A People Betrayed: The Impact of Islamisation on the Christian Community in Pakistan

In its literal Persian translation Pakistan means Land of the Pure. When Pakistan was created in 1947 there were high hopes for this new nation, as there was a clean slate to start from. It was the first nation in modern times to be formed on the basis of religion, with a solidly secular, Western style constitution. Pakistan was not a nation that seemed susceptible to the pressure of Islamic fundamentalism. As the years passed it became increasingly clear that there was a process of creeping Islamization. This ostensibly secular state now has a mandatory death sentence for crimes defiling the name of the Prophet Muhammad. A state formed with the intention of protecting religious minorities from persecution has seen the persecution of its own minorities gradually increase to the point where the Christian community is under intense pressure. This book is a thorough analysis of the Christian community in Pakistan. It reveals a gradual shift in the Pakistani state, and is a clear warning to the West and minorities in other Muslim countries around the world of what can happen when conservative Islamic voices come to the fore.