Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Amjad Waryam
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000347B
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00:05 Welcome back to the Liberty insider
00:06 before the break with guest Amjad Waryam Alam, 00:11 a very interesting gentleman who has dedicated his life 00:15 to projecting his faith through singing, 00:19 through literature distribution, 00:21 and through direct witness through, 00:24 what we would call evangelistic top campaigns. 00:27 So I've been, I've been talking to you 00:29 and trying to set a backdrop 00:31 but what got my interest is as a Pakistani 00:34 or of Pakistani origin, 00:35 via way of Thailand and now to the US. 00:40 You've taken it 00:41 as a special responsibility of yours to go back 00:45 and to share with your fellow Pakistanis, 00:49 haven't you? 00:50 Yup, Lincoln, you know that 00:51 many people sometime don't know that 00:54 there are Christians in Pakistan. 00:56 We are minority, and there are about almost, 01:01 people are almost close to 5% Christians in Pakistan. 01:05 Of the population? Yeah. 01:06 What is the population of Pakistan? 01:07 You know how many million? 01:09 Well, it's heavily populated, 200 million almost. 01:12 Yes, absolutely. 01:13 It's lot of people. Large country. 01:15 Not as big as India next door, is it? 01:16 Yeah, India is bigger. 01:18 India, I think is the third, 01:19 the second largest population of the world, 01:21 isn't it, after China. 01:22 Pakistan is also heavily populated. 01:24 Pakistan, yeah. 01:26 So 5% of the population which is lot of people, 01:29 not a high percentage but a lot of people. 01:31 It's still lot of people. 01:32 And there are other minorities, even within Islam, 01:34 I know there are some interesting minorities 01:36 I've had on this program, 01:38 one of the leaders of the Ahmadiyya Muslims 01:41 who have a difficult time 01:43 with the mainstream Muslim community 01:46 because they are seen as sort of heretical. 01:49 Yeah, Pakistan, in Pakistan Christians still, 01:53 I feel they have a freedom, government has no problem. 01:57 we do have evangelism, we do have our churches. 02:00 Even, you know, 02:02 we have our Seventh-day Adventist hospital too, 02:04 if you see that. 02:05 In Karachi, isn't that? Oh, yeah. 02:07 Karachi Adventist hospital that's where I work, you know. 02:10 And that shows, you know, 02:12 that on a government level there is no problem, 02:15 you know, that we have freedom of having evangelist meetings 02:21 even outside in open grounds. 02:23 Well, you know, it's interesting you said that, 02:25 and I'm glad you did because many people 02:27 don't understand Pakistan 02:29 and I don't know half what you know as a Pakistani 02:32 but I'm fairly well informed generally. 02:34 And I know the history of how 02:37 the British raj was over that whole area 02:40 and now what is now Pakistan resulted from partition, 02:44 which was really a civil war that broke out 02:47 as they came toward independence. 02:48 But that the founder of Pakistan Jinnah, 02:52 he was a military guy as I remember, wasn't he? 02:55 He was a politician. 02:57 Mohammad Ali Jinnah, you know that president, 02:58 he was the first founder. 02:59 Yes, he that founded modern Pakistan, 03:01 his view was, yes, 03:03 that it would be a homeland for largely Islam, 03:07 but he wanted it to be a secular republic, didn't he? 03:11 And the government, 03:13 were not secular but the laws would be secular laws. 03:17 It's not Sharia law in Pakistan by many means, 03:20 it's a very western, even British style government, 03:27 and I know the courts are very much when I see them, 03:29 they function very much like the British courts. 03:32 So some of the aberrations that 03:34 the international community see out of Pakistan, 03:37 I think from societal agitation 03:40 not so much the government being a problem. 03:42 Yeah, government no problem and I feel that still it's, 03:48 some places, you know, you know, 03:51 you can go in a big city and you do evangelism, 03:57 you share Christ with no problem, 03:59 with no trouble. 04:01 Because I had recently had very open meetings 04:04 in the big grounds 04:06 and they had a big meeting 04:08 and as a matter of the on the 12th of November, 04:12 I was in Pakistan. 04:13 In 2016? 04:15 Yeah, 2016 and they had, you know, 04:18 huge crowd on actually, our founder guy 04:23 there's a Mohammed Ali Jinnah's ground, 04:25 you know, this was a big ground in Karachi. 