我是来自巴基斯坦的Paul Maqsood。我出生在基督教家庭，但真正认识耶稣时已经是个少年。当我开始读圣经时，就对自己说要过圣经所指引的生活。那时我感到内心有烈火燃烧，我想为上主做点什么，很想在我的社群里面帮助其他的信徒。
我们居住的四周没有教会，而我父亲坐拥很多土地，于是我请求父亲捐出土地让我们兴建教会。事成了我就向政府申请注册，开始兴建教会的工程。当地的穆斯林听到消息之后，有约4,000至5,000人蜂涌而至，不断殴打我，直到我陷入昏迷，才将我抛在教会前面。
父亲因此非常担心，劝我逃亡去香港。为了我的人身安全，我在2002年来到香港，可是父亲在3年后变得非常虚弱，希望我能回巴基斯坦见他最后一面。我顺利回到巴基斯坦，送别了我的父亲。那时我在老家遇上一个女孩，我们相爱并在2006年结婚建立家庭。在上主的提醒之下，我在2007年再度向政府申请注册，在区内重新开展教会。不出所料，又有一群流氓来攻击我，把我嘴里每一只牙齿都打碎，连我的膝盖都碎掉了。那次袭击过于猛烈，我什至无法反应过来去保护自己。再一次，于2009年，我离开巴基斯坦。
我感谢香港政府为我所做的，尤其是我初来乍到的时候。在这里生活了超过14年，我一直希望某种程度上，事情能对我和其他寻求庇护者变得更正常。租金和食物价格不断上涨，单靠政府给我们的津贴过活一点都不容易。这些年来租金持续上升，可是难民身份又不准我们工作，用每月1,500元的房屋准贴找地方住实在是不可能的任务。我们只准在百佳购买食物，可是大型超市的价格远超小店。就算我在其他地方找到便宜一点的东西，我也不能用政府给予的食物卡购买。我还要每星期去屯门入境处报到，车费津贴是有的，但每月只有200元，而我每次来回屯门的车费超过30元。我不会有馀钱买质量好一点的衣服、鞋子或衞生用品。
作为一个巴基斯坦人，在香港生活总是有点困难。有些人、尤其年长一点的对我十分友善，可能因为我驾驭了些少广东话，让我能在公园跟他们沟通。可是，年轻人好像不太懂得怎样跟我相处，他们有些人会做出不尊重的行为。像我乘港铁的时候，没有人会坐在我旁边。我不知道他们是怕了我，还是他们觉得我不应该存在。有些人看见我什至会用手捂着嘴巴，或发出厌恶的声音，好像我有十级体臭一样。我们不肮脏的，我们每天都会洗澡，但有些人令我觉得我们不是人。我不明白为何他们有这种想法。就算是有香港居民身份证的巴基斯坦人，也会遭受这些事情。我曾到过中国内地，内地人都懂得尊重我们，对我们更加友善。当然有些香港人认识我之后态度有所改变，因为他们发现我们一样都是人。虽然我有时受到不平等待遇，但我仍然相信要彼此相爱，所以我尝试不让那些难受的时刻侵占自己的脑袋，继续用爱与尊重去对待每一个人。
作者按：现时Paul投入参与服侍其他寻求庇护者，帮助他们寻找盼望和生命意义。他一步步实现服侍上主的初衷，帮助和关怀身边每一位邻舍。
My name is Paul Maqsood, I am from Pakistan. I was born a Christian but came to know Jesus when I was a teenager. I read the Bible and decided I want to live like the Bible teaches. I felt like a fire inside me and I want to do something for God in my Community to help the other Christians.
There was no church in my area and my father had a lot of land. I asked him to donate some land so we can build a church in my area. I registered my church with the government and started to build and when the Muslims in the area heard about me building a church, 4000 to 5000 people came and they started beating me until I was unconscious and then threw me in front of the church.
My father was very disturbed by all of this and told me to leave and go to Hong Kong. I came to Hong Kong in 2002 for fear of my life. In 2005 My father became very ill and wanted me to come back to Pakistan before he passed away. So I came back that year to see my father before he died. When I came back, I fell in love with a young girl and we married in 2006 and started a family. Inspired by God’s word, in 2007 I made another registration with the government to start a church in my area. Again a mob of people came and beat me, they broke every tooth in my mouth, broke my knee and it was so intense I couldn’t respond, to protect myself. I left Pakistan for fear of my life in 2009.
I appreciate what the Hong Kong government has done for me, especially in the beginning. Living here for over 14 years I have hoped somehow things could become more normal for me and other Asylum seekers. It is not easy to live on the allowance that we receive, especially as prices of housing and food have increased so much over the years. It is illegal for us to work, and with rising prices it is impossible to find a place to stay for 1500 HKD a month. We can only shop in Park N Shop for our food, the prices are more and more expensive in the big stores. I can find cheaper prices in other shops, but I can’t use the coupons in those shops. I am required to travel to Tuen Mun to register every week. I am given some money for transportation, but only 200HKD. It is more than $30 to get there and back home. I have no money to buy good clothes and shoes or hygiene items.
Living here as a Pakistani is a little difficult. Some people treat me nicely, especially the older people. I can speak some Cantonese and so I talk to the people sometimes in the parks. The younger people don’t know how to relate to me. Some of them misbehave and don’t treat me with respect. If I take a seat on the MTR, no one will want to sit next to me. I don’t know if they are afraid or they don’t like me being in Hong Kong, sometimes when they see us they put their hand over their mouth or they make a sound of discussed or like I am smelly. We are not dirty people, we shower every day, but it makes us feel like we are not people. I don’t know why they feel this way. Even those of us that have HK ID are treated in the same way. I have been to the mainland and the people there treat us with respect, they treat us much better. When I have gotten to know some local people, their attitude changes and they see that we are people just like them. I do believe we should love one another and even though I am treated, at times much differently, I try not to let it bother me and keep in my mind an attitude of love and respect to everyone I meet.
Author's Note: Paul is involved now in serving other asylum seekers, helping them find hope and purpose in life. He has always wanted to serve God in some way and has pursued that road, helping and caring for the “neighbors” around him.
