Christian dies accused of blasphemy and attacked in Pakistan by Muslim mob

A Christian man who was accused of blasphemy and then brutally attacked last week by a mob of Muslims, in the province of Punjab (Pakistan), has died from serious injuries inflicted on his body.

According to Associated PressNazir Masih, 72, died this Monday, June 3. Despite having undergone surgery twice due to multiple blows to the head, he did not survive the attack on May 25.

The attack too affected several Christian families from the Mujahid colony, who were forced to flee the place. Hundreds of Muslims were arrested and prosecuted by police in connection with the incident and for attempted lynchings against Masih.

Catholics in Pakistan, an outlet led by the Archbishop of Lahore, Bishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, reported that the funeral rites were celebrated by local Christian pastors, but there were also two priests from the Sargodha area, representing the support of the Catholic Church.

According to district police officer Assad Ijaz Malhi, the Christian man was later buried amid tight security. Police presence has increased in recent days around Christian towns and churches since the attack.

About the incident

The incident took place on May 25 in Sargodha, after one of Masih’s Muslim neighbors accused him of committing blasphemy for throwing pages of the Quran on the road.

As rumors spread, around 2,000 people from the same locality and some from nearby villages gathered in front of Masih’s house.

The crowd destroyed electric meters and outdoor air conditioning units, and set fire to Masih’s houses and shoe store. Finally, they took the Christian out into the streets, threw stones at him and beat him with sticks.

According to local Christians, members of the extremist organization Lashkar-e-Labak Pakistan played a key role in the attack. That group was involved in the attack on Christian homes and churches in Jaranwala in August 2023.

More than 96% of Pakistan’s population is Muslim. Christians, who make up approximately 1.3% of the population, face religious persecution, which has resulted in numerous false accusations of blasphemy and sentences of death or life imprisonment.