Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)– Five Christian families have been freed after being held for more than two decades as slaves in a Muslim-run brick kiln in eastern Pakistan, Christian officials involved in the rescue operation told BosNewsLife.
The Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), a major advocacy and aid group, said it provided two vehicles for the May 6 raids at the brick kiln in the industrial city Wazirabad in Punjab province.
Nasir Saeed, a CLAAS director, told BosNewsLife that “a total of eight” Christians were found working as slaves in the area, representing five families.
Some were detained around the brick kiln itself; others at a nearby location linked to the operation’s owner, Gul Nawaz Cheema, he added.
“CLAAS’s staff accompanied the bailiffs to two separate locations” after petitioning the the Lahore High Court, he explained.
POLICE RELUCTANT
There were no reports of arrests, with police allegedly reluctant to further investigate the case.
In statements obtained by BosNewsLife, Christians said they had been “in bonded labour for more than 25 years”. One of the women, Safia Bibi, said she started working at the brick kiln along with her husband Anwar Masih, soon after her marriage.
She said their nine children were all born at the brick kiln where they grew up and soon started working at the brick kiln.
The Christians claimed they lived in a house at the brick kiln without basic facilities such as a bathroom or toilet. Owner Gul Nawaz, whose name was publicly identified, “often made this family work without wages and whenever they tried to leave, he severely tortured them,” CLAAS investigators said.
Christians said they would “sometimes have to go for days without food” and when they demanded money, “were forced to work more”.
HUSBAND DIES
In 2013 Safia’s husband reportedly died due to sickness and weakness because he was forced to work without food. “He was prevented from visiting a doctor, but would not have been able to afford treatment even if allowed,” CLAAS said. “His children were not allowed to attend his funeral and were forced to work on the day.”
Though they were Christians, they were were not allowed to attend prayer meetings or celebrate Christmas and other religious festivals, according to investigators.
Saeed told BosNewsLife that “it is sad that even in the 21st century, slavery still continues” in Pakistan, a heavily Islamic nation.
“Although it is illegal to take employees into bonded labour, brick kiln owners are rich and influential, and therefore they are hardly questioned and brought to the justice,” he said.
“Even if they are raided they get away with offering bribes and drawing on their local influence.”
FORCES LABOR
Many Christians are forced to work in brick kilns to pay off family debts, rights groups say. “Most of the money they earn goes towards paying their existing debt,” Saeed explained. “As a kiln owner charges them heavy interest, their debts are never paid and they run to the next generation.”
He said, “People are sometimes sold from one brick kiln owner to another.”
Saeed stressed that he personally visited and interviewed bonded labourers who “work for very low wages from dawn to dusk but still remain in debt for generations.”
The rights noted that many workers “live in unhygienic mud houses without any modern facilities” and they are now allowed to observe Christian holidays.
CLAAS says it provides free legal aid to slaves. “The government is aware of the situation, but unfortunately has never taken concentrated steps for the welfare of these people, and therefore slavery continues,” Saeed said.
(BosNewsLife (2004-2014) is the first truly independent news agency covering persecuted Christians. It has been ‘Breaking the News for Compassionate Professionals’ since May 2004).
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As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be for the most part be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens. This is the case in:
United States — Muslim 0.6%
Australia — Muslim 1.5%
Canada — Muslim 1.9%
China — Muslim 1.8%
Italy — Muslim 1.5%
Norway — Muslim 1.8%
At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and
among street gangs. This is happening in:
Denmark — Muslim 2%
Germany — Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom — Muslim 2.7%
Spain — Muslim 4%
Thailand — Muslim 4.6%
From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to
their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the
introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby
securing food preparation jobs for Muslims.
They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves — along with threats for failure to comply.
This is occurring in:
France — Muslim 8%
Philippines — Muslim 5%
Sweden — Muslim 5%
Switzerland — Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands — Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad & Tobago — Muslim 5.8%
At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow
them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic
Law. The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the
entire world.
When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase
lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris ,
we are already seeing car-burnings.
Any non-Muslim action offends Islam, and results in uprisings and
threats, such as in Amsterdam , with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and
films about Islam. Such tensions are seen daily, particularly in Muslim
sections, in:
Guyana — Muslim 10%
India — Muslim 13.4%
Israel — Muslim 16%
Kenya — Muslim 10%
Russia — Muslim 15%
After reaching 20% , nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in:
Ethiopia — Muslim 32.8%
At 40% , nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks, and ongoing militia warfare, such as in:
Bosnia — Muslim 40%
Chad — Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon — Muslim 59.7%
From 60% , nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers
of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic
ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya,
the tax placed on infidels, such as in:
Albania — Muslim 70%
Malaysia — Muslim 60.4%
Qatar — Muslim 77.5%
Sudan — Muslim 70%*
After 80% , expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and in some ways is on-going in:
Bangladesh — Muslim 83%
Egypt — Muslim 90%
Gaza — Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia — Muslim 86.1%
Iran — Muslim 98%
Iraq — Muslim 97%
Jordan — Muslim 92%
Morocco — Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan — Muslim 97%
Palestine — Muslim 99%
Syria — Muslim 90%
Tajikistan — Muslim 90%
Turkey — Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates — Muslim 96%
100% will usher in the peace of ‘Dar-es-Salaam’ — the Islamic House of Peace. Here there’s supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Madrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in:
Afghanistan — Muslim 100%
Saudi Arabia — Muslim 100%
Somalia — Muslim 100%
Yemen — Muslim 100%
Unfortunately, peace is never achieved, as in these 100% states the
most radical Muslims intimidate and spew hatred, and satisfy their blood
lust by killing less radical Muslims, for a variety of reasons.
Natalie those are old figures as an example the Census 2011 Census in Australia was 2.2% out of 23million, but under the Greens Labor (socialist) govt massive Islamic immigration occurred. We hear figures such as 5% now and that is why they are flexing their muscles here. Street demonstrations demanding Sharia, all major banks offering sharia finance, all universities have prayer rooms, hospitals give dispensation to medical staff re hand washing. wearing islamic dress etc, majority of food is halal (80%), crime is rising, shootings everyday in major cities (something unheard of in the past), female muslim military dress for ADF, ghettoization of major and regional cities, massive mosque building program along with muslim schools.
On the latter, a regional city, Bendigo, Victoria has 270 muslim residents, they are apparently spending $4 million on a mosque that can contain 1000, with options to expand. Residents of Bendigo opposing the mosque opened an account with the Bendigo Bank (now a national bank). The bank, which also holds the $4 mil closed the opponents account on moral grounds (!). It appears the Bendigo City Council has virtually pre-approved the mosque in 2012 without consultation with nearby residents. As a side note an ex-CEO of the bank sold the land to the Bendigo Islamic Assoc. and possible other parcels of land.
I point out the site of the proposed mosque is close to an airport that is slated for expansion and Bendigo is also home to sensitive Defence facilities.
The local university already has a special prayer room and other facilities for the tiny number of islamic students. Sister city Shepparton now boasts close to 10% Muslims, and numerous concessions have been made to them like muslim only bathing days at public pools funded by ratepayers. Islamic women in Shepparton have now reverted to full islamic dress.