04:27 And there was almost 04:29 close to one million people a huge, 04:32 you know, that set up was there. 04:34 And when I saw that police, army, 04:37 everybody was very supportive and, you know, 04:40 securing the area, and, we, 04:44 I had a praise and worship even on that stage. 04:48 And the title was "Standing in the Gap", 04:50 you know. 04:51 So this was a stage for that whole group? 04:54 Yeah, there was, choirs were there and... 04:56 Also it was many different groups 04:57 who were performing so you were included there? 04:59 Many different groups were there. 05:00 I was the leading gospel singer and for praise and worship. 05:03 And how may were in the audience you think? 05:06 Almost, you see, one million. 05:09 Incredible. Yeah. 05:10 And all sorts of people I see, 05:12 all religions and we didn't have any trouble, 05:16 we didn't have any problem. 05:17 And this was even surprising I could say, 05:22 or this was amazing for me, 05:24 you know, to see such a big crowd, you know. 05:27 I think God had His hand, you know, 05:30 protected this event, you know. 05:36 By my reading of Pakistan, some of the problems that we, 05:40 and they are real that we hear about 05:42 and some times write about in Liberty 05:44 are out in the small village 05:47 where people are not very aware of other belief systems. 05:51 They are not aware of how the larger world works, 05:54 and, you know, 05:56 on these very narrow prejudicial views 05:58 that are at work. 05:59 Of course, that can happen anywhere, 06:01 even in the United States, 06:02 you can go to Appalachia or somewhere... 06:03 Yeah. 06:05 You have answered this question. 06:06 In a closed community and... 06:07 You did that already because, see it's a country, 06:09 it's a big country, you know, and there is a problems are, 06:12 it can happen in United States, it can happen in Pakistan, 06:16 it can happen in India, you know that. 06:18 But also, but I think in the big cities 06:21 still there is a, there are, you know, 06:23 freedom, people are modern, they think about differently. 06:27 But I do believe 06:28 and I was sort of setting up for a question to you. 06:30 I do think with all of that said, 06:33 you do need to be especially careful in Pakistan 06:37 not to give offence to other beliefs 06:39 particularly Islam, right? 06:41 Yeah, you have to be careful. 06:42 But, of course, why would you do that? 06:44 Yeah, I think... 06:45 You are not in the business of offending people at all, 06:47 aren't you? 06:48 Yeah, sure, again religion is very sensitive, you know, 06:51 to everybody. 06:52 Everywhere there's a status statement... 06:54 Avoid religion and politics if you want to avoid arguments. 06:56 Yeah, and you know, we should respect and this, 06:59 you know, we should respect, 07:00 you know, their religion too, you know. 07:02 As we want, you know, Christianity be respected, 07:05 we should respect others. 07:07 And you know that even in the Bible, 07:09 the Word of God, it says, you know, 07:11 that we should be, you know, 07:14 respecting even the governments and the ruling. 07:17 Absolutely. 07:18 You know, government and also you know the people 07:22 who live in the country. 07:23 And that shows Christ likes spirit. 07:25 And that's the principle of religious liberty. 07:26 Yeah. 07:28 I have to defend the right of everyone 07:29 to believe whatever their conscience calls them to, 07:31 not necessarily for me to believe it, but I respect. 07:35 And more than that, I will fight for their right, 07:37 no matter what it takes to believe 07:39 something that I might not believe. 07:41 Yeah, you know... 07:43 You're putting that into action, 07:44 at the same time witnessing for the faith 07:46 that's made such a difference in your life, 07:48 you want other people to know about that, right? 07:51 Sometimes, you know, 07:52 there are challenges and there are people 07:55 who get involved and there are problems happen, 07:58 but generally, you know, 08:00 that things are still, you know, 08:03 that in a way that people are really 08:06 open to talk to each other. 08:08 Yeah. 08:12 What do you do in your campaign besides singing, 08:15 it's musical ministry, 08:16 you take sermons for one of the better word... 08:20 Yeah, sure. 08:21 I just want to tell you in about 08:24 when I came to United States, 08:25 the Lord gave me burden, you know, 08:26 that and I always wanted to have ministry 08:30 that can help people back in Pakistan. 