Asylum seeker who fled terrorist threats to be Kirk minister
A former asylum seeker who escaped the clutches of Islamic extremists is being ordained as a Church of Scotland minister today.
Raheel Arif, 47, is being inducted into Denny Old Parish Church linked with Haggs Parish Church in Falkirk, Stirlinghsire, becoming its first full-time minister for five-anda-half years.
Mr Arif, who was a vice-principal of a secondary school in Peshawar, Pakistan, and whose first jobs in Scotland included working in a shop and care home, said he was very excited about taking up this “wonderful and priceless ministry”.
Mrarifandhiswifehumaira and their daughter and son, Rhea, 16, and Roshaan,ten, fled to Scotland in 2011 after extremists threatened their lives because of their faith.
Mr Arif said a plot was mounted against him and his conspirators tried to have him arrested for blasphemy.
Mr Arif took his family to Grangemouth to visit his cousin Rev Aftab Gohar, minister of Abbotsgrange Parish Church, in 2011 to lie low.
Butonhisreturntopeshawar two months later it became clear his life was in danger so they decided to return to Scotland and seek asylum.
Mr Arif, who grew up in a Christian family and was involved in mission work, said: “We had a nice home and my wife and I both had good jobs but extremists kept threatening us. At first the threats were only directed at me and I thought things would calm down in time.
“But when people came to my house and threatened my family I knew that we had to leave. I had heard the stories of how non-muslims were killed by extremists– butchered with their bodies put in sacks and thrown in fields.”
Mr Arif said the family applied for asylum on arrival in Glasgow and 18 months later were granted refugee status and leave to remain for five years which has been extended to indefinite leave to remain.
He enrolled in Highland Theological College in Dingwall in 2015 to study theology as a distance learning student and graduated last year.
Mr Arif, carried out his 15 month probation at Zetland Parish Church in Grangemouth under the tutelage of Rev Alison Meikle.
Mrs Arif, 40, works as a parttime learning support assistant in a local primary school, said: “I am excited and very proud of Raheel,” she said.
Jim Thomson, session clerk at Denny Old Parish Church, said: “The congregation is absolutely delighted and over the moon to be getting a young and energetic minister.”