Source: Qantara

Just like all Christians in Islamabad, 45-year-old Akram and his family celebrate “the night of the new moon” also known as “chand raat”, every year on 24 December. This year, Nusrat Sheikh joined him

“Happy Christmas!” – “Same to you” Akram Masih responds with a smile that makes his moustache bob up and down. Akram is 45 years old, married and the father of seven children. Like most of the residents of what is known as France Colony, he works as an assistant and cleaner at the Capital Development Authority, Islamabad’s local government authority in Pakistan.

It’s shortly before midnight and in the narrow, winding alleyways and uneven pathways of France Colony, a slum situated within a wealthy Islamabad district, a lively, cheerful atmosphere reigns. People are congratulating and hugging each other, some are warming themselves in the icy cold by the wood fire, as there is no gas here. The scent of sweet and hearty food wafts through the chilly air from kitchen fires.

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