The one thing giving a desperate man hope

Despite a fatwah against him, Tan is being deported to Pakistan. His situation feels hopeless but the Bible means he's no longer worried.

When 29-year-old Tan from Pakistan came to the UK in 2013 to study IT, he saw his time here as full of ‘great opportunities’. He planned to study, return home to Pakistan and work in the computer industry. 

But one day he met a woman online. Her name was Sandra. She lived in Latvia. Night followed day and soon Tan and Sandra were married and living together in Britain. 

But Sandra asked Tan to convert to Christianity from Islam before their marriage. He did so. Then things started to change. ‘She asked me to traffic people illegally from Latvia to the UK,’ says Tan. ‘I refused.

‘She asked me to pretend to be disabled in order to get benefits. She forced me to go to the doctor’s with her and to get benefits. For me, all these things were rubbish.’

My Dad has taken a fatwah against me because I married a Christian lady and converted my religion

Four months after their marriage last year, Sandra left Tan. Last September he was detained having out-stayed his visa. Sitting in Heathrow’s Immigration Removal Centre, he weeps as he talks about never having seen the daughter who he knows he has fathered with Sandra. 

Worse than this is his fear of returning to Pakistan because of his conversion to Christianity.

‘I have had death threats,’ says Tan, who was formerly a Koranic teacher, ‘including from my family.  My Dad has taken a fatwah against me because I married a Christian lady and converted my religion.'

I meet Jesus in the pages of the Bible  

‘I know that my life is about to end. I’ve attempted suicide and I’m depressed and stressed. 

‘But my Bible is helping me. It’s in a language that I can understand very easily. I’m in a fairly hopeless situation, but I meet Jesus in the pages of the Bible. I can feel his support.

‘I’m not worried about my future anymore. I just want to be baptised. Then my sins will be gone. Even if I live just a few hours or a few days, I don’t care.’

Tan received a Bible thanks to our supporters. Find out more about our work in Heathrow’s Immigration Removal Centre.