tortured to death by militants, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said Friday, May 28.
CSW, which supports persecuted Christians, claimed that 32-year old Samuel Masih was hit by a police official with a brick cutter on his head in a hospital, where he received treatment of tuberculosis.
Masih got the disease during his 9 month detention in Lahore Central Jail where he was serving a sentence for allegedly throwing waste against the wall of a mosque, charges his family denies.
BEATEN UP
In fact he was beaten last August by a Muslim prayer leader and others in Lahore, and then handed over to the police, CSW said citing several sources. He was arrested on August 23, 2003 and held in Lahore Central Jail, where he remained until May 22 before being moved to the hospital.
The attack against him comes amid concern among human rights groups about the growing number of violent attacks against Christians and churches in the mainly Islamic nation.
Earlier in May news emerged that Christian Javed Anjum died as a result of torture by Islamic militants, and Christian leaders in Quetta, Baluchistan province, reportedly received threatening letters. One pastor, Wilson Fazal, was kidnapped and tortured, although he subsequently escaped, CSW claimed. Other Christians have reportedly gone into hiding.
Samuel Masih’s father, Emanuel, has urged Christians around the world to pray for him and his family, CSW reported in a newsletter received by BosNewsLife.
"WRONG ALLEGATION"
"I do not believe that he committed blasphemy," CSW quoted him as saying."It is a wrong allegation against my son. We were threatened and harassed and warned that if we will pursue his case, we will face dire consequences. That is why we were not pursuing his case. I am very much worried for my son. I want to see [him] alive. Kindly pray for his life," he stressed.
CSW said it has campaigned for the repeal of the blasphemy laws and praised last week’s speech on human rights by Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf, who called for a review of the legislation, which was introduced 20 years ago.
"However, he has so far stopped short of a full repeal and CSW has asked supporters to encourage him to take this step," the organization explained.
"Too many people have been killed, seriously injured, unjustly imprisoned or are living in fear in a climate of violence and intolerance as a result of these unjust laws," added Stuart Windsor, CSW’s National Director. "In the interests of creating a more tolerant, peaceful society in Pakistan, we call on the Government to repeal these laws. CSW will not stop campaigning until these discriminatory laws are repealed."
MORE CHRISTIANS ACCUSED
Besides Samuel Masih, other Christians accused of violating the controversial legislation include Tahir Iqbal, a Christian convert from Islam, who was poisoned to death in jail in 1992 and Niamat Ahmer, a teacher, poet and writer, who was murdered by extremists in the same year on charges of blasphemy, CSW said.
Also in 1992 Bantu Masih, aged 80, was stabbed and killed in the presence of the police in and Mukhtar Masih, 50, was tortured to death in police custody. In 1994, the 12-year old Salamat Masih, Manzoor Masih, 37 and Rehmat Masih, 42, died when they were fired on in front of the Lahore High Court by extremists, after they had been acquitted of blasphemy, CSW reported.
One of the judges in that trial, Arif Iqbal Bhatti, was later murdered. CSW suggested that the violence has been encouraged by officials such as the Senior Judge of Lahore High Court, Justice Nazir Akhtar. He has been quoted as saying that "it is a religious obligation to kill the blasphemer on the spot without trial".
CSW said these sentiments "illustrate how dangerous the climate is in Pakistan under this law. The Government and police have failed to protect those accused, and the law has only led to an increase in religious intolerance and violence."
