The French Colony - Christians in Pakistan
2009-05-07
In central Islamabad, Pakistan, squeezed in between embassies and big villas, a couple of thousand christians live i a slum called The French Colony. The majority of the households lack basic things as electricity and water. Hygien is non existent and diseases common. The Government has promised to improve their situation, but no help is given.The christians, who make out around 3 percent of the population, are discriminated on all levels of society. The ones who manage to find a job must often provide for an entire family of up to 15 people. Sometimes more. The Christians clean the streets, drive taxi at night or clean and wash in rich muslim homes. Attacks on christians are common, churches have been bombed, but still people do not worry much. "We will all die one day, what can we do about it?" is a common answer. Maybe it's their faith, or maybe the things they have had to endure, but the people in the French Colony don't worry much about islamist radicalisation and the Talibans.
Photos by Anders Hansson.