Pakastani assaulted, fired by "Religion of Peace®" for wearing cross

From International Christian Concern, and persecution.org:

Pakistani Pizza Delivery Man Assaulted, Fired From Job for Wearing Cross

Washington, D.C. (May 5, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on May 1, a Pakistani Christian was assaulted by a Muslim customer and fired by his Muslim employer for wearing a cross during work hours in Sargodha, Pakistan.

Ashir Laal told ICC that the Muslim customer also wrecked the restaurant’s motorbike, stole his personal cell phone and desecrated his cross.

Laal worked for a popular restaurant in Sargodha (The identity of the restaurant is withheld on the request of Laal to avert worsening the situation.) On May 1, he received an order to deliver pizza to Muhammad Qadeer Butt. He delivered the pizza within 20 minutes. Butt was so happy with the delivery that he offered Laal a glass of Pepsi.

While Laal was enjoying the Pepsi, Butt noticed the cross worn by Laal. Laal alleges that Butt then grabbed him by his wrist and asked about his faith. Laal replied by saying that he was a Christian.

As soon as he heard the word “Christian,” Butt allegedly became visibly angry, grabbing the cross and throwing it in the garbage. Butt and his two servants beat Laal. Laal was rescued by people who responded to his cries.

Upon returning to work, Laal alleges that his employer scolded him for wearing the cross during work hours and fired him without paying him his salary.

Laal’s father told ICC that they would not register any police case against the powerful Muslims because in this predominantly Muslim country, all their efforts to get justice would be in vain.

ICC contacted the manager of the restaurant, who refused to comment on the details of the allegations by Laal. He said that Laal has stigmatized their restaurant by publicly saying that he is a Christian. He also added that he wouldn’t pay any salary due to Laal; rather he will use the money to mend the motorbike.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said “The plight of Laal is yet another example of societal discrimination that the Pakistani Christians are suffering from the Muslim majority in the country. We urge justice for Laal and other Pakistani Christians.”

"He paid his life for his faith, for his dignity, and the dignity of the Bible and Jesus Christ"

The owner of a Christian bookstore in Gaza has been murdered by Islamists because he was a Christian. From Yahoo News (h/t: Jawa Report):

The body of Rami Khader Ayyad, the 32-year-old director of Gaza's only Christian bookstore, bore a visible gunshot wound to the head, and an official at Gaza's Shifa Hospital said he was also stabbed numerous times. Ayyad had been missing since Saturday afternoon.

Ayyad regularly received anonymous death threats from angry people who accused him of missionary work, a rarity among Gaza's Christians. His store, which is associated with a Christian group called the Palestinian Bible Society, was firebombed in April.

"We feel Rami was killed for his Christian faith," said Simon Azazian, a spokesman at the Bible Society's head office in Jerusalem.

About 3,200 Christians live in Gaza among 1.4 million Muslims, and the Christian community has grown uneasy since Hamas routed forces of the secular Fatah movement and seized control of the coastal strip in June. During the takeover, vandals ransacked a Roman Catholic convent and an adjacent school, breaking crosses and smashing the face of a ceramic Jesus.

Ayyad had been increasingly worried about threats on his store, Azazian said.

On Friday, he noticed that he was being followed by a car with no license plates. Ayyad called his family Saturday afternoon to tell them he had been abducted but would be freed later in the evening, said Azazian. Police were notified, but his body was found the next morning.

Ayyad left two young children and a pregnant wife.

This is what we are up against. We are up against an enemy that will kill innocent men for the simple crime of being a Christian, and selling Christian books. And don't be so comfortable in your life that you think it can't happen here. Many in positions of power are eager to convince this country to bow down at the feet of Islam, rather than fight it.

Don't let anybody sell you that whole "Islam is a religion of peace" nonsense. The goal of Islam is for the whole world to bow to Allah. They will fight until "religion [is] only for Allah." (Sura 2:193). They will "then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war)" (Sura 9:5). Because, according to the Hadith, "[A] martyr’s privileges are guaranteed by Allah; forgiveness with the first gush of his blood...he will be...[married] to seventy-two [virgins] and his intercession on the behalf of seventy of his relatives will be accepted." What better way to convince young men to kill and maim than to promise them eternal sex? Yet some people try to claim that this is the same God we Christians worship. Baloney!

Still think China's a shining beacon of freedom?

Then go over there and try to speak the truth about Christ. Try to open up a church without government approval. Yeah, just try it (via Washington Times):

BEIJING (AP) – Authorities have increased arrests on Christian groups operating outside China's sole official government church following a crackdown ordered last month, an overseas monitoring group reported today.

At least 15 leaders in the unofficial church have been detained in recent days across six provinces and regions, according to the China Aid Association, based in Midland, Texas.

They include seven church leaders arrested during a worship service in Inner Mongolia on Tuesday and six others detained for up to 10 days in the neighboring provinces and Shandong and Jiangsu. In another case, Christian businessman Zhou Heng was arrested while picking up an order of two tons of Bibles at a bus station, the association said.

Those actions follow a crackdown on unauthorized religious activity ordered July 5 as part of a drive against crime and economic chaos at the village level.

"Strike hard against illegal religious and evil cult activity; eliminate elements that affect the stability of village governance," said the directive.

Now, let me say just a little bit here. There are many in this country that say we Christians are trying to set up a theocracy, and shove our religion down people's throats. That, of course, is one of the sillier notions about us.

Do we tell people about salvation through Jesus Christ? Of course we do. But, if we are doing it properly, we don't badger people, and we don't threaten people with violence if they don't accept. Salvation is of the Lord, not us. Are there some who badger people and threaten violence? Yes. But that is not how we are to go about it. And if someone wants to follow their own religion--Buddhism, Taoism, Islam--then we are commanded to pray for that person, and let GOD change their hearts.

That said, look at what is happening in China. Anybody who follows any religion outside of what the Chinese government allows does so knowing they could be put in prison. Does that sound like "freedom of religion?" Making these attacks against Christianity known to the world will be especially important in the run-up to the Olympics. The world will be watching Beijing. If we don't speak up, then the world will not see the truth.