Elderly Pakistani Christian Murdered Over Blasphemy Accusation

On Saturday May 25th, 72-year-old Pakistani Christian Nazir Masih was falsely accused of desecrating a Qur'an.  Upon hearing this accusation members of the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik rallied a mob that proceeded to try and lynch Nazir.  Videos soon surfaced on Social Media of Nazir being severely beaten while the mob the proceeds to burn down his home and store.  The mob not only attacked Nazir, but his family as well.  They attempted to beat his son, Sultan Gill, & proceeded to burn down his shoe store.  The family, which consisted of 15 members, narrowly escaped the mob and has been forced to go into hiding.  Many more Christians also fled, fearing that the mobs would begin targeting them as well.  

Several police officers were seen among the mob and failed to take any action to help Nazir for quite some time.  Eventually, enough police officers arrived on the scene and managed to disperse the mob.  Seven people total were injured in the attack and 15 individuals were eventually arrested.  The attack took place in the city of Sargodha, a mere 2.5 hour drive northwest of the city of Jaranwala where in August of 2023 an Islamist mob rampaged through the city after hearing rumors that Christians had desecrated the Qur'an.   The mob committed attacks of a much greater scale in August of 2023, destroying 20 churches and burning down over 100 Christian homes.

Nazir in an undisclosed hospital and for days was in critical condition.  Tragically, his injuries proved to be too great to recover from and he died on June 03.  Many human rights activists inside Pakistan expressed outrage over this attack, especially considering it was committed on an elderly man who was innocent of any wrongdoing.  The fact that this attack took place less then a year after the massive anti-Christian pogrom in Jaranwala serves to illustrate that many people in Pakistan's Islamic society that this kind of mob violence in the face of blasphemy charges is justified.  

Presently, First Information Reports have been filed against 44 identified & 400 unidentified assailants, but it's unlikely that justice will be served.  Most of the arrested suspects have already been freed on bail.  Though a number of individuals have been arrested for this terrible crime, it remains to be seen if justice will be served.  When it comes to blasphemy accusations like this against Christians & other religious minorities a tragic & disturbing pattern often follows.  "Blasphemy Accusations lead to religious leaders to instigating the formation of the mob mentality, mobs then form & attack, burning homes, destroying property, and beating the accused & their families, the police responding too late, & the attackers being released on bail with in days with the charges typically being reduced or dropped altogether.  

Sources:

"Blasphemy in Pakistan: Islamist Mob with Members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Group Lynched Christian Man Nazir Masih."  Organizer.  May 28th, 2024.  Accessed from https://organiser.org/2024/05/25/239422/world/blasphemy-in-pakistan-islamist-mob-with-members-of-tehreek-e-labbaik-group-lynched-a-christian-man-nazir-masih/.

Khokhar, Shafique.  "Christian Seriously Wounded in Sarghoda in the Latest Blasphemy Incident."  Asia News.  May 27, 2024.  Accessed from https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Christian-seriously-wounded-in-Sarghoda-in-the-latest-blasphemy-incident-60822.html.

"Members of Mob That Killed Nazir Masih Released on Bail."  International Christian Concern.  June 19th, 2024.  Accessed from https://www.persecution.org/2024/06/19/members-of-mob-that-killed-nazir-masih-released-on-bail/.

"Mob Brutally Attacks Elderly Christian Man After False Blasphemy Claims Circulate.  International Christian Concern.  May 25, 2024.  Accessed from https://www.persecution.org/2024/05/25/mob-brutally-attacks-elderly-christian-man-after-false-blasphemy-claims-circulate/.