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Pakistan is a beautiful country, and offers a great variety
of vistas which range from some of the highest mountains
of the world, to fertile plains and arid deserts.
The work
of The Bible Society in Pakistan began in 1863. In recent
years they have had to navigate the increasingly hostile
landscape of Pakistan with great wisdom and sensitivity.
Up to 97% of Pakistan’s population is Muslim, while only
2.5% (3.7 million) is Christian. They are one of the
largest Christian communities in any Muslim nation.
Christians have inherited the jobs of their lower caste
Hindu descendents and work mainly as cleaners, earning
a meagre $2.50 per day. More than half the Christian
population lives below the poverty line and they struggle
simply to survive.
Bibles are not illegal in Pakistan, but
they cannot be read in public. The Bible is made available
through stalls, festivals and Church events, however
many Christians are too poor to afford one. The Bible
Society produces Scripture Based literacy materials
which will enable people to learn God’s Word and
improve their reading skills. Children will learn the
Urdu alphabet using Bible Characters and verses.
All
donations towards Bike for Bibles events will go towards
New Reader Scriptures for the poor. Despite the
dominance of Islam, Christians are happy, joyful, and
generous people rich in faith.
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