July 26, 2010
Commentary by Ashfaq Fateh
Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan, July 26, 2010 (Justice Watch) – The family of Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his brother Sajjad, 30, the two brothers murdered after they were falsely accused of blasphemy, are still in a trauma. On July 21, 2010, thousands of Christians attended a memorial service in Christian Colony, Gojra, district Toba Tek Singh. Rashid and Sajid were remembered. The relatives and friends who were not been able to attend the funeral due to “so-called” security reasons gathered in the town of Gojra an area which was set to burn last year by the Muslim extremists. Grand parents of the murdered lived there.
Print & Electronic Media
The mainstream electronic and print media showed bias and failed to cover the incidents in a way that could show Christians as victims and help common masses to understand that innocents have been killed. The media did not speak about the hearing in the court in which the police testified that no evidence were found against the two brothers. There were no witnesses in the case or any other evidence which could prove they were guilty. Had the media reported the facts that the two brothers were falsely accused the people may have expressed sympathy and condemned the extremists. Instead, the inaction of the media created more miseries and misunderstandings about the Christians.
The media also have not reported on the well-established Christian businesses in Warispura badly damaged by violence there. The loss of business and injuries to Christians by the Muslim attackers has be ignored in the press. The loss of Christians business is estimated in millions of dollars U.S..
An example of the press coverage on these events is the July 20 news story by The News International, one of the largest English newspapers in Pakistan and considered the most liberal news group. Their story was published on the second page of the News with the title, “Attackers killed two ‘Blasphemers’ in Police Custody”. The next day, July 21, the same correspondent asked Akram Gill, member of the National Assembly for Minorities, during a press conference, “why both the brothers had been distributing the handwritten papers at bus stand?” Such biased reporting misleads readers away from the established facts of the case of the innocence of the brothers.
The headline of The News International convinced many Muslims to believe that the murdered brothers were blasphemers and to conclude Christians are all blasphemers. The Urdu language press which is largely read in the country was much worse in their reporting. They published stories that could easily incite violence. Express Tribune and DAWN English newspapers, however, published balanced reports. DAWN reported that Muhammad Khuram Shahzad, the complainant that was the basis of the brothers’ arrest, belongs to an organization called Tehirk-i-Hurmat-i- Rasool, the Organization for the Honor of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This group is operated by an armed organization called Lashkar-e-Taiba that is outlawed a UN and Pakistan government .
Judiciary
Chief Justice of the Lahore Court has issued a Suo Motu action with a summons to the Regional Police Office (RPO) Faisalabad, for “Criminal Negligence” in failing to protect the two brothers. The RPO admitted in court that the two brothers were killed because of security laps. Judicial inquiry has been ordered. Labour court Judge of Faisalabad Shiekh Muhammad Yousaf has been appointed to hold the inquiry. A case has also been registered against Deputy Superintendent and Inspector Muhammad Hussian for their failure to provide security to Rashid and Sajid.
Government and Public Representatives
The President of Pakistan has sent messages of condolences and sympathies to the family and directed the concerned authorities to arrest the culprits involved in tarnishing Pakistani reputation by violating the rights of minorities. Prime Minster of Pakistan assured the Christians that he will take all out efforts to ensure justice to the family.
Farahnaz Ispahani, a member of the National Assembly and media advisor to the President of Pakistan, has submitted an “adjournment motion” in the national assembly for debate on “rising persecution of minority communities in Pakistan.” She said further that international polls had shown, “A trend of increasing violence and brutality” towards minority communities in Pakistan.
Altaf Hussian, the chief of Mutihida Qomi Movement, a political party, strongly condemned the incident and expressed solidarity with the Christian community and emphasized that the government needs to take stern action against the killers and conspirers.
The Chief Minister of Punjab assured early arrest of the culprits. However, no compensation or rehabilitation for the wounded Christian shopkeepers and citizens has been announced.
Minorities leaders are condemning the government for their failure to protect minorities and demanding to repeal the draconian laws in Pakistan.
Silence of Civil Society Organizations
Civil society organizations including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Labour Party Pakistan, South Asia Partnership (SAP), PATTAN, and many others claimed to work for the rights of religious minorities. Their silence over the killings of two Christian men will further strengthen the extremists.
Other organizations such as the Applied Socio-Economic Research (ASR-Lahore), Harmony Foundation, Society for Human Development, National Commission for Justice & Peace strongly condemned and urged government to take immediate steps to protect minorities.
Church
The Most Reverend Joseph Coutts, the Bishop of Faisalabad diocese, Fr. Khalid Rasheed Asi, Fr. Emmanuel Yousaf Mani, Fr. Aftab James Paul, Atif Jamil Pagaan, Joel Amir Shohotra, a member of the Punjab Assembly, and others held several meetings with district administration and with Muslim clerics for peaceful resolution of the issue and building peace after the killings.
Rev. Fr. Aftab James Paul, director for Interfaith Dialogue stated, “The handwritten letter was presented to Muslim clerics during interfaith and peace building meeting. The clerics strongly denied the involvement of the two brothers. It was decided in the meeting that Christian delegation comprised on Church and political leaders will have meeting with two brothers on July 20, 2010 to further investigate their allegedly involvement in the case. But they were killed.”
Failure of law enforcement agencies
The case has shown the overall failure of law enforcement agencies. The honorable courts are also well aware that in these cases the accused are attacked. This is obviously evidenced by the militants brandishing openly in the presence of law enforcement their firearms and even explosive material intended to burn down the houses and property of the Christians in Warispura, Faisalabad. The police dared not to arrest the offenders.
The challenge for government
There are several statements and promises made by the governments at federal and provincial level after the killings of the two brothers to protect and provide justice to the religious minorities. The coming days will prove how far they are committed to their words.
A Personal Note
Rashid and Sajid were my close associates. Rashid and I had spent lot of time together. He had great vision for the Christians. I never saw him speak against Islam or the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He had strong faith in the Lord.
Rashid worked for over ten years in Faisal Hospital, Faisalabad, and at the Dawoo Bus Service. He was stationed in different cities. All through these years he worked with Muslims. His co-workers, associates, and employers never saw him as having any anti-Islam thoughts, but instead found him a rather friendly and respectful of others.
Category: Anti-Christian Acts, Muslim Watch |
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