The blasphemy laws in action

October 14, 2011 by SIOE admin 1 Comment

Fanish Robert Masih:

19-year Christian Boy Fanish Robert Masih, resident of village Jhethe Key, Distt Sialkot- Punjab Pakistan. He was arrested on 09th September, 2009 , accusers claimed that he had committed blasphemy. A day earlier a Muslim mob had gathered in front of the church in the village of Jaithikey, to teach the local Christian community a “lesson”. Extremists damaged the building before setting it on fire. They also pillaged two homes near the church.

The true cause of this event was a love affair between Fanish Robert Masih and Young Muslim girl. Fanish was accused of provoking the young woman and of throwing away a copy of the Qur‘an she had in her hands. In Pakistan “Muslims cannot stand the idea that a Muslim woman might fall in love with a Christian.”

Muslim mob tortured Raisat Masih (father of Fanish) as well other Christians of the Jaithikey, Fanish and his father was arrested ,they were kept in the police lock-up even the Muslims tried to kill Fanish in the Police station. On 12th September,2009 Fanish was found hang in the police lock-up.
Jail superintendent Farooq Lodhi said the 19-year-old hanged himself using the string that held up his pants. However it was visible in the photographs of Fanish Robert taken at the time of Morgue, shows the clear signs of torture and not the strangulation as the police are claiming was self –inflicted. This was the clear case of extra judicial murder.

Fanish Family left their home village and now they are safely relocated in some safe place in Pakistan by World vision in progress foundation with the help of International organization Walid Sheobat Foundation. Like Fanish there are several others case in which Muslims killed innocent Christians by using this law of Blasphemy as tool against them. As a ground Organization in Pakistan we believe, this law is a great threat to the Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. The armed religious extremists are playing havoc in the society. A situation of religious intolerance has speared suffocation in our lives; the doors of dialogues are being closed. Religious fundamentalism has grown beyond proportions. Muslims clerics are demanding complete imposition of Islamic Sharia in Pakistan, making it applicable also to all the Religious minorities of Pakistan.

The Christians and other religious Minorities being roped in false cases under the blasphemy law, in the year 2009 and 2010 many cases were registered against Christians in North and South of Punjab and being murdered by zealots to win heavens for themselves. The Judgments and verdicts of the apexes Courts have proved that this law on Blasphemy is being ruthlessly abused for settling personal issues and of course for religious persecution. The law is proving to be a sword hanging on the heads of the Religious Minorities and moderate Muslims. As a Ground organization we strongly condemn these discriminatory laws , We request international Community to put pressure on Pakistan for the abolishment of this law which is being used as a tool against Minorities.