London: (By Wilson Chowdhry) A Christian businessman, Nazir Masih, experienced the horrific destruction of his home and business and was beaten nearly to death because his 'ritually impure' son was seen talking with friends near a Muslim home frequently. Eight days later, the 76-year-old father of five succumbed to his injuries, passing away in pain and anguish. His life was violently cut short by a mob of at least 1,000 people, incited by false allegations of blasphemy.

In Sargodha, Pakistan, local estate agent Muhammad Jahangir falsely accused Mr. Masih of burning a Quran, which provoked the mob to attack him. This brutal event, which occurred in full view of local police, has instilled fear and anxiety among local Christians, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of homes, many of which were forced by overwhelmed police trying to manage the intense and widespread violence. Tragically, despite being under police protection, Mr. Masih was taken by the rioters and beaten to near death. The attackers filmed the assault, claiming it was in honor of Islam, showing no fear of legal consequences.  

The attack was prompted by animosity from local Muslims towards Christians, particularly because Mr. Masih's son, Sultan Gill (45 yrs), frequently stood near their properties speaking with Muslim friends. The locals felt that his presence defiled the area and made them ritually unclean. Despite several warnings to stay away, he refused. To remove him from the area, they fabricated a blasphemy allegation against him.

Mr. Masih sustained severe head injuries from the attack and underwent major surgery at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalpindi, following initial treatment at District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Sargodha. Despite enduring eight days in intensive care at CMH and showing signs of potential recovery, he tragically passed away on the night of June 2nd.

While Mr. Masih fought for his life at CMH, Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of United by Faith, and scores of other Christians of Pakistani origin protested outside the Pakistani Consulate in Birmingham. Pastor Teerth Sond, an Indian-origin Christian who also operates VOTV, joined them. The protestors called for justice for Mr. Masih and his family, expressing concerns over the police's inability to protect him. They also acknowledged the government and police for their quick intervention that prevented further escalation of violence, referencing the 2009 Gojra incident where over 200 homes and five churches were destroyed following a similar false blasphemy accusation.

Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of United by Faith, expressed his outrage:

"It is appalling that police authorities allowed a man under their protection to be beaten so severely that he succumbed to his injuries days later.

"The core issue revealed by this incident is the malevolent evil that some Muslims in Pakistan are willing to inflict on Christians when a blasphemy accusation arises.

"The perpetrators who killed Mr. Masih were not extremists; they were ordinary community members who quickly incited violence based on a false allegation of desecrating a Koran by a Christian.

"There was no need for the mob to see any evidence because their hatred was already deep-seated. The country's distorted curriculum has long taught that Christians are spies for the West and demonic by nature.

"Even worse, fanaticism is propagated in mosques, where it is preached that Christians are ritually impure and that mere contact with them can defile Muslims.

"This violent behavior is not an isolated incident. Without a concerted effort to eradicate these myths, Christians and other minorities will continue to face brutal acts of violence and hatred."