During his visit, Rachel met with leaders from diverse religious communities to promote dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. He noted the critical role Muslim community leaders play in fostering interfaith harmony and ensuring the protection of religious freedom for all.
Rachel identified several concerns regarding religious freedom, including Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which he said could provoke mob violence and lead to severe penalties, including imprisonment and the death sentence. He said accusations under these laws are sometimes made for personal or material motives, affecting even Muslims.
When asked about the biggest barriers to religious freedom, Rachel said:
“I’m worried about four areas. First, the sharp blasphemy laws: Even an accusation can trigger mob violence or lead to decades of imprisonment; blasphemy is also subject to the death penalty. Accusations are sometimes made for private or material interests. The fear of it affects even Muslims. Second, cases in which young Christian and Hindu girls are kidnapped, forced to convert and forcibly married. Thirdly, the constitution discriminates against members of the Ahmadiyya: they must not call themselves Muslims and their houses of worship as mosques. Fourth, many Christians and Hindus suffer from debt-like employment in bricks. Some families remain dependent for generations. This affects hundreds of thousands of people.”
He also highlighted cases of young Christian and Hindu girls being kidnapped, forcibly converted, and married, and mentioned the prevalence of debt bondage affecting many Christian and Hindu families, particularly in the brick industry, where indebtedness spans generations.
Rachel, who has been Germany’s commissioner for freedom of religion and belief since May 28, 2025, emphasized the importance of addressing religious freedom on an international scale and fostering cooperation between communities to uphold fundamental rights. His discussions in Pakistan reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to advocating for interfaith understanding and combating challenges to religious liberty.