Long Term Pakistan Christian Prisoner Released

Islamabad (Pakistan), November 12, 2006, (SVM News): The long term Pakistan Christian prisoner Ranjha Masih (58 years of age) has been released from the jail on Saturday, the 11th of November, 2006 by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khausa. More than eight and half years Ranjha Masih was in prison, after the Lahor High Court acquitted him of blasphemy charges under the Blasphemy Law of Pakistan. The ordere of his release will come about on 14 November after “bureaucratic requirements” have been sorted out.

Ranjha Masih was arrested on 8 May 1998, allegedly having disfigured an Islamic sign during a funeral procession for former Faisalabad Catholic Bishop John Joseph. Ironically, Bishop Joseph had committed suicide in front of the Faisalabad court house to protest Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws.

He denied damaging the sign, and police testified in court that its invocation of Muhammad as the prophet of Islam was in perfect condition. But the Faisalabad Additional District and Sessions Court sentenced Masih to life imprisonment in April 2003. Throughout his imprisonment, police kept him in solitary confinement “for security reasons”. He will be released thanks to the efforts of the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance of Lahore.

Khalil Tahir, one of the lawyers of Masih, told SVM News: “We are very happy that Masih has been acquitted but he was subjected to eight years of unjust imprisonment in an isolation cell. This sentence proves once again that the blasphemy law is used to settle personal scores with people like Masih, known for his firm Christian beliefs.”

Masih’s strong faith has earned him recognition from the International Society for Human Rights, which in May awarded him for “steadfastness in maintaining his Christian beliefs”.

The Pakistan Blasphemy Law stipulate life imprisonment for defamation of the Quran and the death sentence for blasphemy against Muhammad. No blasphemy convict has been executed since the law was established in 1986, but extra-judicial killings of blasphemy prisoners are common.

Human rights organizations claimed that Christians and other religious minorities are disproportionately targeted under the blasphemy law. At least 23 people involved in blasphemy cases have been murdered in Pakistan, according to the National Commission for Justice and Peace. A quarter of the victims were Christians, although Christians constitute less than 2 percent of the country’s population.

Cleared of blasphemy charges few months ago after spending eight years in prison, Christian brothers Amjad Masih and Asif Masih have been forced to live in hiding due to threats from radical Muslims.

Most blasphemy charges in Pakistan are leveled against Muslims. In unrelated incidents, two Muslims in Punjab province were killed on June 15 and 16 for their involvement in blasphemy cases.

An angry mob in Hasilpur killed elderly school teacher Mohammad Sadiq when he tried to save a Muslim leader whom the mob was torturing on charges of blasphemy. The next day, blasphemy suspect Abdul Sattar was knifed in Muzaffargarh while on his way to court in police custody.

The problems of Ranjha Masih are not over yet: he has received death threats and the Christian community will keep him in hiding for his safety as soon as he comes out of prison. There have been suggestions that he and his family emigrate to Germany. His wife and six children undergone severe persecutions from radical muslims last years.

Pastor Paul Ciniraj,
Salem Voice Ministries
http://salemvoice.org