International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the Lahore High Court has
acquitted Imran Ghafur Masih, a Christian sentenced to life in prison
under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. According to Imran’s family, they have
moved into hiding following the acquittal due to potential threats from
extremists.
On December 15, the Lahore High Court acquitted
Imran after he spent more than 10 years in prison for allegedly
committing blasphemy. The development came as a shock to Imran’s family.
“It is a day of resurrection for us,” Naveed Masih, Imran’s brother, told ICC. “God has heard our cry and we are very thankful to him. It’s a Christmas gift for us.”
On July 1, 2009, Imran was cleaning his family’s bookshop in Hajweri
town, located in Faisalabad. He was about to burn some trash he
collected, which included some old books and papers, when he came across
a textbook with Arabic writing. Concerned that the book contained
religious writings, Imran consulted Hajji Liaquat Ali, his Muslim
neighbor.
Ali told Imran to burn the book, so Imran threw it
into the fire and walked away. When the book was partially burned, Ali
returned and pulled it out of the fire. Ali used this partially burned
book to falsely accuse Imran of burning a Quran. According to Imran’s
family, Ali wanted the storefront leased to the family’s bookshop to
expand his building materials business located next door.
News
of the incident soon spread to local mosques which made announcements
over their PA systems. A mob of approximately 400 enraged Muslims
gathered at Imran’s home. The mob beat Imran, along with his brother,
Naveed, and father, Ghafur, before dousing the Christians with paraffin
in an attempt to burn them alive.
Local police intervened,
arrested Imran, and took him to the police station. A mob of 1,000
reportedly gathered outside of the police station and demanded Imran be
handed to them. The mob chanted, “Hang him who disgraces the Holy Quran… Christians are dogs. Imran is a dog.” Police soon registered a blasphemy case against Imran and copies of the charges were distributed to the mob.
On January 11, 2010, the Sessions Court of Faisalabad sentenced Imran
to life in prison and a fine of 100,000 rupees under Sections 295-A and
295-B of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Imran’s case was appealed to the
Lahore High Court, but was postponed nearly 70 times over the course of
the next 10 years. According to Imran’s lawyer, the appeal passed
through the offices of at least 10 justices.
“We went through a very painful time during Imran’s imprisonment,” Naveed told ICC. “Imran
lost his parents and was not allowed to attend the funeral. We lost our
business and jobs which has affected our children’s education and
future. We have not seen any happiness during these years.”
In Pakistan, false accusations of blasphemy are common and often
motivated by personal vendettas or religious hatred. Accusations are
highly inflammatory and have the potential to spark mob lynchings,
vigilante murders, and mass protests. Currently, 24 Christians are
imprisoned on blasphemy charges in Pakistan. These 24 Christians are
defendants in 21 blasphemy cases represented at various levels of the
judicial process in Pakistan.
ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, “We
here at International Christian Concern are happy to see Imran Masih
finally acquitted and released after more than 10 years in prison. It is
great to see such a prolonged blasphemy case justly resolved at the
High Court level in Pakistan. However, we remain deeply concerned for
the safety of Imran and his family. Extremists in Pakistan are known to
target individuals accused of religious crimes, like blasphemy, even
after they have been acquitted. The abuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws
must be curbed and false allegations must be rooted out and punished.
Too often these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking
to stir up religiously motivated violence against minorities. Without
reform, religious minorities will continue to face false blasphemy
accusations and the violence that often accompanies these accusations.”
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.
Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842
International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org
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