Amir Masih, a 56-year-old Christian man from Lahore, Pakistan, has been arrested on charges of “blasphemy”.
A local Muslim resident named Sanoor Ali told police that on 19 July Amir made derogatory remarks about Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, while in Sanoor’s convenience store and refused to stop.
Barnabas Aid contacts confirm that these accusations are baseless.
Delhi Gate in Lahore, Punjab, where Amir Masih has become the latest Christian falsely accused of “blasphemy” [Image credit: Asaad Ghafoor / Wikipedia]
Based on Sanoor’s report, however, police arrested Amir on charges of “blasphemy” under section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code – a charge which, if Amir is convicted, carries a mandatory death sentence.
After their own investigation, our contacts report that there was no religious aspect to the conversation between Amir and Sanoor.
Instead, Sanoor falsely claimed that Amir had committed “blasphemy” in response to a disagreement between the two men.
The “blasphemy” laws are often used to make false accusations in order to settle personal grudges. Christians are especially vulnerable, as simply stating their beliefs can be construed as “blasphemy” and the lower courts usually favour the testimony of Muslims, in accordance with sharia (Islamic law).
On 25 June Anwar Kenneth, a mentally ill Christian man convicted of “blasphemy”, was released after 23 years on death row.
How you can pray
Pray that the authorities will conduct further investigations into the incident to discover the truth, and that justice will be served. Ask God to sustain our brother Amir during this trying time, and grant wisdom to the police and to judges who oversee this case. Pray that He will protect the Christian communities of Lahore from mob reprisals.
