Funeral of bomb victim Samuel Sardar Masih illustrates Christians are anathema in Pakistan and the country's most vulnerable targets

On Friday we reported on the bomb attack by Pakistani Taliban splinter group Jamaat –ul-Ahrar, who attacked a Christian community near Warsak Dam.

The attack began early in the morning in a small village named 'Christian Colony' on the outskirts of Peshawar. Christian worker Samuel Sardar Masih,
(50 years) was the first casualty he had called for a security officer to open the gates to the community village at 5:30 am.   As he walked to
work he saw the terrorists and instead of seeking safety, he called the security officers protecting the colony and warned them of the impending attack.
He then ran back to alert the community and protect his family from danger. He made it back to the gates where he shouted for help making himself a
target.  There he was shot dead with several bullets by all four of the Muslim assassins and his body was hacked to pieces leaving it unrecognizable.

One of the security officers Mr Khud Ali had received a call from Samuel, who warned him of the impending attack. He was able to prime himself and
took shelter in a safe security cabin. Taking advice from Samuel he had contacted the military liaison to seek help and assistance.  From the
Cabin he engaged in gun fire with the four terrorists who had entered the colony – his colleague Najeeb also joined the gun exchange.  Together
they managed to pin them at the entrance of the colony protecting the Christian civilians till support arrived from the military.

Mr Khud Ali spoke to BPCA officer Shamim Masih, he said:

"The attackers were wearing suicide vests and carrying semi automatic firearms it was frightening, but I had a job to do.  I alerted the local military forces of the attack and they responded in minutes.  They provided support during a gunfire exchange.  Army helicopters also arrived and the collaborative effort made it extremely difficult for the suicide assassins to get anywhere near the Christian community. We held the killers at bay, two police officers were injured and my colleague Najeeb, but somehow we prevented any further casualties."      

Three of the attackers were forced into a construction site where they were eventually found dead.  Report vary saying the bombers were killed
by gunfire from Pakistani security forces.  However the dismembered body parts of the killers seem to tell a different story in which the attackers
triggered their suicide vests to explode         

Shamim Masih, our lead reporter arrived at the site of the attack within hours of the news.  He found a community that was completely traumatized
and threatened by the incident.  The initial story that was released in the community was that Samuel Sardar had helped the security forces in
the gun attack against the killers. The family tell us that military commanders did not want to share the truth about the death of Samuel, for fear
that it would create a panic amongst the terrified and hysterical Christians.  

Shamim met with the family of slain Christian Samuel Masih and found them distraught at the loss of their patriarch. The eldest son Waqar spoke with
Shamim and described his heartache, he said:

"My innocent father has been been killed simply for his faith, today he is a martyr and he is with God.  The men that have murdered him will suffer in hell but that will not bring my father back. I miss my father already his whole life he has suffered for us and I will never get the chance to repay him. Why do Muslim's hate us Christians so much we do nothing to hurt them?"

The area of the attack is near Warsak Dam, in the Khyber Tribal Region, more than 20 km away from Peshawar city,  around 120 Christian families
live in the community.  Most of them are workers for the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).  Samuel and moved to the area from
Peshawar in the 1950's to seek employment and had retired recently giving up his employment to his eldest son. Samuel Masih leaves behind a wife
Razia (43 years), two sons Waqar (22 years) and Shaharyar, (18 years) and three daughters Kiran (30 years), Anna (19 years), and Samra (12 years). 

Razia Bibi, widow of Samuel said:

"My husband worked at Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) and always left early in the morning for his job. After he left our home today I heard all the shooting and feared the worst. I locked all the doors and windows to my house and gathered my family into the living room we prayed for our safety and Samuel's. When I heard he was dead my heart collapsed – I will mourn him for the rest of my life."

Khud Ali explained that after the attack there was still great fear in the community. He said: "Once the gun attack was over we joined the military and police forces in a search operation throughout the colony.  After some hours the search was terminated  and no other attackers were found. However, the residents living here are now in a real state of hysteria, I don't blame them they were lucky this time. The early warning by Samuel saved everyone." 

One suicide bomber blew himself up in the house of  Farrukh Masih.  Farrukh and his family heard the deep resonating Islamic prayers of the
bomber and exited via the back of their house, when the incendiary device was set off. The family all escaped unharmed but in deep shock.  Little
remains of Farrukh's house.

Farrukh and his family have asked for help with restoring their home and help with temporary accomodation.  If you would like to contribute please
(click here).

Farrukh Masih by what remains of his house.

The family narrowly escaped death by rushing to the back of the house.

On Saturday Samuel Sardar's family laid his body to rest.  The body received full military honors for the manner in which he sacrificed his own
life to save others and was wrapped in a Pakistani flag.  The family were not able to see the body because it was said to be in an extremely deteriorated
state.  

The family of Samuel Sardar have asked for help with the cost of the funeral. If you would like to contribute of give a gift please

Shamim Masih, Lead British Pakistani Christian Association reporter, said:

"It is alarming that to create instability in Pakistan once again a Christian colony is being attacked by extremists. Jamat Ul Ahrar a group who seek full sharia law in Pakistan hate Christians with great passion, they wish to annihilate us as we are allegedly ritually impure and in their minds defile the nation of Pakistan. There is no safe haven for Christians in Pakistan and this small success by Pakistani security forces should not be mistaken as a watershed moment.  Without the bravery of Samuel Masih many would have died and the military would have simply been clearing up the mess.  The Christians of the colony owe him a great debt, just as much is owed to the military.  Sadly his sacrifice will be forgotten, meanwhile his family mourn the loss of their patriarch, a pain that will remain for longevity."

Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the BPCA, said:

"Every attack on a Christian community is an attack on the initial vision of Muhammed Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan.  This is not the Pakistan he wanted nor many of the early forefathers of the nation, but extremist have been allowed to hijack the country. Moral decline has created an intolerant nation in which the social divide is perpetuated to maintain the wealth of the elite. Laws do not create a fairer society it is the hearts and minds of people and on that basis Pakistan has little hope."

He added:

"On a recent radio interview it was suggested that the targeted attacks on the legal fraternity in Pakistan, may be a consequence of the challenge for equal rights for minorities through the judicial process.  This is far from the truth, few if any of the judiciary support reforms towards minority equality.  These attacks are simply an opportunity to create instability and thwart democracy.  They are also revenge for the terrorists prosecuted for attacks on the Military school in Peshawar in 2014 and the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri deemed an Islamic hero.  Sadly no convictions for acts of terrorism occurred after the Peshawar twin Church bomb attack of 2013, or the attack on a Christian community in Gojra in 2009.  Quite simply killing a Christian still has a significant chance for impunity – so we can only expect more Christian deaths to such violence."

Please pray for succour for the family of Samuel Sardar Masih
Please pray for peace and equality in Pakistan
Please pray for our officers such as Shamim Masiah, Kanwal Amar, Mehwish Bhatti and Naveed Aziz who travel into dangerous areas to report on these incidents and offer help to victims.

Some of the Images below are very graphic so please do not view further if it will cause stress.

remains of a bomber

Bullet casings