Christians sent home as Taliban are given asylum

BY BESS TWISTON-DAVIES
A SENIOR Catholic politician has attacked'the Home Office for allowing former Taliban fighters to stay in Britain but rejecting asylum pleas from Pakistani Christians who face death and imprisonment if returned home.
The Home Office has rejected pleas for asylum in Britain from four Pakistani Christians while allowing exTaliban fighters to stay.
Ann Widdecombe, MP for Maidstone and the Weald, said: "It does seem to be the most amazing order of priorities.
"It seems outrageous that ex-Taliban fighters who have shed British blood are allowed to stay in Britain. We know Christians are being persecuted for their faith in Pakistan yet it is fine for Christians, who have the faith of the established Church in this country, to be thrown out."
Miss Widdecomhe's comments were echoed by Nati!' Saeed, the director of the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), a London and Lahore-based charity helping Pakistan's Christian minority.
He said: "No one wants to know of the plight of Christians."
He is campaigning on behalf of Naeem Pasha, one of 100 Christians from Pakistan seeking asylum in Britain. A 40 year-old convert to Christianity, Mr Pasha's finger was sliced off by Islamic extremists in Pakistan. The Home Office have ordered him back to Pakistan where he faces imprisonment and death, under the terms of Pakistan's strict blasphemy law, Churches both in Britain and Pakistan have begged the British Government to allow Mr Pasha to remain here, "Pasha's church in Pakistan has written a letter explaining he will be persecuted if he goes back home. Pasha's church in London have also written a letter testifying Pasha is a regular worshipper. What more do the Home Office need?" said Mr Saeed, who is filing a human rights appeal against the Home Office decision on Mr Pasha.
In a letter au Mr Pasha's case, the Home Office states that Christians are safe in Paldstan, an Islamic state since 1973.
"It is believed that the majority of Christians are free to practise their religion without interference or harassment by the authorities," stated the letter, although acknowledging that "in certain instances individual Christians in Pakistan have experienced difficulties, mainly instigated by religious extremists".
The letter then refers to a recent ban on extremist groups by General Pervez Musharraf, the country's president, saying: "The Government has taken recent steps to curb religious extremism and address the intimidation of religious minoritieS."
But Mr Saeed responded: The President may have put a ban on a number of fundamentalist groups, but he hasn't been able to stop their activities. They are still carrying them out. For example, there was an attack on the diocesan peace commission in Karachi after his ban.
"The State has given the Church a police guard an Sundays at Masses but this is not enough. If there is no threat to Christians' why are the police guarding churches?
"The Home Office say that according to the constitution we have equal rights. However, according to the constitution, a Christian cannot be prime minister and it is written in the constitution that Christians cannot be head of any organisation. The Home Office appears to think there is religious freedom but openly you cannot confess your faith. We can't say that Christ is the Son of God in public. To do so is to be charged with blasphemy."
The Home Office stated that Mr Pa.sha had provided "false information" to obtain a visitor's visa to the United Kingdom.
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