Commanded from mosque loudspeakers, a Muslim throng in Punjab Province of Pakistan killed a Christian couple Nov. 4 after a co-worker accused the pregnant wife of defiling the Quran, sources said.
Living on the premises of the brick kiln where she worked in Chak 59 village near Kot Radha Kishan, Karur District, about 37 miles southwest of Lahore, Shama Bibi was beaten to death before the enraged mob threw her body into the kiln, a relative said. The 28-year-old mother of four was five months pregnant.
A relative said her husband, Shahzad Masih, also was beaten but was still alive when he was thrown into the kiln with his wife’s body. He was 32.
On Nov. 2, Shama was cleaning her quarters when she found amulets of her late father-in-law, who had used them to practice black magic.
“Shama burned the amulets and some other related material, assuming this was the best way to get rid of ‘evil stuff,’” the relative said. “She later threw the ashes on a garbage heap outside their quarters when Muhammad Irfan, a Muslim co-worker, noticed some half-burnt pieces of paper from the amulets and raised a clamor, claiming that Shahzad’s family had desecrated Quranic pages.”
On Nov. 3, announcements emanated from village mosques calling on “all faithful” to take notice of the alleged blasphemy committed by Shama. The announcements panicked the five Christian brothers of Masih — who also worked at the kiln — and their families, but Chaudhry Yousaf Gujjar, the kiln’s Muslim owner, assured them he would handle the situation.
Mob attack
“At around 7 a.m. on Nov. 4, a mob of about 3,000–4,000 people, most of whom were armed with batons and sharp-edged weapons, started gathering around the brick kiln,” the relative said, based on information from another relative who witnessed the entire crime. “The kiln’s manager, Muhammad Akram, asked the couple to hide in a room next to the office and told them to lock the door from the inside while he put a padlock on the outside. Sensing the imminent danger to their lives, Shahzad’s brothers and all male children fled the kiln, leaving behind the women and little children in the quarters thinking the mob, which was baying for the blood of Shahzad and his wife, would not hurt them.”
The mob forced their way into the quarters and started searching for the couple. Unable to locate them, the crowd rushed toward the office and demanded that the manager reveal their whereabouts.
“We are not sure if Akram gave away the couple, but according to [the other relative], the mob broke into the room and then dragged both of them out to the courtyard,” the relative said. “The mob then mercilessly beat up Shama and Shahzad, using fists, kicks and batons at will. [The other relative] said Shama was already dead by the time the Islamist zealots had thrown her body into the kiln. Shahzad was still alive when he was shoved into the fire.”
The couple is survived by two boys and two girls, the eldest son being 7 years old.
Soon after news broke in local media, large police contingents were deployed in the area to prevent further bloodshed.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif formed a three-member committee to expedite the investigation of the killings and ordered police to beef up security in Christian neighborhoods in the province.
Kasur District police officer Capt. Jawad Qamar said a case had been registered against at least 2,000 “unidentified people” for the murders and investigations were continuing. He also said that police had arrested 48 people.
The police official’s claims could not be independently verified despite repeated efforts.
Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) on its own accord, even though the aggrieved family was determined to file a formal complaint into the killings of their loved ones. Sources in the Punjab Inspector General of Police office said the government did not want the family to become the complainant in the case as it would keep media focused on developments and cause “global embarrassment” to the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose three terms in office have been tainted with extreme violence against non-Muslims, particularly Christians.
The relative of the deceased and Christian rights advocates criticized the police’s registration of the FIR and the hasty manner in which the remains were buried without informing the family, allegedly on the counsel of a politician.
“We weren’t even told about the funerals. How can a politician approve the funeral of my [relative] without even seeking my permission?” the source said, adding that the family had decided to challenge the government’s decision to register a case on its own.
(MSN)
______________________________________________
Pray for Pakistan
As Christians in Pakistan continue to face harsh persecution and even death because of their faith, an Open Doors representative living in Pakistan submitted the following prayer requests:
- “Raise up prayer for Pakistan at this time, particularly the Church in Pakistan, still dazed in some ways from the shock and pain of what happened with Shama Bibi and Shahzad Masih, the couple beaten and burnt on allegations of desecrating the Quran (see story this page).”
- “Pray for Aasiya Bibi who is more at risk at this time. There is grave concern over the impact of this incident on her safety in her prison cell. Aasiya Bibi was imprisoned in 2009 after being accused of blaspheming the Islamic prophet Muhammad.”
- “Pray for Shama and Shahzad’s family members who we are working with and providing pastoral care to as they are raw with pain at this time.”
For more information about Open Doors, a group that raises awareness about the persecuted church, visit www.opendoors.org.
(TAB, OpenDoors)
Share with others: