June 2023 Persecution Magazine

TH E RISKY
BUSINESS OF
TEACH I NG
CH RISTIAN ITY
MURAD’S MISSION TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL TO THE
NEXT GENERATION IN PAKISTAN
Meet Murad, a man born
Hindu from northern
Pakistan who chose
to leave Hinduism to
follow Christ a decade ago. His decision
to convert was not an easy one, but he
believed in the transformative power
of Christ after hearing the gospel. It was
irresistible to stay silent.
With courage and determination, he
shared the gospel with his family, and
they also converted. Twelve families soon
followed in his footsteps.
Murad’s commitment to Christ led him to
start a school where he teaches Christian
values to his students – but not all of his
students are Christians. Out of the 35
students he teaches, only 12 are from
Christian families while 23 are from a
Hindu background.
But Murad’s work is not without its dangers.
Islam is the dominant religion in Pakistan,
and Muslims use archaic blasphemy laws
to punish Christians trying to live out
their faith. They claim blasphemy against
their Christian neighbors, which results in
beatings, arrests, and in too many cases,
the death penalty.
Still, Christ is alive in Pakistan, working
through the dedicated followers who
spread His message of love and peace.
People like Murad risk persecution
to teach the next generation about
Christ, ultimately breaking the cycle of
persecution and expanding the church in
Pakistan.
Most Christians living in Pakistan work
lowly jobs like laying bricks and cleaning
sewers. They don’t make enough to
send their children to school, so they are
condemned to follow in their parent’s
footsteps. Education is the surest way to
break the cycle. If more Christian youth
enter the workforce with skills, it would
be difficult to keep them isolated without
also suffering from their absence of talent.
This starts with the youngest children.
Murad knows that the children need
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Persecution | JUNE 2023