Clement Shahbaz Bhatti
Clement Shahbaz Bhatti
Clement Shahbaz Bhatti was a Pakistani politician and the first Christian Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs. He was elected as a member of the National Assembly in 2008 for the Pakistan People's Party. Bhatti became the only Christian member of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's Cabinet on 2 November. On 2 March 2011, Bhatti was assassinated outside his mother's home by members of the Pakist
"… Bhatti’s martyrdom was not a political accident, but the expected result of a life lived in open defiance of intolerance. Yet […] his courage was not dramatic. It was the quiet, disciplined courage of someone who believed that every human being has irreplaceable dignity and that this belief requires action."
"My new appointment will create some protests and resentment by many Islamic extremists. But my struggle will continue, despite the difficulties and threats that I have received. My only aim is to defend fundamental rights, religious freedom and the life of Christians and other religious minorities. I am prepared for any sacrifice for this mission, which I carry out with the spirit of a servant of God. I thank all those who have prayed for me and supported me. I am receiving many messages of support from Pakistan and around the world."
