Martyr. Shahbaz Bhatti Memorial Fundraiser Dinner. March 3rd, 2023
International Christian Voice and its dedicated volunteers are happy to inform you that By God’s Grace Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti Memorial Fundraiser gala was a pleasant success, despite the unprecedented snow storm that night. Almost 275 out of the 320 expected guests braved the weather to honor the legacy of Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti and raise funds for International Christian Voice sponsorship and resettlement work for refugees and asylum seekers fleeing persecution for their faith. Guests consisting of Christian leaders from across the denominational spectrum, political representatives from various levels of government, along with diverse supporters from just about every community packed the prestigious Chateau Le Jardin venue to honor the Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti and help raise funds to sponsor yet another suffering Christian asylum seeker family from Thailand.Read More…..
Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti Memorial Fundraiser Dinner 2023
Dear Friends,
International Christian Voice is pleased to announce this year’s Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti Memorial Fundraiser dinner, is scheduled for Friday, March 3RD, 2023 at Chateau Le Jardin in Vaughan, ON.
We invite you to join us to remember the sacrifice of Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti. All proceeds will benefit to sponsor desperate Christian families fleeing persecution. Your participation and contribution will be greatly appreciated. Read More…..
International Christian Voice Christmas Dinner 2022
ICV welcomes Two more families to Canada
September21,2022 A contingent of International Christian Voice members, supporters, and members of the Countryside Mennonite Fellowship Church were present at Terminal 3 in the morning to welcome two refugee families to Canada, on the same flight from Thailand. Shahzad Daniel, his wife Nighat and three children and a single applicant, Danish Iftakhar, are sponsored by ICV and co-sponsored by the Countryside Mennonite Fellowship Church from Wallenstein, ON next to St. Jacob’s and Elmira.
Shahzad assisted with many administrative and humanitarian chores in Thailand on behalf of ICV. We hope that he will continue to use his talents to assist us in Canada. International Christian Voice is grateful to him for his past assistance and welcomes both families to Canada. We are also grateful to the Countryside Mennonite Fellowship Church for co-sponsoring both families and for undertaking the financial responsibility for their settlement and integration into Canada.
Shahbaz’s birthday celebrated on September 09, 2022
ICV Welcomes Stephen Aslam to Canada
ICV Welcomes Waris Shahou and family to Canada
After living for nine years under difficult circumstances as refugees in Thailand, after fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan, the Waris Shahou family of six were overjoyed as their plane touched down on Canadian soil this morning.
International Christian Voice, as their sponsor and co-sponsor, Rohail Massy were pleased to welcome them at the airport today and to wish them well on the first day of their new lives in Canada.
Please remember the Shahou family in your Prayers.
Two More Refugee Families Arrived in Toronto Canada.
International Christian Voice Welcomes their 7th Refugee Family of 2022.
June 17th International Christian Voice (ICV) was at the airport to welcome their 7th family of this year2022. It was a memorable day in the lives of refugee family, Sharoon Inayat, his wife and three children when they arrived at Pearson International from Malaysia. Welcoming them at the airport were ICV representative, brother-in-law, Shakeel Maqbool and nephew, Nabeel.
Peter Bhatti Awarded Sovereign Award June 5, 2022
Mr. Peter Bhatti was awarded the Sovereign Medal, a Canadian honor award for volunteers with a passion, dedication and commitment to Community service. The presentation was held on June 05, 2022 at a prestigious ceremony at the Agha Khan Museum Toronto, Canada.
The Sovereign award was presented by the Lieutenant Governor Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell on behalf of the Governor General of Canada. Peter Bhatti is one of the six volunteers presented with the award at the ceremony.
As founder and Chairman of International Christian voice along with his team of volunteers have brought public attention the plight of persecuted and vulnerable religious minorities in Pakistan. International Christian Voice activities include fundraising for refugee sponsorship; resettlement and assisting sponsored refugees successfully integrate into the Canadian cultural mosaic.
Congratulations Mr. Peter Bhatti, Bhatti family, ICV team of volunteers, Ministry partners, Financial Donors and the Community.
International Christian Voice Welcomes their First Refugee Family of 2022. This time from Sri Lanka.
10th Feb,2022. International Christian Voice was pleased to welcome their first refugee family of 2022. Zahid Masih and his wife Sana arrived at Toronto Pearson airport from Colombo and were welcomed by their cosponsors and ICV. They were very happy to finally be in Canada.
