MURREE, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on Monday, September 28, 2009, Islamists attacked the home of a Christian family in Murree, a town near the Pakistan capital of Islamabad, for refusing to convert to Islam.

“Rafiq Mashi Bhatti and his family had lived in peace and harmony with their Muslim neighbors for years. However, in the past few months, they received anonymous phone calls and letters warning them to convert to Islam, leave their home or die,” said an ICC spokesperson.

ICC, which is based in Washington, DC, stated that the threatening letters were inscribed with verses from the Qur’an, including Sura 5: 51 which reads, “O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends...”

In one of the letters, the Christian family was told, “You Christians are agents of US led forces…Therefore it is our religious duty to wipe out all Christians from Islamic Holy land of Pakistan.”

The family reported the death threats to the police but the police were unable to prevent the attack. The police are investigating the attack but the unknown assailants remain at large.

ICC’s Jonathan Racho said, “This latest attack once again highlights the insecurity that Pakistani Christians are living with. Despite promises to protect Christians, they continue to face attacks in Pakistan. We urge Pakistan to fully investigate the attack against Rafiq and his family and bring the perpetrators to justice. We call upon Pakistani police to protect Rafiq and his family from further violence.”

ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. Its website is at: www.persecution.org.

Dan Wooding, 68, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 46 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC., and now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on UCB UK and Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding is the author of some 43 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, also recently released “God’s Ambassadors in Japan” which is available at amazon.com.