Pakistan
(MNN) — Twenty-year-old Sandul Bibi faces anywhere from four years in prison to the death penalty if she is convicted of blasphemy under section 295-B of Pakistan's
legal code.
She has been falsely accused of ripping pages from the Quran,
Voice of the Martyrs reported. She was
arrested with her father, Gulsher, on October 9.
Local mosques broadcast messages over loudspeakers on that
day, accusing Christians of disgracing the Quran and inciting a mob to attack
Christians and burn their homes. The mob
attacked a group of Christian families at a church with stones and guns,
shouting "Kill Gulsher and his daughter, Sandul." The mob also threw stones at Sandul's home and set
it on fire.
Since Sandul and Gulsher were zealously evangelizing the
villagers before their arrest, local Christians believe the mob specifically
targeted them for persecution.
Since her imprisonment, Sandul has written letters to her family. "I am praying a lot that God releases me from
here and I can meet you, but I don't know when," she wrote in a recent
letter. "He will give answers for our
prayers. Please pray for me."
Much of Pakistan,
which is an Islamic republic, is ruled by Sharia law. About 96 percent of the population is
Muslim.
Christian workers have requested 15,000 Action Packs to
minister to believers and unbelievers in Pakistan, and 12,168 have already
been sent. Families in the United States
can fill VOM's preprinted vacuum bags with basic living items such as blankets,
clothing, toys, and towels, as well as a personal note and photograph.
Each Action Pack includes a full-color "He Lived Among Us"
Gospel storybook. VOM delivers the
Action Packs to Pakistan,
where local Pakistani Christians deliver the Action Packs to families.
VOM president Tom White said that Pakistanis are thrilled to
know that an American family cares about them.
"That lasts for years; that encourages them really more than
you know," he said.
Action Packs can be ordered from VOM for a $7 donation. The donation covers the cost of the bag, the
cost of shipping it to the donor's home, and the cost of shipping it to Pakistan. A $30 donation will sponsor a bag packed by
volunteers at VOM's headquarters.
