A "success story" with a happy ending thanks to the intervention of "a Muslim activist who saved the life of an innocent young Christian man" who "can't even read".
That's what Suneel Malik, President of the Peace and Human Development Foundation, told AsiaNews about the latest case of false blasphemy charges that took place recently in Faisalabad, Punjab. He hopes the case will help increase "tolerance towards religious minorities" to build true peace in Pakistan and that it will put an end to "false accusations that tarnish the country's name" and affect "social harmony".
The incident took place on May 22: Mansha Masih, a Christian, has worked for 15 years as a garbage collector in Hajweri town in Faisalabad. He was collecting garbage and leaves from abandoned houses in the area when a young Muslim named Billu, from the roof of his home, accused him of desecrating pages of the Muslim holy book, the Quran. After shouting at the Christian man, he began brutally beating him.
But the intervention of 26-year-old Muslim activist Farhan Sadiq, a journalist and member of the Human Rights Defenders Network, saved the Christian's life. He wrestled Masih from the assailant's grip and took him home. He then launched an investigation to clarify the circumstances, after which it emerged that the pages of the holy verses had been "dishonored" by two underage school students from the area who didn't want to attend the local mosque and had burned the books.
But rumors of a possible blasphemy case committed by a Christian were already circulating in the city and a crowd was ready to punish the man, despite his innocence, with death. Even after the two youths confessed, the crowd wouldn't believe Masih's innocence, even though he had repeatedly explained that he couldn't read and that he had done nothing wrong as he didn't know what was written on the papers. The Muslim activist's decision to confront the crowd and prove the charges false ultimately saved the Christian man's life, and he carried out his task with a "high sense of responsibility".
(Source: AsiaNews)
