Five Pakistani Christians Released, 2 Jailed for “Blasphemy” for Calling Pastor a “Prophet”

Five Pakistani Christians Released, 2 Jailed for “Blasphemy” for Calling Pastor a “Prophet”

By Jeremy Reynalds, Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service (jeremyreynalds@gmail.com )

GUJRAT, PAKISTAN (ANS-July 2, 2016) -- Five Pakistani Christians charged with blasphemy last year in the religiously conservative city of Gujrat have been acquitted, but two others have been jailed.

According to a story by World Watch Monitor (WWM), Shafqat Gill, Latif Masih, Younatan Fazal Gill, Mohsin Shoukat and a fifth Christian identified by “Christians in Pakistan” only as “Zulfiqar” were released.

Aftab Gill, a pastor, and Hajaj Bin Yousaf were jailed for six years.

The other Christians arrested in Aug. 2015 were never brought to trial.

Pakistani police have charged 15 Christians with blasphemy in the religiously conservative city of Gujrat for publishing a flyer that described a Christian pastor, who died 20 years ago, as one “who was given the title of an apostle.”

The claim of “apostleship” or “prophet-hood” is perceived as an open insult and challenge to the prophet of Islam, Muhammad.

Muslims believe he is Allah's last and final apostle and prophet, after whom prophecy ceased. Therefore any countering claim is considered blasphemous and, according to Pakistan's blasphemy law, may be punishable with death.

WWM said the Catholic news agency, Fides, reported that during the recent Ramadan, in early July, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved a summary prohibiting the English translation of Islamic terms.

Sacred Arabic names and words like “Allah,” “masjid,” “sala'at” and “rasool,” it reported, “are now forbidden to be translated into English as “God,” “mosque,” “prayer” and “prophet.”

The Prime Minister's announcement came a day before the anniversary of the coup of General Zia ul Haq in 1977, when a number of laws were issued to Islamize the country.

In Gujrat, in the Punjab region, the flyer, an invitation to Christians to participate in a memorial ceremony on August. 16 to commemorate the late Pastor Fazal Masih, carried pictures of 15 office-bearers of the “Biblical Church of God.”

WWM said that is a small, little-known Protestant group working in Gujrat.

A Pakistani commentator explained to WWM, “The flyer's language looks like it's been copied from the Internet. It's language that may be more acceptable in countries where Christianity has more freedom. It suggests that the late pastor practiced the gifts of the Holy Spirit and had a prophetic gift. However this is a concept that does not translate easily in an Islamic context.

They said Christians had blasphemed the ‘Holy Prophet’ and that they should be punished for it. I told them that anyone who had done wrong should be punished, but why should all of us be treated with contempt?”

The flyers were placed across the city in areas where Christians are in a higher number, such as Mughal Colony, where the dead man's son, Younatan Fazal Gill, lived. He was one of the organizers of the program.

“There are about 200 households of Christians who have reasonable means of earning, and also have their own houses,” Mukhtar Mughal Khan, a Christian political leader who and former local councillor, told WWM.

“Only three days before the announced date of the program, first a Muslim woman and then Umar Butt, a shopkeeper, noticed that the flyer used the word ‘apostle’ for a Christian.

There are people who say Umar Butt enquired of Younatan's brother-in-law, Imran Masih, about the title of ‘apostle.’ Imran told him that Christians could use this ‘Biblical’ description, after which the situation escalated.

“On 15 August, it was announced from the loudspeaker of a local mosque that all Muslims should gather to discuss this issue. The police of the Civil Lines were also called in.

"After the meeting, the police searched Christian neighborhoods and removed all the flyers. And when the organizers of the program were preparing to gather the next day, the police arrested some of them.’

The police of Civil Lines registered a case (numbered 972/15) under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001. This was an unusual move because it did not allow for a local citizen to lodge the application, nor was the case registered under the blasphemy laws of Pakistan.

“The situation became tense, even though there was no untoward incident, so Christians started to leave the area,” Khan said.

A Christian health visitor, Roseanna Masih, told WWM that two women living across the street from her began name calling.

She said, “They said Christians had blasphemed the ‘Holy Prophet’ and that they should be punished for it. I told them that anyone who had done wrong should be punished, but why should all of us be treated with contempt?”

“On Friday, 21 August, Christians were expecting that after Friday prayers extremist Muslims would attack their houses, so almost all their women and children were sent away, while only men were left their to guard their houses,” WWM reported Khan said.

He said that there were about 500 houses in the Mughal Colony and about 200 households were Christian occupied.

“The police cordoned off the area and the Deputy Police Officer, Ghulam Mustafa, and Civil Lines Police Station House Officer, Shahid Tanveer, played a wonderful role and did not let any unpleasant incident take place,” Khan said.

Police Officer Tanveer later told WWM that the situation was under control and there was no law and order situation in the area.

“However, the police arrested Pastor Aftab Gill, another son of the deceased pastor, and three others, while Younatan has obtained bail,” Khan said.

Similar cases

WWM said this is not the first time Christians have been accused of blasphemy because of Biblical interpretation or translation.

On Aug. 23 2015 in Bahawalpur, about 450 kilometers (about 280 miles) from Lahore, 60-year-old Naja Masih was with his neighbor, Shahid Mehmood.

He was discussing similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an, after which Masih was charged and immediately handed over to the police.

In his First Information Report (FIR), submitted in the Civil Lines Police Station, Mehmood stated that Masih told him “God himself took human form - God forbid - and appeared to Lot, and told him to leave his village.’

WWM reported Mehmood further alleged that Masih had injured his “religious feelings” by saying that when Lot had fled Sodom along with his daughters, his daughters “intoxicated” him and slept with him to continue their father's lineage.

In another case, a Christian man called Anwar Kenneth was arrested and charged under the blasphemy law.

He claimed he was one of the two promised witnesses to Jesus (interpreted as Elijah and Moses) in the last book of the Bible (Rev. 11) but was believed to be mentally ill.

However, he was sentenced to death in 2002 and since then his appeal has not been heard by the Supreme Court.

For more information visit www.worldwatchmonitor.org

Photo captions: 1) Pastor Fazal Masih, who died 20 years ago, was hailed as a “prophet” on a flyer inviting Christians to a memorial ceremony. (World Watch Monitor). 2) A member of the Pakistani Christian community holds a placard which says it all for the courageous Christians of his country. (Photo: Reuters/Mohsin Raza). 3) Jeremy and Elma Reynalds.

About the writer: Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, www.joyjunction.org. He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is “From Destitute to Ph.D.” Additional details on the book are available at www.myhomelessjourney.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife, Elma. For more information, please contact him at jeremyreynalds@gmail.com .

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