strict legislation died Friday, May 28 in the Lahore hospital where he was beaten into a coma by one of the policemen assigned to guard him, human rights group The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) said.
Several human rights groups have quoted the guard, a Muslim, as telling investigators that it was "his religious duty, as a Muslim, to kill the Christian man "Samuel Masih." He reportedly said he was "spiritually satisfied and ready to face the consequences," VOM added.
VOM Spokesman Todd Nettleton suggested that Masih’s killing underscored concern about rapidly spreading anti Christian violence in the area. "This is another example of the danger our brothers and sisters in Pakistan face every day," he said in a statement to BosNewsLife.
The death of 32-year old Masih came only weeks after another young Christian man, Javed Anjum, reportedly died as a result of torture by Islamic militants while Christian leaders in Quetta, Baluchistan province, apparently received threatening letters.
One pastor, Wilson Fazal, was kidnapped and tortured, although he subsequently escaped, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) claimed. Other Christians have reportedly gone into hiding, as Islamic violence spreads throughout the country, several human rights groups say.
VOM reported that Masih’s body had been taken to the Cathedral Church Lahore and that his funeral and burial was expected early Saturday, May 29, amid rising tensions. Local Police, which reportedly was involved in the beating of Masih, apparently pressured church leaders to hold the funeral even earlier, but believers refused, VOM said.
Before he was beaten on May 24 by a police official with a brick cutter on his head, Masih had spend only two days in the 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, CSW said.
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.
Samuel Masih’s father, Emanuel, said earlier that his son had not committed blasphemy. "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," his father was quoted as saying by CSW.
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."
