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IN ALL OF PAKISTAN, I was one of only two Christian lecturers in mathematics. I thank the Lord, for by his grace I shared my faith with every Muslim in the university, whosoever was interested to hear the word of God. But in 1986 the government of Pakistan passed a blasphemy law, 295-C. Anybody charged under the law could be given life imprisonment or death by hanging.

On September 24, 1986, five senior professors of the College Council called me for investigation. They wanted me to convert to Islam. They told me it was a golden opportunity for me; otherwise anything could happen—meaning I could be killed by anybody. By that time I had been receiving open death threats. But I saw this investigation process as a golden opportunity to share the message of salvation with these professors. Hence I raised a question: “If I become a Muslim, please tell me who is the Savior in Islam? Because I know that there is NO other Savior apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

One of the professors responded by saying that Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, can save me. I showed from the Qur’an and Hadith that Muhammad had no assurance of his own salvation (Sura 46:9); so how can he save me or anybody else? On the other hand, Jesus said in John 14:6, “I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one can come to the Father, except through Me.” I explained this verse to them and encouraged them to accept Jesus as their Lord and savior.

The professors did not like my response and filed a blasphemy case against me. The next day they organized all the students to boycott my classes and set up demonstrations on roads. Some friends warned me to leave my house immediately; otherwise I would be killed. So I went into hiding. A mob of more than 5,000 students, many with pistols and daggers, were searching for me.

Because it was the first case of this nature, it got much publicity. A lot of Christians prayed and fasted on my behalf; some were also protesting on roads. By God’s grace I escaped the city and went into hiding from police and radical Muslims.

[A meeting was arranged with the president of Pakistan through the intervention of 150 Christian leaders.] The president responded that he could not cancel the case, since it was the first case under the law he had initiated. However, he promised to delay it.

After that meeting there was no more police hunting, but I had to hide for almost 10 months. Finally in 1987 I fled from Pakistan and came to Australia.

In Australia I taught mathematics at the University of Queensland and continued to reason with Muslims about the true nature of Islam and the good news of Jesus. As a result the Islamic Council of Victoria took me to court to keep me quiet. They won the case in the Tribunal in Victoria, but I thank God that we won in the Supreme Court. The greater victory was freedom of speech—the right to tell the truth.

By Daniel Scot

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