Is there any difference between the drowned Syrian child and the Pakistani Christian children in Thailand? By Farrukh H.Saif

The western politicians are often criticized for not showing solidarity towards the persecuted Christians. Why should they be criticized and why should they have solidarity for poor Christians when there is no political or economic interest in doing so?

His Excellency Pope is alleged of not doing good enough for his persecuted Church as well. I would say why should Pope molest himself in worrying for the poor, powerless and people with zero influence who won´t bring him any media limelight and no publicity to his account.

What Western politicians and Pope do is right because this world moves at the fingertips of money, fame and power. Unluckily the Christians who are persecuted due to their faith cannot bring any of those valuable things to the western politicians and Pope. And that is why they deserve to be persecuted and killed. Their only crime is to love Christ and be His followers.

In September 2015 the images of a drowned Syrian Child moved hearts of the international community towards helping the refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq etc. Millions of refugees were taken in and on His Excellency Pope´s orders the doors of Churches across Europe were opened for providing them shelter. We Pakistani Christians in Thailand also keep soft corner towards the Syrian refugees, Our hearts also cried after seeing the images of that little innocent drowned child but today we would like to interrogate the western world, Pope and media; what is the difference between our children and that drowned child? Is the suffering of our children not equal to that child´s and his family´s suffering? Are our children not refugees? Are our children not living in a vulnerable and inhumane situation?

You may say; that child died and that’s why he deserved much attention but I would say; our children are also living corpse. In this age when they must enjoy their childhood they are living under the shadow of fear, they cannot play in parks freely neither they can speak loudly in their rooms as there is always the risk of being arrested by the Thai police for being illegal immigrants. Their childhood is lost; they become mature much earlier than they are supposed to be. Instead of smile there is a question mark on their faces which asks us; why can´t I go to school like other children? Why can´t I have good toys? Why can´t I eat good food with enough quantity like other children do?

Sanina Faisal, a 29 years old Pakistani Christian woman faced an unforgettable tragedy in her life when her 6 months old pre mature baby died inside her womb due to the hyper tension that she was facing for being an asylum seeker in Thailand. The constant fear of being arrested, hiding under the bed while there is a police raid outside and worries for the future of her child resulted in loss of her pregnancy or we can indirectly call that the murder of a child by the UNHCR and western community which abandoned him and his mother. Is this tragedy not same as the tragedy of Syrian child? No! Why? Just because there was no media involved in that case?

It is said that children are another face of angels because of their innocence and it is our duty to keep alive that innocence. Does that duty come to an end when it comes about Christian children? Should we ignore them just because they belong to Christianity? For being Christian they were not safe in their homeland Pakistan neither they are safe and protected now in countries like Thailand where they came with their parents with the hopes of being given a new life.

Right now more than 50 minor children are detained in Bangkok´s immigration detention center where they are being treated like criminals. Doesn´t the western community see this cruelty and the clear violation of the International Convention of Children´s Rights?

If we don´t raise the voice for these children´s rights today, their innocence and childhood will be lost somewhere behind those bars. On one hand Muslim refugee children are being given the equal rights in west as any other western born child and on the other hand the Pakistani Christian children are being abandoned and ignored due to their Christian identity.

In Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Let us be true Christians and act according to the Bible´s Word for saving these little innocent children in Bangkok. They need us. Don´t let their tears get dried. Don´t let their innocence get lost somewhere in the slums of Bangkok. Please do what you are capable of for saving them as they are part of the Kingdom of Christ. Please join your hands today with us in order to fight for the betterment of these Pakistani Christian children in Thailand.