Keith Davies
Executive Director of the Forum for Middle East Understanding
and The Walid Shoebat Foundation

Friends:

We just listened to the speech from the President concerning Libya and about our “humanitarian values” to save Muslims again from their own self-destruction, like we did in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. We have been a refuge for many millions of Muslims who come and avail of the many opportunities in the United States, many of them use our freedoms to undermine our Constitution and threaten us with terrorism. Look at all the great thanks we have received from the Muslim world for freeing millions from real oppression.

The President said from tonight's speech quote "To brush aside America's responsibility as a leader - more profoundly - our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are. Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different. And as President, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.”

Many have already made the point about the hypocrisy concerning Darfur, Syria, Zimbabwe but it gets worse. We currently deliberately turn a blind eye in another country where we giving over $7.5 billion in aid and that is Pakistan. The aid is a bribe to help them fight the war on terror against the Taliban, yet we as a country totally ignore the disgraceful "secular" Islamic blasphemy laws of Pakistan against the Christian community, which has resulted in an epidemic of persecution. While President Bush was also guilty of this horrible oversight, the Obama administration has continued the policy. We seem to forget about our values for our own political expediency when it suits us.

Each year since 2002, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended that Pakistan be named a “country of particular concern,” which would allow the U.S. government to take steps, including sanctions, against Pakistan for violating religious freedoms. The State Department has overruled the recommendation each year including at least twice from the Obama administration.

Let us put a human face on this as we have taken up the cause of Pakistani Christians not just to make people aware but actual trying to help save them from persecution.

On the 19th of July last year Rashid and Sajid Emmanuel who had been arrested under the blasphemy law were shot while being transferred to court by the police, their family are being also sought for execution by the Islamic extremists, they are in hiding with no source of livelihood.
In March 2007 Mr. Amant Masih was arrested and later released under the blasphemy laws but the Islamic extremists are still pursuing him and his family including his wife and six children are in hiding after his home was burnt to the ground.

Less than two weeks ago Qamar David 56 years old was found dead in his prison cell. He was arrested in 2006 falsely charged with blasphemy. On March 15th it appears he died under suspicious circumstances with swelling to his face and body. His wife and children are also been pursued by extremists and are in hiding.

Fanish Robert on September 2009 was arrested accused of throwing a Koran, two days later he was found dead in police custody. His body was badly beaten, however the authorities claim he committed suicide. The families also received threats and are in hiding.

Yousaf Masih was a successful businessman his home was and belongings were burnt and his family fled and in hiding.

The above are just the initial cases that our organization has been asked to support their families from our very reputable contacts in Pakistan. We need to raise $40,000 ASAP so we can resettle these people in safer parts of the country while we use our contacts to gain asylum in a free country. We have found that the laws of Canada allow refugees and can get asylum but is can take a minimum of 18 months. We have available the proper legal council in Canada to arrange asylum.

The cost of helping one family is about $1000 per month so we need $10,000 for first month then $6000 a month afterward for the families. Legal costs are $7000 per family over 18 months period plus the airfare for exit to gain asylum estimated at $4000- 8000 per family. This just a drop in the bucket of the hundreds and thousands of cases of persecution.

If you are outraged and at the same time would like to help us help Pakistani Christians please email us at keith@ffmu.org or walid@shoebat.com

If you cannot support financially but would like to call and write to churches in your local area to gain their financial support so we can help. We will provide the expertize and advice.

Truth with action

Keith Davies
Executive Director of the Forum for Middle East Understanding
and The Walid Shoebat Foundation