POC 20 Shahid Haroon family
Ex-Muslim Family at Risk
Our family:
- Shahid Haroon (Former Name: Ghulam Mustafa) – August 21, 1979 (Self)
- Rubina Malik – March 3, 1982 (Wife)
- Marina Malik – January 16, 2011 (Daughter)
- Paulen Ashley Malik – December 21, 2014 (Daughter)
- Brock Rafhey Malik – September 12, 2016 (Son)
- Priscilla Hurab Malik – December 7, 2021 (Daughter)
Arrived as refugees in Bangkok: May 16, 2024
Refugee Status: “Refused” by UNHCR
Details on gaining Refugee Status is here.
From Islam to Christianity: A Dangerous Path to Freedom
Shahid Haroon, originally named Ghulam Mustafa, was born into a devout Muslim family in Multan, Pakistan. After converting to Christianity in 2001, he faced severe persecution from his family and community, ultimately forcing him to flee his home. Shahid’s conversion began after reading the Bible, which he received from a Christian friend, Akram Marhata. Despite initial resistance from his family, Shahid left home and moved to Karachi, where he found work and continued his Christian faith. He was baptized in 2003 and later married Rubina Malik, a Christian woman, with whom he had four children.
Shahid’s life in Pakistan was marked by constant fear and threats from his family, particularly his brother Ghulam Murtaza, who was a captain in the Pakistan Army and associated with Sunni Tehreek, a radical Islamic group. In December 2022, Murtaza discovered Shahid’s whereabouts and began threatening him, declaring that apostasy (leaving Islam) is punishable by death under Islamic law. Fearing for his family’s safety, Shahid and his wife initially fled to Thailand in April 2023 but returned to Pakistan due to financial difficulties.
However, the threats continued, and in February 2024, Murtaza tracked Shahid down again, leading to a violent attack on their home in Rawalpindi by over 100 members of Sunni Tehreek. Shahid’s daughter, Marina, was beaten during the attack, and the family was forced to go into hiding. With the help of a pastor, Shahid and his family obtained new passports and fled to Thailand in May 2024, seeking international protection from the ongoing persecution they faced as Christians in Pakistan.
Shahid’s statement highlights the dangers faced by converts from Islam to Christianity in Pakistan, where apostasy is punishable by death under Islamic law, and radical groups like Sunni Tehreek actively hunt down and threaten those who leave Islam.
More information…
Shahid Haroo — Detailed Statement
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First published: 2025/08/01/
Latest revision: 2025/09/15/