APPEAL SHAHBAZ BHATTI MEMORIAL FUNDRAISER 2022
International Christian Voice is a Canadian Charitable Organization and Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH). ICV serves to sponsor asylum seekers, who are victims of religious persecution and support their resettlement in Canada. Every year, in memory of the Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti, a memorial is celebrated in March to preserve his legacy. Funds are raised to sponsor one deserving refugee family to Canada. After much deliberation, in 2020, ICV identified GUL SHER MURAD and his FAMILY for sponsorship to Canada, but due to ongoing pandemic challenges there have been painful delays in the immigration process. Our own fundraising efforts were also severely impeded. ICV decided to support Gul Sher Murad, his wife and five minor children for sponsorship to Canada. Gul Sher has lived in exile in Thailand, in hiding, away from his family for the past decade.
Militant Islamists again on the march in Pakistan and Christians are marked for annihilation.
nternational Christian Voice, Canada (ICV) with great pain and sadness informs you of the targeted killing of Pastor William Siraj by Islamic militants in Peshawar, Pakistan. The armed assailants attacked as the two clergymen left on a motorcycle from All Saints Church in the city after the church service; the accompanying pastor, Revd. Patrick Naeem was wounded in the shooting.
All Saint’s Church is the same Church where in 2013 two suicide bombers carried out an attack killing 127 innocent Christian worshippers and injuring another 170. The victims of that horrific attack included 37 innocent children.
The sword of Damocles hangs over the heads of Pakistan’s minority faith citizens every minute of the day that they survive in their own country. The suffocation of religious minorities, physical violence, fear, and uncertain future in a growing intolerant Pakistan has made life for religious minority faiths a living hell.
Over and above the physical violence unleashed by the Islamists there is added fear of false blasphemy charges, denial of economic opportunities, segregated by the majority and shackled by State connivance to the bottom in menial sewer cleaning jobs.
International Christian Voice, Canada (ICV) strongly condemns the assassination of Pastor William Siraj and injured Revd. Patrick Naeem. We expect the law enforcement to apprehend the assailants, but, more importantly, we demand the State of Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan, its political and religious leaders to address the core national issue of rampant intolerance festering in the society at large.
International Christian Voice welcomes their second refugee family within a week. This time from Malaysia.
International Christian Voice welcomes Amer Tufail and family. Third refugee family.
After the COVID-19 induced “refugee drought” of 2020, it feels like IRCC has opened the floodgates in the last quarter of 2021.
By Grace of God this afternoon, International Christian Voice (ICV) representatives, for the third time in under three weeks, were present at the airport to welcome another ICV sponsored long-suffering refugee family to Canada.
It gladdens our hearts to give you more good news! IRCC has notified us that two other refugee families, sponsored by ICV in 2018, are scheduled to arrive in Canada from Bangkok, on November 26, 2021. Please pray for their successful transition and safe arrival.
Press Release: ICV Commemorates Pakistan National Minorities Day 2021
On August 11, 2021, International Christian Voice (ICV) held a virtual event commemorating the National Minorites Day of Pakistan in Canada to acknowledge to highlight the unflinching contribution of the Christian Community in the establishment, nation-building, and progress of Pakistan. Over one hundred participants joined in from Canada and across the globe from the US, UK, Italy, Netherland, Malaysia, Thailand, and Pakistan.
Our guest speakers who graciously honored our community included Federal Member of Parliament Hon. Ruby Sahota (Lib Party), Federal Member of Parliament Hon. Garnet Genus (PC Party shadow minister international development and Human Rights), Ms. Raheel Raza Canadian Journalist and Anti-Racism Activist, Allama Syed Sheryar Abdi an Islamic Scholar, Mohammad Amanullah Human Rights Activist in Australia, Mr. Waqar Gillani Pakistani Journalist Read More ….
Appeal to Save the life of Nurse Tabeeta Gill and her family.
Tabeeta Nazir Gill is a forty-seven-year-old mother of two boys, 14 and 13 yrs. of age. Her husband is fifty
years old. They were born and raised Christians in Pakistan and are rooted
in their faith.
Tabeeta has been falsely charged with Blasphemy under section 295C of the
Pakistan Penal Code punishable by death.
Nurse Tabeeta miraculously managed to narrowly escape the clutches of her
persecutors in Pakistan and is presently in hiding out of the country, subject
to deportation upon the expiry of the temporary visitor visa which would
result in her lengthy incarceration and possible violent death at the hands of
the religious extremists. Read More…..
