By George Whitten, Worthy News Director
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON (Worthy News)-- Three Muslims beat a pastor and left him for dead in the village of Sanda Chistana, Pakistan, a Washington-based Christian human rights organization said Thursday, September 30.
International Christian Concern (ICC) said Patras Sani, pastor of the Church of God Ministries, was attacked September 21 while riding on a motorcycle when the Muslims hit him with a wooden rod to his face.
After being thrown off his motorcycle, they continued to assault him, ICC said. The pastor reportedly lost consciousness and they left him for dead. They also damaged his motorcycle and stole 3700 Pakistani Rupees ($43), according to rights activists.
Passersby found Sani and took him to Shrife hospital, Christians said.
PREACHING CONTINUES
"Even though we are beaten by radicals and we are persecuted by Muslims, we shouldn’t stop preaching the Word of God," Sani explained in remarks distributed by ICC.
However, "I am not afraid of persecution and I will continue to preach the Word of God. Many Muslims come to our meetings and receive healing and God is setting many hearts free," he said.
ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said his group is "deeply concerned with the ongoing attacks" against Christians in Pakistan. "We urge Pakistani officials to ensure the rights of Christian minorities in the country to worship freely."
The attack is the latest in a series of reported incidents against minority Christians in Pakistan, a heavily Muslim nation.