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What started as two boys teasing each other has become a cry for the death penalty. Adil and Simon joked that the other couldn’t punch hard; that they were no Muhammed Ali, but a dog. A passing police officer misheard the conversation as an attack on the prophet Muhammed. Soon, an angry mob showed up outside the boy’s home. Officers arrived and arrested both Adil and Simon—even after pleas from Simon’s mother to show mercy.
Adil has since made bail and been released from prison.
“The situation is very delicate and tense. I am terrified. Anything can happen,” says Adil. He has separated himself from family and friends for their safety—and his own. “I haven’t even seen my mother since I have been out of jail. The mob is looking for me. I have been hiding.”
Weeks after the initial arrest, the police investigation found Simon guilty of blasphemy, but not Adil. Simon’s bail was denied and he remains imprisoned.
“We had to face a very tough time in jail,” says Adil. “Very derogative vocabulary was used by the fellow prisoners, and the quality of food was very bad.
“Simon was happy for me, that I was getting released, but he began to cry when I was about to leave. He said he would be left alone. I felt very sorry for him and encouraged him that we will continue to pray for him and that he, too, would soon be out on bail.”
However, mobs continue to gather and call for the death penalty for Simon, as well as Adil. Just days after Adil was released, a crowd of over a thousand gathered and said, “There is only one punishment for the one who has blasphemed against the Prophet, and that is to be beheaded.”
These brothers in Pakistan are in great need of our prayers. Let’s pray Psalm 91:4 over them, that they will be covered by the Lord and find true refuge in Him.
Father God, we think of Simon and Adil. We can’t even begin to fathom the situation they’re in. First, we pray for Adil’s safety, that he will remain free and be protected physically and spiritually. We think of our dear brother Simon, who is only 13-years-old and unjustly behind bars. We ask You to cover him, that he will find unending refuge in You; we boldly pray for his immediate release and reunion with his mother. And we pray for those who are protesting and demanding blood. Jesus, fill their hearts with mercy and compassion. Overcome their evil with good. Let them feel Your light and be transformed by it. Hear our prayers, Lord. Amen.
*Photo above: A mob gathered to protest Adil, a persecuted Christian in Pakistan.
About The Author
Tim Dustin is a staff writer for Global Christian Relief, a nonprofit Christian ministry whose mission it is to amplify the voices of Christian persecution and help vulnerable believers so they can spread the gospel and advance the Great Commission. You can learn more by visiting our website at GlobalChristianRelief.org.
