Banglore: August 7, 2006. Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) condemns Pakistani Muslims persecution and discriminations against Christians. Demands immediate intervention of UNHRC and other agencies to protect Christiansin in Pakistan The juggernaut of religious persecution continues to roll across the face of the globe. It appears that there is no society that is not affected. But some are more affected than others. The Religious minorities in Asia, the home of most of the world`s major religions, continue to be the most persecuted. India. Pakistan. China. The West Asian regions. All geographically home to the great world religions. But now hotspots of persecution. But when religion combines with ancient antipathies, the cocktail can be deadly. Witness the pogroms against Muslims and Christians, seen as Other not only by dint of religion but ideology and culture, in the Indian Subcontinent. And no, we are not talking only of India. Pakistan record in this regards is not of the best. Christians in the brick kilns of Pakistan`s Punjab continue to be at the receiving end of Religious, feudal and social exploitation. We have known of this for decades. But now we hear of severe discrimination even in Pakistan armed forces mess against Christians. On 5th June 2006, a thirsty construction worker, Nasir Ashraf, who quenched his thirst from a public water source with a common drinking glass chained to the tap was severely beaten, and suffered broken bones for the crime of `polluting` the glass with his touch. We are shocked, dismayed. The story was broken by the Pakistan Christian Post, a media effort of non-resident Pakistani Christians to highlight the situation of Christians in Pakistan. They say that the incident is one of several others, so it probably represernts the tip of the iceberg. The birth of the nation of Pakistan was in the context of the SO CALLED discrimination that leaders of the Muslim community perceived in undivided India. So the Muslims of Pakistan, of all people, should clearly understand what religious discrimination is all about. But ask the Christians of Pakistan what is their experience. They relate numerous experiences running back generations, of religious persecution. But his latest incident takes the cake – we have all heard of the upper castes in India continuing to practice untouchability to this day even though it is banned by law. But the Muslims? You tu, Brutus? Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) appeal to join us the activists interested in righting the wrongs of religious persecution anywhere, we call upon the vibrant Pakistani Human Rights community, the Organization of Islamic Countries, SAARC, and the international Human rights community, especially Amnesty International, to address this alarming report of the practice of enforcing untouchability practices with violence, even filtering down to the common people! The broken peopleof Pakistan needs support to live like Human beings.