International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Sawan Masih, a Pakistani Christian, was sentenced to death by the Lahore Sessions Court yesterday, March 27, after being accused of committing blasphemy against Islam in March 2013. The incident made international headlines when a mob of 3,000 enraged Muslims attacked Masih's Christian neighborhood, Joseph Colony in Lahore, resulting in the destruction of over 170 Christian homes and two churches.
According to sources in Pakistan, Masih and his lawyers were given the verdict during a hearing at the jail where Masih's trial is being held due to security concerns. Masih's lawyers finished their final arguments on Monday, March 24, but the judgment was not announced until a separate hearing yesterday, March 27.
Throughout the trial, Masih has maintained his innocence, claiming the blasphemy accusations against him were motivated by a property dispute between him and a Muslim friend. As reported by ICC in March 2013, local residents of Joseph Colony said Masih allegedly made the derogatory remarks about the Muslim prophet Muhammad during a dispute on religious issues with Shahid Imran, a Muslim friend, while the men "were drunk."
Two days after the blasphemous comments were allegedly made, a mob of 3,000 enraged Muslims gathered and attacked the Joseph Colony neighborhood, burning Christian homes, shops and two churches. Hundreds of Christians aware of the impending attack on Joseph Colony were evacuated by local police. These same police officials then did little to stop the destruction of the Christian neighborhood by the mob. Most of the Christians who fled returned to the burnt out skeletons of their homes and businesses days later.
Masih's defense lawyers are now preparing their appeal, which they plan to file with the Lahore High Court on Saturday, March 29. The conviction has once again brought international attention to Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws. Many critics of the laws claim that the blasphemy laws are frequently abused to settle personal scores and abuse religious minorities.
ICC's Regional Manager, William Stark, said, "Christians across Pakistan live in fear of the country's controversial blasphemy laws. Since the blasphemy laws were enacted in 1986, Christians and other religious minorities have been disproportionately accused and convicted of blasphemy. In 2013, 36 individuals were accused of blasphemy in Pakistan. Of that 36, 30 were religious minorities, 12 of which were Christians. Given that Christians only make up 2% of Pakistan's population, the fact that one third of blasphemy accusations made in 2013 were leveled against Christians is telling. Beyond being disproportionately accused and convicted of blasphemy, false blasphemy accusations against Christians in Pakistan are disturbingly frequent. Motivated by score settling, economic gain or religious intolerance, and with little fear of being punished for filing false accusations, blasphemy laws have become a convenient tool that can be, and often is, abused."
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For interviews, contact William Stark, RM-AfricaAsia@persecution.org
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