Christians in Pakistan are being denied Coronavirus relief
To be delivered on April 17, 2020
TO: Mr. Donald J Trump
The President of the United States
The White House
CC: Mr. Mike Pompeo
The Secretary of State
Washington DC
CC: Mr. David Malpass
President
The World Bank Group
Related: World Bank release | 04/02/20
Dear Mr. President:
Save the Persecuted Christians, FIACONA, and our Coalition of (# organizations) writes to draw your urgent attention to a dire situation developing in Pakistan. Contacts in Pakistan, NGOs and the media are reporting that some Christians are being denied their government rations by Muslim NGOs approved by Pakistan to distribute funds, food and other supplies.
While we support the World Bank’s recent announcement on the allocation to Pakistan of a $200 million aid package for coronavirus relief through its Pandemic Response Effectiveness Project, we are concerned that funds made available to the government of Pakistan will be solely, or primarily, distributed to the affected populations through local Muslim NGOs to the exclusion of Christian NGOs which, in ordinary times, are often the victims of government-based discrimination.
The Independent Catholic news reports that, “Christians in Karachi have gone on record as saying that NGOs operating in the port city providing food to the homeless, were refusing to give food vouchers to members of minority faith groups, reporting that only Muslims were given them”.
Established contacts in Pakistan, have reported directly to Save the Persecuted Christians multiple instances where representatives from Muslim NGOs have placed conditions on government-issued food rations for Christians. Several Pakistani Christian civil society leaders—who must remain anonymous due to the risk they take in reporting these instances—have said Christians whom they advocate for and serve were told they would need to convert to Islam if they wanted to receive their covid-19 rations.
Since the World Bank announced the aid package, the government of Pakistan has mandated that all individuals seeking government rations would need to register through a cell phone-based app. Those without phones, internet access or technological understanding may work through a government-approved NGO who can register on their behalf. Unfortunately, the same dynamic is at play where Christian NGOs may be discriminatorily excluded from providing World Bank relief funds. Individual Christians again are at risk of being harassed, threatened and denied aid.
The monetary relief provided by the World Bank promises to be a lifeline to millions of Pakistan’s daily wage earners who have lost their income due to the lockdown. An overwhelming majority of the 4 million Christians in Pakistan are marginalized, very poor day laborers or indentured servants.
Mr. President, Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan need your immediate intervention. The government of Pakistan must enact and enforce measures to correct discrimination and harassment in the distribution of covid-19 aid. This needs to happen immediately before at-risk Christians and other religious minorities begin to starve and die as a result.
Please advise the President of the World Bank, Mr. David Malpass, to ensure that no Pakistani is denied badly needed relief funds because of their religion or belief. We ask that you direct the World Bank to take appropriate action to hold the government of Pakistan accountable with serious consequences should these incidents of discrimination continue.
World Bank officials must also ensure Christians in remote, poverty-stricken areas are informed, equipped and given assistance without being subject to discrimination and harassment. They must insist that NGOs tasked with providing relief are selected in a transparent process without bias towards their religious affiliation. Finally, the World Bank must demand accountability from the government of Pakistan in its management of the $200 million covid-19 relief.
We thank you for your leadership.
Sincerely,
Dede Laugesen Executive Director Save the Persecuted Christians
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John Prabhudoss Chairman The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations (FIACONA) |
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And, the following civil society leaders and organizations:
Sajid Ishaq
Chairman
Pakistan Interfaith League (PIL)
Pakistan
Nazia Ansari
Executive Director
Interfaith League Against Poverty (I-LAP)
Pakistan
Koshy George
President
FIACONA
USA
Daniel Emig
Consultant
Frontier Partners
USA
Allen Morris
Executive Director
Concerned Methodists
USA
Ann Buwalda
Executive Director
Jubilee Campaign USA
USA
Oleksandra Matviichuk
Head of the board
Center for Civil Liberties
Ukraine
Jim Dau
CEO
Iran Alive Ministries
USA
Faith McDonnell
Director, International Religious Liberty Program
Institute on Religion and Democracy
USA
Bryan Hickox
President & CEO
Bryan Hickox Pictures, Inc.
USA
Abdallah Baikie
Member
PSJ
Nigeria
Elizabeth Yore
Founder
YoreChildren
USA
Mike Ghouse
President
Center for Pluralism
USA
Salih
Hudayar
Prime Minister
East Turkistan Government in Exile
USA
Farahnaz Ispahani
Senior Fellow & Member South and South Asia Action Team
Religious Freedom Institute
USA
Paul Pickern
CEO
All Pro Pastors International
USA
Randy Noble
Christian author
The Cross in the Desert
USA
Ronald Polomsky
Member
Colorado Knights of Columbus
USA
William Murray
President
Religious Freedom Coalition
USA
David Salik
CHAIRMAN
World Minorities Alliance
USA
Thierry Valle
President
Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberte de Conscience
France
Greg Tweddell
Founding Pastor
Ignition633 Ministries
USA
Dr Fabong Jemchang
Chairman
Forum of State Chairmen, National Youth Council of Nigeria
Nigeria
Juliana Taimoorazy
Founder and President
Iraqi Christian Relief Council
USA
Devon G Cross
Director
Logos Forums
USA
Puneet Ahluwalia
Executive Director
South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation
USA
Jorge Parrott
President
Christ's Mandate For Missions
USA
Zaif George
Humanitarian Activist
Ray of Hope
Pakistan
Thang Nguyen
CEO & President
Boat People SOS (BPSOS)
USA
Kevin Freeman
Founder
NSIC Institute
USA
David Hawes
Missionary
Vision Beyond Borders
Worldwide
Jianli Yang
President
Citizen Power Initiatives for China
USA
Florindo Chivucute
Executive Director
Friends of Angola
USA
Zeno Gamble
Chief Operating Officer
White Mountain Research
USA
Gordon Bell
Elder
Church of the Atonement
USA
Rev. Joseph Grieboski
Director
Office of Ecumenical, Interfaith, and Global Engagement
USA
Scott Morgan
President
Red Eagle Enterprises
USA
Wade Kusack
President
LYN Community
USA
Svein Bjorge
Board Member
PAK7
USA
Linda Harvey
President
Mission America
USA
Kevin Jessip
President
Global Strategic Alliance
USA
Peggy Nienaber
Vice President
Faith & Liberty DC
USA
Henry Jones
President
International Christian Foundation for Democracy
USA
Ilyas Muhammad
Chairman
IDRAC / International Dialogue Research & Awareness Centre Islamabad Pakistan
Pakistan
Antonio Aquino
President
The Interfaith Dialogue Table
USA
Stephen Enada
Executive Director
International Committee on Nigeria
USA
William Brown
Organizer
Christian Activist Network of New England
USA
Kenneth Timmerman
President/CEO
Foundation for Democracy in Iran
USA