08:33 So we develop this 08:34 "God of Life International Ministry" in that, 08:37 see we have a Bible center, 08:39 and in that center we teach sewing to students, 08:43 we also helping, they learn Bible, you know, 08:45 but they have classes, you know, 08:47 we should take, you know, 08:49 there is a poverty too, you know, 08:50 there is challenges in among Christian people too, you know, 08:53 so we teach them academic classes 08:55 and also the sewing classes where they can be, 08:58 also making respectful and comfortable 09:01 living for their family. 09:03 And plus they accept the Lord and you know, 09:05 this is important. 09:07 Good, oh, you're doing a wonderful ministry. 09:09 Thank you, sir. 09:11 I was just fishing for 09:12 what you do the aspects of singing, preaching, 09:16 do you give materials out? 09:17 Yeah, sure, we give this, you have this, you know, 09:20 that "God of life," but this is not God of... 09:23 But this is one of my album so we distribute free, 09:26 but we also, you know, give free Bibles 09:28 if whoever wants, you know. 09:30 Now, we didn't, on the little clip 09:32 that we played I didn't include your commentary, 09:34 but I notice you'd give a very devotional type 09:39 introduction to each song 09:40 which is really a mini, mini sermon. 09:43 Because, you know, 09:44 there are people do not understand the language 09:47 even in United States so they can enjoy my music, 09:50 so they see, actually you see, 09:51 actually this are actual Bible verses, 09:53 you know, they can. 09:55 Now one thing I don't, 09:56 I must admit as many years since I was in Pakistan, 09:57 I don't remember at being as India is. 10:02 In India in most places except in the smallest villages, 10:05 people will speak English 10:06 'cause that is the lingua franca of India. 10:10 Do you find the same in Pakistan? 10:11 Oh, yeah, language. 10:13 One thing you need to know, literacy rate is low, you know, 10:17 it's not everybody have education 10:19 because and English is our second language, you know, 10:24 the national language from 10:28 which we are all connected is Urdu language. 10:30 But other than that English 10:33 there are many people speak English 10:34 but it's not like United States 10:37 everybody has education up to high school. 10:40 But what I was getting at, 10:42 even in Pakistan this English introduction 10:44 would still have worked most times. 10:46 It's acceptable. No problem. 10:48 It wouldn't be seen as alien or as just be foreign. 10:50 Yeah. 10:51 So I put both title in English and Urdu, you know. 10:54 Okay. 10:55 So what are your ongoing plans with ministry, 10:59 do you go back regularly? 11:01 This is not a one time ministry, 11:03 you are on it for the long haul, right? 11:05 Yeah, I guess, 11:08 have this God of Life International Ministries 11:11 and we go and do evangelism in Pakistan. 11:14 And also my CD's and my, you know, 11:17 goes to India and people really liked it 11:20 and I'm so thankful for God and also people to responding 11:23 and as we share the Christ and we witness. 11:28 God bless you, as you watch us 11:32 on YouTube, or Facebook. 11:36 And also you know that you listen to our music. 11:41 Thank you so much. 11:43 A few years ago when I was a bit younger, 11:45 I can remember reading about a universal language 11:48 that they were developing. 11:49 I think it was called Esperanto. 11:52 It's didn't gone and have no consequence today. 11:56 But if there is a universal language 11:58 it must be music. 12:01 In the Bible, it says that 12:02 David was the sweet singer in Israel, 12:05 but music is endemic to every people, all cultures. 12:11 And I think those that are sharing truth, 12:14 sharing religious conviction, 12:16 when they use music as Amjad has done, 12:19 they are carrying a powerful tool. 12:22 And, of course, the gospel commission, 12:24 the gospel truth is sweet music to the soul. 12:28 And as I have discussed this dynamic 12:31 with our guest today, 12:32 I'm convinced that 12:34 we need to speak soothingly and calmingly 12:37 to many people about truth. 12:39 And if we don't use the musical notes, 12:42 we need to use the rhythm of nature of human emotions, 12:47 and communicate truth and freedom on a broader scale 12:51 that we are now doing. 12:53 That's the antidote to religious prejudice, 12:55 violence, and restriction. 12:59 For Liberty Insider, this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2017-04-03