February 2023 Persecution Magazine

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Front Lines of Ministry A DEEP DIVE INTO THE LIVES OF CHURCH PLANTERS AND PASTORS P A S T O R M U K H T A R : A Martyr for Christ in Pakistan BY JEFF KING 8 <strong>Persecution</strong> | FEBRUARY <strong>2023</strong>
When I think of struggling persecuted Christians, I think of Mrs. Mukhtar. She was married to a pastor in Pakistan, a man who was incredibly bold for Christ. In Pastor Mukhtar’s neighborhood, people heard the Muslim call to prayer five times a day from minarets atop the local mosques. Not to be outdone, Pastor Mukhtar installed a loudspeaker on the roof of his church. He planned to broadcast short prayers and sections of Scripture to the neighborhood. Pastor Mukhtar wasn’t some obnoxious rebel with a microphone. He had a great love for Muslims and was a compelling witness; many Muslims came to Christ because of his outreach. His deep love for Muslims and his success in winning Muslims to Christ deeply bothered his Muslim neighbors, earning him many enemies. In fact, his effectiveness was practically a death sentence. “DON’T WORRY” Strangers began to arrive at Mukhtar’s door to politely warn him against witnessing. Over time, the threats grew less subtle. He was told that he would pay with his life if he did not stop converting Muslims to Christianity. After each visit, his wife asked him, “Who were those people, and what did they want?” Pastor Mukhtar kept these threats from his wife so that she wouldn’t be afraid. He would answer by saying things like, “Don’t worry, dear, it was only business.” Despite the threats, Pastor Mukhtar couldn’t stop. God had revealed to him the key to life. He had to share that key with all those still imprisoned. Threats couldn’t stop him, even when his enemies offered to let him live if he would only stop preaching and allow the prisoners around him to quietly rot in prison. But Pastor Mukhtar could not accept such a small bribe. His deep love for the Father and for the prisoners around him forced him to keep going no matter the cost. ASSASSINATED Pastor Mukhtar was eventually assassinated. His murder was highly publicized. His widow feared that the men who killed her husband would one day return and silence her as well. After his assassination, state security services forbade her from speaking with foreigners. These restrictions applied to us, so we met with her in secret. MRS. MUKHTAR When I met Mrs. Mukhtar, I was suffering from extreme jet lag and exhaustion after extensive travel. But I was there to find out how I could help her rebuild her life after the tragic loss of her husband, so I was eager to meet with her. Mrs. Mukhtar had six children, including several older daughters at home. In Muslim culture, a girl without a father is vulnerable, so daughters stay with the family until they marry. The stress of losing her husband and carrying the load of a large family left her shell-shocked. But Mrs. Mukhtar was stoic as she recounted the details of her living nightmare. From the outside, there was no sign that tragedy had engulfed her life just a few weeks earlier. Her lack of any outward emotion made it hard for me to relate to her at first. When I meet someone’s unvarnished pain, I tend to respond with empathy. If I see a person’s tragedy and their sorrows, hurts, and scars, I share in their suffering. So, while listening to her PERSECUTION.ORG 9
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February 2023 Persecution Magazine

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