Aid to the Church in Need: Pakistan: Blasphemy?

Pakistan: Blasphemy?

Posted by Press release on 9/7/2009, 9:50 am
Board Administrator

ACN News, Thursday, 9th July 2009 – PAKISTAN

Blasphemy?

By John Newton

A LEADING Bishop in Pakistan has expressed hopes that an inter-religious committee will resolve the case of a young Christian arrested for blasphemy.

Bishops Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad told Aid to the Church in Need, the charity for persecuted Christians, that a committee, made up of Christians and Muslims, was investigating a charge of burning pages from the Qur‘an against Imran Masih from ‘Hajwery, in the Punjab province.

The interfaith initiative follows an incident when a 1000-strong mob, burning tyres and calling for Mr. Masih’s death, assembled outside Faisalabad district jail, where the 26-year-old Christian was being held.

On 3rd July, less than 48 hours after Mr Masih was accused, the local Catholic Church arranged a meeting between Muslim scholars and Christians in Hajwery.

Approximately 60 people from across the local community attended, including clerics, lawyers, lay people and relatives of the victim.

In a report to Bishop Coutts, local priest Fr Yaqub Yousaf wrote: “In this meeting a committee was formed to study the case, prepare a genuine report, and inform the police and court.”

Bishop Coutts expressed his satisfaction that these channels are being used to resolve the tensions in Hajwery.

He told ACN: “I am glad to know that Christian and Muslim leaders are tackling the problem together.

“This is the strategy I had worked out to deal with such emotionally-charged issues.”
Bishop Coutts, who has been in Germany on official business, has expressed a personal interest in the situation from the beginning, asking Fr Yousaf to keep him updated about developments and pledging to “pray that the problem will be settled.”

According to Fr Yousaf, since the incident several young Muslims living in the same street have come forward to confirm Mr Masih’s innocence.

The accusations came on 1st July, after Mr Masih collected up some loose papers while cleaning his fruit and vegetable shop.

Worried about allegations of blasphemy, he asked a neighbouring Muslim shopkeeper about papers covered with Arabic writing before burning them.

Mr Masih was told by the shopkeeper to burn them as they were not important – but as he did he was accused of burning the Holy Qur‘an.

Reports state that he was tortured by members of the mob that gathered following the allegations.

Father Nisar Barkat, director of Faisalabad’s Justice and Peace commission, having visited Mr Masih in prison, reported that he had also been beaten by police after his arrest.

In his report to Bishop Coutts, Fr Yousaf wrote: “The situation in the colony is now under control, but Christians in the area are still very scared.”

Pakistan also suffered anti-Christian violence elsewhere in Punjab province in June, when a 50-strong mob torched homes and churches in Bahmani Wala village, leaving 112 families homeless.

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy See, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. ACN is a Catholic charity – helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Fr Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An outstanding Apostle of Charity”, the organisation is now at work in about 130 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 46.5 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information, please contact the Australian office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web: www.aidtochurch.org

This message is locked.

Responses are not allowed!

Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org