Pakistan Christian still on death row, five years after his ‘blasphemy’ sparked riots

A Pakistani Christian is still on death row five years after being accused by a Muslim friend of making blasphemous remarks. Sawan Masih was accused by a friend of making blasphemous remarks during a conversation in March 2013. When the accusation became widely known, a mob of over 3,000 descended on Joseph Colony – a Christian community in Lahore - looting and torching Christian homes, shops and churches. No-one has ever been punished for these acts. But Masih was sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2014. And five years after the incident, he is still in jail, awaiting an appeal.

A Pakistani Christian is still on death row five years after being accused by a Muslim friend of making blasphemous remarks.

Sawan Masih, a 30-year-old sanitation worker, was accused by a friend of making blasphemous remarks during a conversation in March 2013. When the accusation became widely known, a mob of over 3,000 descended on Joseph Colony – a Christian community in Lahore. The mob looted and torched Christian homes, shops and churches displacing hundreds of families.

No-one has ever been punished for these acts. An anti-terrorism court last year acquitted every one of the more than 100 suspects. Masih, however, has not been treated so leniently. Instead he was sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2014.

And five years after the incident, he is still in jail, awaiting an appeal.

Still praying for his release

Masih is being held in the Central Jail in Faisalabad, 140km west of Lahore. His mother, Billo Bibi, says:

“We still pray for his release. My elderly husband has developed breathing complications since his arrest. He does not speak anymore,” she said.

The situation could be made even more difficult if, as rumoured, he is moved to a jail in Sahiwal, a city even farther away from his family.

“Travelling to another city was already tough. Now they are sending him farther away,” Billo Bibi said.

Protests against blasphemy law

On 9 March an annual candlelit vigil in commemoration of the Joseph Colony attack was held. The same day, protesters gathered in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore to protest against misuse of the country’s blasphemy laws.

Critics of the law say it has often been misused to settle personal scores. False charges have also been filed, as happened in the case of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman on death row for blasphemy since 2010.

In an effort to stop the abuse, Pakistan’s Senate Special Committee on Human Rights recommended last week that those who falsely accuse someone of blasphemy should receive the same punishment as those convicted of blasphemy.

There is, however, strong opposition from right-wing political groups against any changes being made to the law.

In the case of the attack on Joseph Colony, there may be motives other than religious outrage. It has been suggested that the land on which the colony was set up could be the prime reason it was targeted because it belonged to the government and is surrounded by huge factory complexes. The Joseph Colony is surrounded by steel mills. Although Christians have inhabited it for 40 years, they arrived after being evicted from another location and have never owned it. As Christians, most of the inhabitants are poor and able to find only menial labour.

Pakistan is number 5 on the Open Doors World Watch List. In cooperation with local churches and other partnering ministries, Open Doors supports the church in Pakistan through:

• Training (eg pastor's training, literacy training and vocational projects)
• Emergency aid to victims of violent persecution
• Women's ministry
• Bible literacy
• Counselling and trauma therapy.

PRAY

• For Sawan Masih, that he would remain strong in prison and would not give up hope
• For the government of Pakistan, that they would find a way to put a stop to the abuse of the blasphemy laws
• For the poor and marginalised Christians of Pakistan, that God would protect them and they would see justice.