| International News

A leading Bishop in Pakistan has expressed hopes for the case of a young Christian arrested for blasphemy.

FAISLABAD, Pakistan (ACN) - Bishops Joseph Coutts of Faislabad told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), 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 tires and calling for Mr. Masih’s death, assembled outside Faisalabad district jail, where the 26-year-old Christian was being held.

On July 3rd, 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 July 1st, after Mr. Masih collected up some loose papers while cleaning his fruit and vegetable shop. Worried about allegations of blasphemy, he asked a neighboring Muslim shopkeeper about papers covered with Arabic writing before burning them.

Mr. Masih was told by the shopkeeper to burn the papers 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.