The transformation of "Patras Paul" from Imam to disciple of Jesus Christ

The life story of "Paul of Patras" tells the story of his transformation from a congregational leader to a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Patras Paul, known as Peter Paul, was a Muslim imam who converted to Christianity. He was born in 1968 in a poor neighborhood in Pakistan to a devout Sunni family. In 2000, when he was 32, he became a Quran reciter and was also appointed as the imam of a mosque. He traveled to various cities in Pakistan to preach Islam, but in 2003, he began to have doubts about his beliefs.

Peter, who has now become a disciple of Jesus Christ, lives in a secret place in Pakistan due to the many hardships and persecutions he has faced. He recently met with Asia News reporter Stephen George and tells him about his adventurous life.

He tells Stefan about his life: “It was the week of Eid al-Adha, and I was reading the story of the sacrifice of Abraham and Ishmael. The Quran says that Abraham closed his eyes and cut the throat of Ishmael, but when he opened his eyes, a lamb had been sacrificed. The question arose in my mind: Where did this lamb come from? This lamb was greater than Ishmael, who sacrificed his life for him. The search for the answer led me to the Bible, a book a friend had given me. There I came across the words of John: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16) and “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). I secretly accepted Jesus as my Savior and began to read the Bible with enthusiasm. "From then on, I prayed only in the name of Jesus."

Since his faith in Jesus Christ was strengthened in 2005, he continued: “I was an imam in a mosque in Kashmir. In my heart, I followed two different faiths and asked God to show me the right path. One night, I heard a voice in my dream that said, ‘I am the way, I am the truth.’ Early in the morning, when I went to the mosque for the call to prayer, one of my students noticed that I was saying something else instead of the call to prayer. He accused me of blasphemy and, along with others, attacked me. They beat me with fists, kicks, and sticks, and eventually threw me in jail. I spent a year in jail.

"I experienced a miracle in prison, I felt inner strength, and my faith in Christ became stronger. On the first day in prison, an unknown person gave me clean clothes and supported me. Despite the dangers, Jesus was always with me."

Patras told of his wife's visit to the judge and how she was able to prove her innocence and secure Patras' release, but after her release from prison, life became much harder for her and her family. He said: "We were forced to leave our village because our family, friends and relatives became our enemies. On a cold winter night, my wife, I and my six children were left on the street without shelter or enough clothing. But our faith in Jesus kept us steadfast.

"We now live in a small house on the outskirts of the city and survive on the help of other Christians, but my greatest fear is for my three daughters, who may become victims of forced conversion or persecution. My only wish is that they remain steadfast in their faith in Jesus and share his message with others."

He spoke of other Muslim families who had secretly converted to Christianity but could not openly express their faith. Although he was attacked by Islamists again in 2020 for having a Bible and a Christian prayer book in his bag, he stated that he loved Jesus and believed that salvation was only possible through Jesus Christ.

Now Peter is determined to change his birth certificate, contrary to Pakistani law, in order to register his Christian identity and ensure security and freedom for himself and his family.

"The constitution of Pakistan guarantees freedom of religion, but in practice, it is impossible for Muslims to convert. Official policies and unwritten laws expose apostates to the risk of violence, threats, and even murder," says minority rights activist Joseph Jansen about this Muslim-majority country.