Maimed Pakistani Now U.S. Citizen

Teresa Neumann : Aug 7, 2012
Susan Carroll – The Houston Chronicle

"I never thought I would be the person I am today, and it's all because of God and His people." -Julie Aftab

(Houston, TX)—Ten years ago, when Julie Aftab was only 16-years-old, a man came into the store where she worked in Pakistan and asked her if she was a Christian. When she replied that she was, he threw battery acid on her face, held her head back, and poured it down her throat as well.

Multiple reports noted that not only was her skin burned, but her esophagus as well. She also lost an eye and an ear in the attack. There was no justice or restitution that followed. In fact, Aftab's family was shunned and many hospitals in Pakistan would have nothing to do with her. (Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / © 2012 Houston Chronicle)

Enter the kindness of Americans.

A year after the attack, a Pakistani bishop helped see that the burned girl was granted asylum in the U.S. Once here, she was underwent multiple surgeries at the Shriners Hospital for Children.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Aftab built a new life with the support of a loyal host family and devoted church congregation. She graduated from high school, and later the University of Houston at Clear-Lake.

Today, Aftab is praising God for another milestone in her life. On July 31, with tears streaming down her face, she became a U.S. Citizen.

"This day means so much to me," she said. "I never thought I would be the person I am today, and it's all because of God and His people."