A Pakistani Christian activist named Faraz Pervaiz, who is known for highlighting cases of religious persecution against minorities, has been getting Sarr Tann Se Juda (STSJ) threats from Islamic extremists residing in Pakistan.
Pervaiz, who has been living as a refugee in Thailand for 10 years now, spoke to OpIndia about the death threats, issued by the radical Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on dubious charges of blasphemy.
During a telephonic conversation, the activist informed, “I and my father Pervaiz Roshan had hosted a Twitter space discussion on 14th April 2024 during which we talked about the need for Christians, especially Pakistanis, to extend support to Israel in their fight against Hamas.”
“We also highlighted that Hamas is an Islamic terror outfit which has unleashed jihad against the Jewish nation of Israel,” he added. Faraz began receiving death threats from Islamists following the conclusion of the Twitter spaces.
The extremists accused him of insulting Prophet Muhammad, spreading ‘hatred’ against Muslims and mocking the tenets of Islam. Soon after, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) issued a fatwa to murder the Christian activist and his father for committing ‘blasphemy’.
The radical Islamist party also announced a reward of 20 million PKR (~ USD 72,180) for Muslims willing to travel to Thailand and murder the family of Faraz Pervaiz.
“On 26th April, I learnt that a fatwa for murder was issued by TLP. They printed the posters and pasted them in and around Christian colonies in various cities of Pakistan,” Faraz told OpIndia during the telephone conversation.
“Given that many Pakistanis believe that murder for avenging blasphemy brings shabaab (youthfulness/prime of manhood), I am scared that they would come to Thailand to kill me,” he lamented.
Faraz’s close confidantes in Pakistan have sent him over 50 images of the dreadful posters, asking ‘Prophet lovers’ to contact TLP and execute his murder.
Details of the fatwa by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan
OpIndia was able to obtain the English translation of the fatwa (originally written in Urdu) issued by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) against Faraz Pervaiz, his father Pervaiz Roshan, his younger brother Mukhzan Pervaiz and other family members.
“Bismillah Al-Rehman Al- Raheem. There is only one punishment for the blasphemer, Sever the head from the Body, Sever the head from The body. 20 Million Will be rewarded those who kill these blasphemers.
Every follower of Islam is a bearer of peace and order. Our young Muslim generation who study in Contemporary institutions, feel proud to understand Islam from the books and journals of Jews, Christians, polytheists and Orientalists and start spreading the problems and doubts raised by them Among Muslims, not them.
It is known that those people are the eternal enemies of our religion of Islam/Prophet of Islam and the holiest personalities and when they are influenced by them and will Make comments and analyzes in their own way, then it is obvious that they must stumble under the Temptation of evil forces.
Because the work of anti-religion, anti-religion and parent-free NGOs is to make Muslim boys and girls Have doubts and doubts about the religion of Islam and insult the holiest personalities, to make them Hate the religion of Islam. Express themselves, so that they can develop their agenda of anti-religion and They consider the social media as the easiest means of this, through which blasphemy, blasphemy of the Prophet (PBUH) or blasphemy of the Ahl al-Bayt and the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) are carried Out.
As this incident happened on 14th April 2024, the blasphemer Faraz Pervaiz and his father Pervaiz Roshan hosted space on X under the name of “Jihadi Muhammad” whose speaker was Pervaiz Roshan And the host Faraz Pervaiz. Both of them expressed strong hatred against Islam and made people hate Islam. They kept inciting Muslims, so that they could use their actions as an excuse to declare Islam and Muslims as terrorists.
They kept wondering about the ban on the rapid spread of Islam. So that the European class inclined towards Islam can stay away. It has been learned that both the bastards are in Thailand with their cursed family. These malicious and fearless people, including Faraz Parvaiz, Pervaiz Roshan, Mukhzan Pervaiz and all their family members are liable to be killed.
Prophet lovers who are in Thailand or Pakistan contact us immediately for visa and ticket. From: Muhammad Haroon Al-Rasool qadri, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan – (phone number attached).”
Pervaiz family was persecuted for not awarding Hafiz Saeed
During our telephonic conversation with Faraz Pervaiz, he narrated the circumstances that forced him to leave Pakistan and find refugee 3,596 km away in Thailand.
