Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy, man who burned churches and houses freed

Surreal verdict on the serious attack in August 2023 against the Christian quarter of Punjab. A judge in a small court handed down the death penalty to Ahsan Masih, a young man who (like thousands of others) had shared a text on social media in which he claimed to have “instigated” violence. The 135 people arrested after the fires remain at large. Fr. Khalid Rashid Asi: “The sentence was passed under pressure from extremists, but in the end the truth will triumph.”

Faisalabad () – Almost a year after the wave of violence against Christians in Jaranwala, a death sentence for blasphemy has reopened the wound, placing the blame on a young Christian. As will be recalled, on 16 August 2023, 26 churches and hundreds of houses in Jaranwalain the Faisalabad district of Punjab, were set on fire over an alleged case of blasphemy against a local Christian resident, Raja Masih. The man, who is illiterate, was accused of desecrating pages of the Quran and writing a letter containing blasphemous remarks under his name, acts which allegedly incited the sentiments of Muslims, who then burned the churches and the homes of many Christians.

To denounce what was happening, Ahsan Masih – a 22-year-old Christian who does not even live in Jaranawala but is from the Sahiwal district – shared the letter that sparked the riots on his Tik Tok profile at that time. But Amir Farooq, a Muslim who now works as a local policeman, downloaded that post from social media and reported it under the blasphemy laws. Now, Judge Ziaullah Khan of the local anti-terrorism court in Sahiwal has ruled against Ahsan and sentenced him to death for blasphemy, as well as a total of 22 years in prison and a fine of one million rupees for other crimes. A surreal verdict, considering that – according to local sources – the 135 people arrested a year ago by the Punjab police immediately after the attacks on the Christian community in Jaranwala were all released on bail and only a few will go to trial.

Speaking to , Father Khalid Rashid Asi, director of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Faisalabad diocese, said: “At the time of the Jaranwala incidents, thousands of people, including Muslims and Christians, shared that letter with others just to pass on information, without having any intention of committing blasphemy. I think that this judge, who announced his decision very quickly, is cowardly and acting out of fear. After the Jaranwala incidents, we opposed the decision to refer blasphemy cases to these anti-terror courts. Ahsan was not the only one who shared that post, he and his family were harassed by the police and his family still lives traumatized and scared. This court case will be a test for us: the judges must announce their verdict against those who burned the Christian colony and ruined the feelings of the people. Instead, this death sentence was passed to please someone because they are under pressure. But it is a decision taken by the people.” a small local court, I am convinced that Ahsan will be released by the High Court and that in the end the truth will triumph.”

“The government needs to review the blasphemy laws, because there are many people behind bars just on false charges,” Aksa Kanwal, a human rights activist, told . “The state should prosecute those who incriminate others in such cases just out of personal grudges and revenge. There are many complaints registered under this law, but no solid evidence against the accused. While those who burned our churches and Bibles are released on bail by the courts. Why are judges prolonging these other cases and not issuing a verdict after so many years? Only the poor and marginalized sections of society are punished by the law, which clearly indicates that they are “scared or prejudiced.”