Pakistani Muslim Artist Converted to Christ and cured of Cancer

Pakistani Muslim Artist Converted
to Christ and cured of Cancer
AsiaNews tells a story of faith and hope from a country
where the religious minority is the victim of persecution and violence. Born and
raised in a wealthy Islamic family, a man decides to offer the sufferings of his
disease to Jesus and Mary. From an encounter with a nun and a pilgrimage comes
the push to convert. Today he creates statues and paintings to witness to the
Gospel.

تكبير الصورةتصغير الصورة معاينة الأبعاد الأصلية.


Islamabad (AsiaNews) "Since I
converted to Christ, my life is full of love and truth. Today I want to
contribute to the work of proclamation, painting and creating representations of
Christian statues of Jesus and Mary. It is a spiritual comfort after a radical
change. " This is what John Peter (names and places are fictitious to protect
people, ed) tells AsiaNews. The Pakistani artist converted to Christianity from
Islam and has faced years of persecution and difficulties of all kinds because
of his decision. Among others, stigma and violence from his family of origin -
Muslim - and serious diseases such as cancer and hepatitis B, from which he has
since recovered.

Born and raised in a wealthy and influential Sunni
Muslim family - his father was a landowner in Karachi (the southern province of
Sindh) - since his early years Sheikh Ilyas Ahmed was interested in
Christianity, he became friends with several young members of the religious
minority. Even before converting, he attended masses and liturgies during
special holidays.

The decisive encounter took place in 2010 during a long
period of hospitalization due to serious health problems. First a broken left
arm, then the discovery of a tumor and hepatitis B. He met Sister Maimal, a
missionary from Malaysia, who offered daily prayers for the sick and suffering.
Despite the expensive treatments paid for by his father, including a trip to
Dubai, his condition did not improve and he continued to suffer frequent and
serious relapses. After meeting with the religious sister, John Peter decided to
go on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady in Punjab, to seek the her grace in
the hope of healing and renew his promise to convert to Christianity.

On
his return he decided to abandon Islam and embrace faith in Jesus Christ. He was
baptized by the missionary priest Fr. James Francis in a church in the city and
changed his name. He remains steadfast in his purpose, despite the beatings,
abuse and humiliation inflicted by family members, who take him to witchdoctors
, convinced that he was under the influence of some mysterious spell. He bore
the humiliation with patience, aggravated by the disease that undermined his
health conditions. Finally, in December 2010, he managed to escape and find
shelter in the Punjab with some Christian families, who welcomed and comforted
him.

Over the past three years, he has succeeded in overcoming his
difficulties and sufferings of all kinds, with the help of the Gospel and the
comfort of faith in Christ. The pilgrimage to the Marian shrine also led to the
miracle of his being healed from cancer and hepatitis B, as confirmed recently
the doctors: "In September 2012, after the check-up, the doctors told me that I
was cured. Indeed I also stopped vomiting. God has heard all my prayers. I now
create statues and paintings, and I will live forever in the Church. And I pray
the Lord that all Pakistani Christians may be saved and promote the message of
peace and love as taught by Jesus Christ. "