Ali, raised in a Pakistani Muslim family, secretly converted to Christianity. “My family and I would go to Church for Sunday mass in secret,” he says. Soon, however, Ali’s beliefs were discovered.
“One day, Islamic fundamentalists armed with guns kidnapped me. They held me for hours. During this time they badly beat, kicked and punched me. They asked me many questions about my faith. They warned me not to adopt Christian thoughts. After that they threw me on the road. I tried to report the information to the police but they refused to take any legal action. Then I moved to another town.”
Ali and his family moved twice within Pakistan, but the death threats followed them. Eventually, they knew they had to leave Pakistan for good. “We were compelled to exile for survival, with empty hands. We were strangers to everyone in Thailand. We had to present our matter in legal form to seek a proper legal remedy, but we were not able to seek legal consultation with empty hands.” When Ali found Asylum Access, he and his family could finally access the legal help they needed and obtain permission to remain in Thailand.
“Thank God we could reach AAT and get free legal aid. Lawyers and volunteer staff of AAT, working for human rights, received us with love and helping hands to assist us free of cost. May God bless all sponsors, lawyers, management staff, translators and all other volunteers working and supporting Asylum Access.”