Report on Killing of Christian Man in Faisalabad
Unreported by mainstream media the persecution of Christians continues unabated in Pakistan with no public outcry, no acknowledgement by any political leadership, no meaningful action by the police or civil administration of the country.
Life continues as normal, a Christians life seems meaningless to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
On June 17th, 2021, a young Christian boy named Shahzad Masih was brutally tortured and killed by influential local Muslims in a village # 437 near Samundri in District Faisalabad, Pakistan.
The boy was kidnapped, kept tied for three days, denied water, sexually abused and then inserted with fire extinguisher gas in his rectum and thrown in the field near his family home.(more…)
Press Release – Shahbaz Bhatti 10th Anniversary Commemoration Virtual Event
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021, International Christian Voice (Canada), in partnership with the Religious Freedom Institute (USA) and the Institute for Global Engagement (USA), hosted the Shahbaz Bhatti 10th Anniversary Commemoration Virtual Event. The event was held to honour the life and legacy of Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s first Christian cabinet minister and world-renowned champion of religious freedom, who was assassinated on March 2, 2011 for his courageous opposition of Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy law.
The event included the participation of Shahbaz Bhatti’s family members as well as religious and political leaders from around the world. More than forty video tributes were submitted – of which a select few were presented during the program – followed by a panel discussion on steps that can be taken to improve the state of religious minorities in Pakistan, as per Shahbaz Bhatti’s vision.Read more…
Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti Memorial Fundraiser 2021
ICV has identified Gul Sher Murad and his family for sponsorship to Canada in 2021
Every year, to commemorate Shahbaz’s Memorial and to continue his legacy, we raise funds to sponsor one deserving refugee family to Canada. After much deliberation, ICV has decided to support Gul Sher Murad, his wife and five minor children for sponsorship to Canada. Gul Sher has lived in exile, in hiding, under threat to his life, away from his family for the past decade. Gul Sher was the driver of then Federal Minority Minister, Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti, who was assassinated under a hail of bullets by Islamic religious terrorists. Gul Sher miraculously survived the horrific assassination of Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti on that fateful day. more…
ICV ReachOut Project
ICV has reached out and addressed a number of church congregations to raise awareness of the continued persecution of Christians and other religious Minorities in Pakistan.
ICV made presentations to Churches in Brampton, Toronto, Midland, Angus and Winnipeg to spread awareness on the harsh reality of religious persecution in Pakistan and in search of co-sponsors for the asylum seekers and refugees.
ICV Annual Celebration of Minority Day
International Christian Voice hosted and celebrated the annual Pakistan Minority Day, continuing in the footsteps of Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti, to forge interfaith harmony and highlight the role, contributions, sacrifices, hopes and aspirations of the religious minority citizens of Pakistan.
Canadian Members of Parliament, the Mayor of Brampton and Minority faith Members of Parliament from Pakistan graced the occasion
ICV’s Representation at Geneva Convention 2020
Mr. Peter Bhatti was invited to the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, to speak at the session, to high light the work and cause of International Christian Voice۔
He was also invited at a closed-door meeting with twelve country representatives, mainly western countries, to express the concerns of International Christian Voice and expectations from the representatives at the 43rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva (24 February – 20 March 2020.)
Brampton City Council proclaimed March 2nd as Religious Freedom Day in Brampton in honour of Shahbaz Bhatti, a Pakistani politician who was elected as a member of the National Assembly in 2008. He was the first Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs from November 2008 until his assassination on 2 March 2011 in Islamabad. He was a crusader for religious freedom in Pakistan. His family lives in Brampton and always had a special tie to Canada. He will always be a symbol of religious freedom. We were honoured to have his brother and my friend Peter Bhatti accept the proclamation today at City Hall.
Tribute to Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti
To gain more insight about the Life of Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti Click Here
Appeal to save the life of Nurse Tabeeta Gill and her family.
Tabeeta Nazir Gill is a forty-seven-year-old mother of two boys, 14 and 13 yrs. of age. Her husband is fifty
years old. They were born and raised Christians in Pakistan and are rooted
in their faith.
Tabeeta has been falsely charged with Blasphemy under section 295C of the
Pakistan Penal Code punishable by death.
Nurse Tabeeta miraculously managed to narrowly escape the clutches of her
persecutors in Pakistan and is presently in hiding out of the country, subject
to deportation upon the expiry of the temporary visitor visa which would
result in her lengthy incarceration and possible violent death at the hands of
the religious extremists. Read More