A Pakistani Christian reveals how she and her family were persecuted before becoming a refugee in America, a report says.
The Christian Post disclosed the story of a Pakistani Christian named Martha in celebration of World Refugee Day on Sunday. Martha fled her home in Pakistan out of "living in constant fear" and made the tough decision to leave as refugees in the United States. However, Martha had to suffer imprisonment in another foreign country before she and her family actually got to the United States.
Martha narrated to the Christian Post that her Christian son was married to a Muslim woman. The marriage angered the girl's family and hunted them down to be killed. Martha and her family had to flee from one city in Pakistan to another until they decided to leave the country for Thailand.
They were arrested when they--Martha, her husband, and her son--arrived in Thailand because they had no identification cards. This not to mention the problem with the difference in language. Martha regarded this moment as "very scary" since it lasted for an entire year and kept her from her other children.
After imprisonment, they--Martha, her youngest daughter, and her husband--were granted by the United States refugee status. This was in 2014 and providentially happened a week after her son came to the United States with his wife through the help of the United Nations.
Martha then became involved with the Georgia-based organization Peace of Thread that helps "women in vulnerable populations" to be empowered and employed through livelihood programs when she attained legal immigrant status in the United States. Martha currently makes handbags for the organization as her source of income from home as an offshoot of her livelihood of making clothes when she was in Pakistan.
The Christian Post added that the Peace of Thread provides women like Martha will skills training to get jobs and produce artisan bags, purses, and accessories from recycled materials. The organization also provides free ESL classes and medical care alongside access to counseling so that these women get the support they need in their transition to their new community and country.
A non-profit organization, Peace of Thread posted in their website in line with World Refugee Day a briefer on why people should care for refugees, as well as information on what differentiates refugees from terrorists and illegal immigrants.
"You should care because the scope of the suffering is greater than ever. You should care because President Biden has committed to admitting more refugees to the United States," Peace of Thread pointed out.
Peace of Thread cited that the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees said that global population for refugees have doubled in six years to 20.4 million in 2018 from 10.5 million in 2012 and current data registering to 26.3 million. The organization also pointed out that President Joe Biden has signified an increase to its commitment for refugees last month to 62,500.
"Journalist Nicole Narea explains that the real number settled this year will probably be significantly less due to the pandemic. Still, Biden's decision means that more refugees will become our neighbors," Peace of Thread stressed. "We'll see them in the carpool lane at school, in the checkout lines at the grocery store, and in our apartment complexes and subdivisions. When refugees are across the street instead of 'over there,' we'll have both the opportunity and obligation to help them."
Biden, as per the Christian Post, has increased the cap for refugees to 125,00 following condemnation from Christian progressive groups for announcing that he will keep former President Donald Trump's previous limit of 15,000.
The UNHCR said the World Refugee Day is celebrated every June 20 to "honor the more than 80 million people" who were forced to flee their home countries due to war, persecution, and violence to rebuild their lives. The UNHCR said there is a total of 82.4 million refugees on record living "across borders or within their own country" as of date.
