International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned
that a 30-year-old Christian nurse in Pakistan was falsely accused of
committing blasphemy against Islam. According to local sources, the
Christian was accused by a Muslim coworker after a personal dispute over
receiving cash tips from hospital patients.
On January 28,
Tabitha Nazir Gill was falsely accused of committing blasphemy while
working at Sobhraj Maternity Hospital in Karachi, a hospital where she
has been a nurse for the past nine years. She was later taken into
police custody.
According to a local ICC source, the head nurse
at Sobhraj Maternity Hospital issued orders that medical staff may not
receive tips or deal with money from patients. Gill reportedly reminded a
Muslim coworker of these orders when she saw the coworker collect money
from a patient.
In response, the Muslim coworker falsely accused
Gill of committing blasphemy and incited violence against her
colleague. Videos of hospital staff beating Gill surfaced on social
media and Gill was reportedly tied up with ropes, tortured, and locked
in a room before being taken into police custody.
However, police
released Gill, handing her over to her family, after a short
investigation did not find any evidence that Gill had committed
blasphemy. Gill and her family have since moved to an unknown location
fearing vigilante violence.
“Police have provided protection to the victim and tried to resolve the issue,” ICC’s source reports. “However,
a mob of hundreds of Muslims gathered at the local police station to
force the police to register a FIR against Gill. This FIR was lodged
today.”
First Information Report 74/21 was filed by police
regarding the blasphemy accusation against Gill. The accusation remains
under police investigation.
In Pakistan, false accusations of
blasphemy are widespread 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.
Since
Pakistan added Section 295-B and 295-C to the country’s blasphemy laws
in 1987, the number of blasphemy accusations have skyrocketed. Between
1987 and 2017, 1,534 individuals in Pakistan have been accused of
blasphemy. Out of that 1,534, 829 accusations (54%), were made against
religious minorities. With Christians only making up 1.6% of Pakistan’s
total population, the 238 accusations (15.5%) made against Christians is
highly disproportionate.
ICC’s Regional Manager, William Stark, said, “We
here at International Christian Concern condemn the false blasphemy
allegation that has been leveled against Tabitha Nazir Gill. In
Pakistan, blasphemy allegations forever ruin the lives of the accused,
even if proved to be false. We call on Pakistani authorities to
thoroughly and fairly investigate this false allegation and bring the
false accuser to justice. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws must no longer be
allowed to settle personal scores or incite religious hatred. Too often
these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir
up religiously motivated violence against minorities.”
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
Alison Garcia, Communications Fellow
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842
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