JUBILEE ACTION

For immediate release 1st October, 2002

Al-Qaeda target Jubilee Action Partner in Pakistan

One of Jubilee Action’s key partners in Pakistan, Joseph Francis of the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (C.L.A.A.S), has received violent threats from Al-Qaeda operatives on the 25th and 26th of September 2002.

The threats, made by a young man from the Al-Qaeda movement, have been reported to the police but for security reasons, the CLAAS offices have been temporarily closed down. Mr. Joseph Francis, is going to hold a hunger strike on Wednesday 2nd October, 2002 in order to condemn the terrorism against Christians, which has been rampant in Pakistan since the twin towers attack in the US.

The threats came on the same week that two gunmen burst into the offices of a Christian charity in Karachi and killed seven Christians at point blank range. Although no connection has been made between those attacks and direct Al-Qaeda involvement, the likelihood of Al-Qaeda influence in Pakistan is a bad omen for rising Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan.

Ann Buwalda, Jubilee Campaign’s US Director said, ‘These threats have made the difficult but vital work that Joseph Francis and his team are doing even more dangerous. This is part of a bigger issue in Pakistan right now and we are looking to the Pakistani authorities to send an unequivocal message to the extremists that they cannot act with impunity. Joseph has asked for our prayers during this time and we would ask others to join us in that.’

Since October 1999, Jubilee Action has worked with CLAAS, to provide aid for Christians with blasphemy charges against them. Through Jubilee Action’s support, CLAAS has provided families with food, shelter, school fees and medical care. CLAAS were instrumental in several high profile cases of Christians sentenced to death on blasphemy charges. Most recently, CLAAS worked with Jubilee Action’s sister organisation, Jubilee Campaign to successfully win Ayub Masih’s freedom after he was unjustly imprisoned on false allegations of blasphemy. It is not yet clear whether these threats have come as direct a result this work.

In August this year, six Christians were killed during an attack on a missionary school in Murree and four more Christians were killed in an attack on a Pakistani hospital in Taxila.

Jubilee Action supports and initiates projects world-wide that protect vulnerable children combat poverty and provide aid for Christians suffering persecution for their faith.

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