There was a plea for Christians in the West to assist co-religionists currently experiencing persecution in Islamic countries, at yesterday's General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
Rev Dr Maqsood Kamil of the Gujranwala theological seminary in Pakistan, who is representing the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan at the General Assembly, said Christians in Islamic countries "are living in the most difficult time of history" and were "under great pressure and persecution".
In Pakistan, where Christians make up an estimated 2.5 per cent of the 160 million population - half of them Roman Catholic - the current regime has been much kinder to them than governments which preceded it, but now that "enlightened moderation is being looked on with disdain," he said.
"Fundamentalism and intolerance are growing," particularly so over the past few years. More women were covering themselves and Islamic symbols were becoming more prevalent.
"Islam is the most aggressive evangelistic faith on earth," he said, with "invitation and coercion applied to wipe out Christian minorities". Muslims believed their religion was superior to and had supplanted Judaism and Christianity, and that "everyone is supposed to be a Muslim. They also believe that if a Muslim succeeds in converting you, he/she will go straight to heaven," he said.
A Christian woman could be forced into marriage with a Muslim, even a married Christian woman, he said. But the persecution in Pakistan was predominantly psychological, though there was prevalent discrimination when it came to jobs.
He pleaded for support from fellow Christians in the West in erasing poverty and illiteracy among his people, saying "our greatest internal challenge is lack of leadership and proper administration." Muslims saw Christians in their countries as "spies" for the West, he said.