A Christian teenager of only 15 years was beaten to death by a group of six Policemen in a village called Jabbran district in Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan.
Arslan Masih was an 8th grader at Government High School when two days ago he got into a fight at his school, with a Muslim boy whose uncle was a police
officer. Salem Iqbal, from Isaac TV has reported that the initial fight was due to attempts to convert Arslan to Islam. However this has
not yet been corroborated. One eyewitness said:
“The Muslim students hated Arslan because they said his faith made him impure. They called him disgusting names and used foul language that decent people would not use. Even then Arslan went to school and he was doing well. He used to tell me that he would study hard and get a good job one day then these evil boys would have to shut up and stop insulting him.
“He never got the chance to complete his studies or start employment, but our God is gracious and I know Arslan will be in heaven and there his life will be more peaceful.
“Arslan was very brave despite all the abuse he never once even thought of giving up his faith. He was a regular church attender and volunteered with the cleaning and setting up before and after services. He loved God but that only made the Muslim students more angry. He is gone now and they [police attackers] may be laughing but one day our God will judge them for what they have done to Arslan.”
The fight was triggered when the ringleader amongst the boy starting hitting Arslan telling him he was a Christian Chura (derogatory word for Christians
in Pakistan), but Arslan fought back to the surprise of the Muslim student. Arslan won the fight and thought that would be the end of his bullying
as he had beaten the key instigator of the attacks on him, however he was mistaken.
On 9th October after hearing about the fight the Muslim boy’s uncle Constable Sardar Bilu arrived at Arslan’s school with five other policemen.
The policemen confronted him about the altercation and asked how a Christian boy could dare to fight with a Muslim. Arslan apologised and asked for
forgiveness, however the police did not accept his apology. Officers participating in this incident include Sub Inspector Imtiaz Constable Rashid,
Constable Arshad, Volunteer Robin, and Volunteer Tanveer.
The policeman began forcing Arslan to leave the school grounds and go to the Police station with them, even though no crime had been committed.
Seeing the frightened boy being manhandled by police officers, an academy teacher Farhan Ali tried to intervene. However the teacher became the
recipient of a tirade of abuse and was slapped several times. Brave Arslan at this point tried to stop the teacher getting beaten but in intervening
became the target of the beatings. However he was beaten with lathis (long wooden truncheon) and the butts of the policemen’s guns. The brutal
beating which was undertaken before students and teachers rendered Arslan unconcious and he was quickly taken to Babar Medical Clinic.
Despite the prompt carriage to the hospital Arslan was pronounced dead on arrival.
Yesterday the funeral of Arslan took place and our officer Naveed Aziz joined the family and prayed with them. He has offered to pay for the
funeral and has offered a solicitor for which the family have shown great appreciation.
Brother of Arslan, Imtiaz, said:
“I have lost my younger brother a very intelligent boy. He got into a fight at school so he could stop the bullying he was receiving. Now he has been killed by lawmen who should be protecting him. Christians have no value in Pakistan but even then my family and I will pursue justice for Arslan.”
Naveed Aziz, said:
“In the space of two months two young men have been murdered at school, because they are Christians, and others have been targeted with false blasphemy allegations on social media. There seems to be no safe public space for Christian children to be educated when in the pursuit of a diploma they instead receive a funeral shroud.”
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, said:
“The murder of another Christian teenage at his educational establishment is heartbreaking. When will this stop.”
“This incident reminds us that Christians have no hope in Pakistan. Despite what western nations think experts continue to place Pakistan above Mynamar and Syria for their intolerance and persecution of minorities.
“How many teenagers will have to die before western nations rethink their relationship with Pakistan. While the nation of Pakistan is treated with kid gloves because of perceived aly status in the war against terror. They themselves become the terrorists that we fear and export their violence globally.”
BPCA have initiated an appeal to help the family with legal costs to pursue justice and a safe house for the family. If you would like to donate please (click here)
Sign our petition (click here)
Naveed Aziz gave flowers to Ishtiaq Masih an older brother who is an officer with the Pakistani Navy
Hundreds attended the funeral of Arslan.
Sister Toshiba (25 yrs), Mother Suria Bibi (45 years), Brother Safiyan (22 years), and Brother Ishtiaq (21 years)
