Image of Khaleel Masih and his children Alisha (12 years), Rabia (11 years), Anisha (10 years), Mafia (6 years), Khalid (5 years), Sadia (4 years) at his home.
A Christian man was brutally beaten by close to thirty Muslim men when he undertook his regular ice-cream rounds at a village in Kasur.
Khaleel Masih (42 years) was selling ice-creams in Pogabhaduki near Chunia city on 17th May 2016, when two Muslim men name Muhammed Rizwan and Muhammed
Farman started to insult him for his faith and the ‘evil spirit’ he was contaminating ice-cream with.
Khaleel a father of six children, tried to explain that the ice-creams were in plastic wraps and were protected from his touch. He explained that Christians
do not have evil spirits. However this did not interest his accusers who started to call other people to berate the poor Christian vendor.
Soon a crowd of around thirty people were shouting abuse at him telling him to leave the area as he was unclean. They shouted at him, he heard
one person say: “Christians are choora [derogatory term] they should be sweeping our streets or cleaning our sewers not selling food to our children.
Another Muslim, said; “We should beat the evil spirit out of him, he is an untouchable Christian.” The mans word triggered mob violence against
him as the amassed men, women and children, started to beat him violently. Khaleel fell to the floor as the mob, kicked, punched and spat at
him. He blacked out from the brutality which must have caused people to leave.
When he regained consciousness he found that the bike and small fridge he vended from had been damaged and the ice creams had been destroyed.
Moreover, the 2500 rupees he had in his till had been stolen.
Khaleel went to Changa Manga Police station where he lived but they refused to take action against the Mulsim perpetrators of the violence. They
found out who had undertaken the attack and forced Khaleel to sign a contract of forgiveness with the two men named as initial attackers.
Since the attack Khaleel has discovered the two men who started the fracas were friends of his competitor, a Muslim man named Muhammed Mustapha working
for another ice-cream sales company called Bhali.
Nazia Bibi, wife of Khaleel, said:
“These Muslims attacked my innocent husband while he was working. They say Christians have an evil spirit in them but we are peaceful and innocent victims who harm nobody? The Police ignored our pleas for help and I find this very demoralising. My children have always been bullied at school but now the bullying is worse, what have we done to deserve this?”
K
haleel Masih, said:
“I am now terrified of selling my ice-creams I ony go to Christian communities but this has drastically reduced my income. Soon I will not be able to feed my children. I have reached my lowest point and seek refuge from God.”
Fortunately for Khaleel, his employer a Mr Gulzar has not asked for an compensation. However it is now unsafe for him to work at Changa Manga a
popular tourist location as Muslim’s are threatening him and his family demanding they leave the village as they are unpure. His children
have reported the bullying they receive at their school, but teachers are either unwilling or incapable of helping. Khalil is rapidly running
out of money and is deeply concerned about his future.
British Pakistani Christian Association would like to help Khalil and his family by providing a his family three months in a safe house in a Pakistani
city, away from the threats and violence they face in rural Kasur. During this time we will help the family rebuild their lives in the city and
find work. We would like to raise enough funds to purchase an ice-cream vending bike for Khailil so that he can support his family in future,
at a place free of the overt hatred in Kasur region, where in 2015 a Christian couple Shama and Shahzad were burned alive after a false blasphemy allegation. Kasur is also famous for it’s brick kilns that are staffed by bonded labourers (modern
day slaves), of which Christians make up over 90 percent of the workforce.
To provide this safe house and trauma counselling we need to raise £200 per month and a further £450 to pay for the familes own vending vehicle. During the three month period we will help the family establish a new life closer to the city safe house. If you would like to contribute to our work helping this family please use this link (click here).
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association said:
“This attack on an innocent man using his faith against him to settle a petty jealousy is normal in Pakistan. Although an ostensibly ‘democratic’ nation, Pakistan persists with laws, a constitution and an educational system designed to undermine minorities. The result of this poor governance is great suffering in particular for the Christian minority whose plight is being ignored by Western governments and Christians in the West. Sadly for this family it has meant a drastic upheaval in their demeaning but settled life while their attackers enjoy the full protection of the law.”
Khaleel wants to rotect his wife and children from the threats and discrimination they face.
The family live in squalor but were happy till the threats began.
A hard-working Christian now faces bankruptcy as he can only sell to Christians away from the tourist centres due to threats on his life.
He bravely trys to eke out an existence amongst deprived Christin communities.
How can his hands contaminate food they cannot reach. Does he really have an evil spirit? Perhaps a spirit more evil then that of his attackers?
Navid Aziz with Khaleel
His company vehicle
Sad and depressed Khaleel needs trauma counselling.
Naveed Aziz BPCA Officer with the the children of Khaleel
Entrance to Khaleel’s home.