Activists call for justice after Pakistani mob kills Christian couple

Christian groups and human rights organizations are calling for justice after an angry mob killed a Christian couple in Pakistan on Nov. 4.

The violent frenzy stemmed from of an accusation that the Christians had burned pages of a Quran, an offense punishable by death in Pakistan, where Islam is the state religion.

Local Islamic clerics used the megaphones of the mosque in Kasur to whip up an angry mob, which beat and then burned to death Shahzad Masih, 28, and Shama Bibi, his 25-year-old pregnant wife. Before that, the couple was held hostage for three days.

Todd Daniels, with International Christian Concern, said there was no evidence Masih and Bibi had done anything to a Quran.

Nadeem Anthony, an investigator with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, also admitted “there was no burning of the Quran there,” according to Al Jazeera.

Daniels said multiple sources reported the violence started as a dispute over money between the couple and their employer, the owner of the brick factory where they were killed.

“Christians working at the brick kilns are often exploited by their employers,” he said. “Accusations of blasphemy to settle personal scores happen on a frequent basis.”

According to Daniels, vigilantism often follows accusations of blasphemy because the federal government has blasphemy laws which can be punished with the death penalty and because attackers in mobs rarely face consequences.

Amnesty International called for the attackers to be brought to justice.

“This vicious mob killing is just the latest manifestation of the threat of vigilante violence which anyone can face in Pakistan after a blasphemy accusation—although religious minorities are disproportionately vulnerable,” David Griffiths, Amnesty International’s deputy Asia Pacific director, said in a press release. “Those responsible must be brought to justice and the Pakistani authorities have to ensure at-risk communities are proactively given the protection they need.”

More than 300 people, including Christians and human rights groups, protested in Lahore, Pakistan’s capital, calling for justice, Daniels said.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement “no mercy” would be shown to those who committed the “unacceptable” crime, NBC reported.

“A responsible state cannot tolerate mob rule and public lynching with impunity,” Sharif said. “The Pakistani state has to act proactively to protect its minorities from violence and injustice.”

Human right activists have urged Pakistan to eliminate blasphemy laws because they often are used to promote violence, especially against minorities.

After last week’s attack, a Punjab province official set up a three-person investigative panel and local officials arrested at least 35 people. Some reports said the arrests included as many as 44 people. Daniels didn’t know if any of the Islamic clerics who instigated the violence were arrested. “We hope there will be penalties against those who physically committed the violence and those who incited it,” he said.

Griffiths expressed cautious optimism about the official response, so far.

“The local government’s response is encouraging, but it remains to be seen what comes of the investigation,” he said. “The climate of impunity around violence against religious minorities in Pakistan is pervasive, and it is all too rare that those behind attacks are held to account.”