The activist and his father Roshan Pervaiz were associated with the ‘Hallelujah Evangelistic Association’ in Lahore. In June 2011, Roshan Pervaiz organised a cultural event named ‘Benazir Peace Award’ in collaboration with a local NGO (Save Humanity Organization).
The director of the NGO wanted Roshan Pervaiz to award the Peace Prize to terrorist and 26/11 mastermind Hafeez Saeed. When the father of the Christian activist refused to entertain such demands, he and his family received death threats from Islamic extremists.
Faraz Pervaiz informed that a Muslim mob ambushed their house a few days after the incident and brutally thrashed him and his father. The frenzied mob took them to a nearby police station where a First Information Report (FIR) was pre-filed based on dubious charges.
The life of a Christian minority in Pakistan
The Christian activist told OpIndia that his father Roshan Pervaiz had previously received threats for organising a “Gospel Music and Peace Award Show” in Lahore in October 2006.
The then Governor in Punjab had threatened him against preaching Christianity in the ‘land of the pure.’ The religious persecution of the Pervaiz family did not stop there.
Following an arson attack by Islamists in Joseph Colony of Lahore in 2013, Faraz Pervaiz visited the Christian neighbourhood to provide relief.
“A District Council Officer came up to me and told me to leave immediately. I remember him saying – I will burn you in this fire,” the Christian activist recounted.
The family of Pervaiz was attacked in June 2013, dragged to the Nishtar Police station in Lahore and falsely implicated in a blasphemy case. Faraz had to spend 6 months in detention before being released.
Life as a refugee in Thailand
Forced by circumstances, he bid adieu to Pakistan forever in April 2014. Despite staying away in far-flung Thailand, death threats from radical Islamists continue to haunt him.
In 2017, another attempt was made to implicate the Christian activist in a false blasphemy case. A year later, a reward of 10 million PKR (~USD 36090) was announced by Jama’at-ud-Da’wah (JuD) “for a Muslim who will kill Mr. Pervaiz”.
Doxxing and threats to murder Pervaiz family in Thailand followed in the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. “Revenge has no age, time or boundaries. It provocates immediately and its consequences are entirely dangerous,” Faraz said, adding that his family continues to live in fear.
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, STSJ and its influence in India
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), the extremist party that issued the fatwa against Faraz Pervaiz, was founded in 2015 by a notorious Islamic cleric named Khadim Hussain Rizvi (1955-2020).
During his lifetime, Rizvi launched several campaigns to preserve the draconian blasphemy laws in Pakistan. He was a follower of 19th-century Islamic preacher, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (the founder of the Barelvi sect).
TLP has been involved in several violent protests in Pakistan. They have killed law enforcement authorities and even coined the dangerous slogan of ‘Sarr Tann se Juda (beheading)’ for committing blasphemy (often described with Urdu terms such as ‘Toheen-e-Mazhab’ and ‘Gustaak-e-Rasool’).
TLP founder Khadim Hussain Rizvi has been the inspiration for several criminals, who committed murders of alleged blasphemers. In March 2019, a Muslim student named Khateeb Hussain stabbed his English Professor in Bahawalpur City of Pakistan after falsely accusing the latter of blasphemy.
“Hussain’s eagerness to take credit for the murder paints an alarming picture of a boy who was inspired by videos of preacher Khadim Hussain Rizvi and possibly radicalised through social media,” a report in Dawn stated.
In 2018, another student in Chārsadda town of Pakistan shot dead his school Principal after accusing him of committing blasphemy. “I committed this murder and I accepted it. It was ordered by God (Allah),” the unnamed student confessed. He had attended meetings conducted by TLP in 2017.
The war cry of ‘Sarr Tann se Juda (STSJ)’ has been weaponised by radical Islamists residing in India to orchestrate attacks against the Hindu community.
In November 2023, Lareb Hashmi attacked a 24-year-old Hindu bus conductor with a cleaver on allegations of ‘blasphemy’. He was inspired by the teachings of Khadim Hussain Rizvi.
Islamists have also killed Kamlesh Tiwari, Kanhaiya Lal, Kishan Bharwad and other Hindus in the name of ‘Gustaak-e-Rasool.’