The Persecution & Prayer Alert The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada October 13, 2000 Re: Pakistan On May 6, VOM was shocked to learn of the gang rape of eight Christian women near Lahore, in an act of religiously motivated violence. The women, ranging in age from 16 to 35, worked in Lavaira Stitching Factory of the area, and were returning home at 11:30 PM in the factory van along with several of their Muslim female colleagues. The van carrying the girls was chased by a Toyota Hiace from which men with fire arms emerged and stopped the vehicle of the girls and forcibly took it to the near by fields. The masked men of the gang ordered the driver and his helper not to move. They hauled up Shahid Masih (Christian), another factory worker, and tied him to a nearby tree. Then they separated the Christian girls from the Muslim ones and taking them one by one to the fields, raped them at gunpoint. This satanic act went on for four hours. The Muslims girls were all spared. At present, legal proceedings are going ahead against the arrested culprits, who are members of an Islamic extremist organization called Lakshary Taiba, which is well known for its militant struggle (jihad) against non-Muslims. The women and their families have repeatedly been the objects of death threats since the attack. Most recently, Ashiq Masih, an uncle of one of the women, was stopped by the side of the road by four masked men on October 9. He was taken from his car and brutally beaten with the warning that if he did not stop pursuing the legal case against the rapists, he would be killed. Those assisting the family with their legal action are also in danger, and so we would urge Christians from around the world to fervently pray for these women, their families, and their lawyers during this dangerous time. The Voice of the Martyrs has been involved in assisting these families in relocating to a safer place, but the danger remains. Pray, too, that justice would prevail and that God would provide the healing that these women so desperately need in their lives. *********************************** The Persecution & Prayer Alert is a ministry of The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada. (Mailing address: P.O. Box 117, Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario L5G 4L5) Tel. (905) 602-4832. E-mail: thevoice@... Website: http://www.persecution.net Jan Ross jross@... http://focusontheword.com ICQ#18767082 "Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalayim" (Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem) Psalm 122:6 ~*~*~*~*~*~* Focus On the Word Banner Exchange--Sign Up Today and Receive 2,500 Free Credits http://focusontheword.com/banex