of offending Islam are often trumped-up, or killed by their relatives….
somehistory says
All Christians in pakistan are under threat…to one degree or another…and many who were not converts from islam have been persecuted and murdered by mozlums in pakistan.
gravenimage says
Grimly true, Somehistory.
Non-Muslims, including Christians, made up 23% of the population in newly created Pakistan in 1947; now they make up just over three percent.
Wellington says
Amounts to nothing. Just sugar frosting on a turd. Besides, these doofuses really don’t mean what they said. It’s all for form’s sake.
The bigger picture here is that the West has lost its balls and will not call out a mortal enemy of the best of the West and which is the Islamic faith—in its entirety. Same old same old.
We live in not only strange times but exceedingly stupid times. Those Westerners still making excuses for Islam—or Leftism—or traditional authoritarians like Putin and Xi—are desecrating the only way forward for all of mankind, i.e., true democracy, capitalism infused with a proper ethic, real equality under the law, and a sound moral code. How pathetic that most of mankind has not yet figured this out, even many those who have benefitted from this “experiment” put forward by the West at its best.
What a pathetic species we ordinarily are. Time for a beer—or maybe three.
James Lincoln says
Wellington says,
“Amounts to nothing. Just sugar frosting on a turd.”
100% correct, however I somehow lost my appetite for my morning pop tart.
gravenimage says
European Court of Human Rights acknowledges that converts to Christianity face persecution in Pakistan
…………..
Will they now start granting asylum to threatened Christians and other Infidels fleeing Pakistan? Don’t count on it…
Devasur says
Will they atleast stop funding Pakistan? i don’t think so.
gravenimage says
Too true, Devasur.
In 2022, the EU allocated an initial €7 million in “humanitarian” support, bringing a total of €104 million to Pakistan since 2016.
OLD GUY says
Being a member of the European Court of Human Rights and being a member of the UN look good on your resume, and you don’t have to actually do anything that matters or helps HUMAN RIGHTS.
Sadly Europe and American leadership don’t want to recognize the problem of exposing Christians and other religions to the muslim/islamic populations. These leaders are driven by MONEY and Islam has plenty of that from oil sales and handouts. Every time we gas up our cars and send them aid money we are funding the muslim/islamic world domination machine. But hey these power people leaders are getting rich off of the deals they have with the Muslim countries.
gravenimage says
Yes–some of the world’s worst abusers of human rights have sat on the UN Human Rights Council. Just perverse.