Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – False NGOs are raising funds by exploiting the plight of Christian refugees and spreading false information. This is what Fides has learned from Catholic sources in Pakistan's civil society, who have reported a case of "genuine profiteering from the suffering of Christians."
The NGO “Protect Foundation Pakistan,” based in Lahore, spent over a month making appeals and distributing photographic material calling for assistance to Christian flood refugees. "Christians are beaten and left to die without aid. We are the only ones there to help them. Help us to provide them with medical assistance and solidarity,” their appeals said. All of it was based on false information, merely an attempt to seize the moment to acquire funds. In just over a month, Nadeem Inayat, President, Basharat Masih, Vice-President of the NGO, saw their bank account rake in over 25,000 dollars from foreign donors in Europe and America, misled by the propaganda. They were ready to flee with the loot, gained at the expense of refugees. The work of the two did not escape the sight of some local NGOs working in the area, however, who reported the case to the authorities. Police launched an investigation and the trafficking of funds was blocked, the two were arrested, and “Protect Foundation Pakistan” has been declared illegal and banned from the country.
"Solidarity continues to be crucial for the nation. But, we must always rely on NGOs and institutions of clearly established credibility, transparency, and experience. There are some opportunists who try to filter into our world," Fides was told by Peter Jacob, Executive Secretary of the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Bishops' Conference. "Our Commission is helping 1,800 families in various provinces, providing medicines and humanitarian aid. Among the best-known and credible institutions are Caritas, linked to the Catholic Church in Pakistan, the NGO Church World Service, a reference point for the Protestant Christian world," advises Jacob.
Another alert has been raised from false reports that have circulated regarding the persecution of the Christians in Pakistan. There are in fact news agencies, based in the United States, part of the evangelical Protestant world, that are continually on the lookout for cases of anti-Christian violence. They encourage and even hire freelance reporters in Pakistan to find these stories, sometimes exaggerating them or inventing them from scratch. "Thus, at times the news about the persecutions are distorted. This above all causes harm to the Christians in Pakistan," notes Jacob. There is the recent case of a Christian family of Haripur (north of Islamabad), which according to circulating reports, was killed by Islamic extremists because the father of the family, Edwin Paul, was a lawyer who defended Christians accused of blasphemy. Local sources told Fides, however, that the whole family was the victim of a tragic car accident. Also, reports on recent anti-Christian attacks in the city of Gujrat (north of Lahore), note sources of Fides, have proven unreliable, merely copied from episodes that occurred more than a year ago. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 07/10/2010)
