Naveed John’s eldest brother is concerned about his safety.
Sargodha:
A young Christian man was accused of blasphemy and arrested in Sargodha, a city of Punjab under section 295-A, on October 8th 2015. Naveed John (24) has
been languishing in prison since his arrest.
Police sources have claimed that a sword inscribed with holy verses from the Quran was found in Naveed’s room, however members of his family have alleged
that police demanded a bribe for his release, and on their refusal to pay the police accused Naveed of a blasphemy.
Naveed John, a resident of Maryam Colony, Sargodha, was arrested on 8th October by Satellite Town police. Police registered First Investigation Report
(FIR) No. 619/15.
This latest arrest is a move away from the usual incident regarding blasphemy in that the accusation was not made by the local community, but from state
police. The Police First Incident Report (FIR) states that police found a sword in Naveed’s room inscribed with Kalma (Muslim proclamations).
It further states that a Christian should not be in possession of the Muslim sword and that knowledge of the sword in a Christian’s possession could
stir Muslims to violence. The local police arrested him under Section 295a of the Pakistan penal code.The sword has been described as a gift from a
friend that Naveed kept simply to show courtesy and avoid offence, he made sure it was kept safe and appropriately on a mattress off the floor to prevent
any offence to Muslims.
Naveed John was known to be a very gifted healer and he had prayed for many sick and demon possessed people whom God had healed through him. Many
of these people were Muslims who had then secretly converted to Christianity as a consequence of the miraculous healing they experienced. This
caused great community tension and the local Muslims kept accusing him of crimes to the local police – who themselves have been harassing him for many
months.
Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, attorney for Naveed said:
“Blasphemy laws are used to settle scores and are a mechanism to target Christians, something must be done to change them. Here we find another innocent
young man accused of a crime that could cost him his life.”
Sakhawat Masih, the elder brother of Naveed told us that some police had arrived at their house a few days before he was arrested and demanded some money
for what they referred to as a bribe for safety of the Christian family, not unlike the Islamic Jizya Tax. The police threatened to take action if
he denied them. It would seem that they followed through on their promise.
The next hearing of this blasphemy case is scheduled for 17th October and we call on Christians to pray for justice for this poor young man. We are raising
an appeal to pay for the legal cover for Naveed John’s case and believe the figure will be around £400.
Shamim Masih, BPCA researcher, said:
“This latest blasphemy allegation sets an awful precedent. That police can now enact such cases on a whim after being denied a bribe places Christians
in a very dangerous position. A thorough examination of this incident is required and a police review of their own practices – if not I predict
many more Christians are gong to lose their lives to the draconian blasphemy laws.”
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the BPCA, said:
“I hold grave concerns about this most recent blasphemy arrest, state policing authorities are meant to protect the communities they serve, but something
has been amiss in Pakistan from the outset of their establishment. Bribery and corruption in Pakistan have demeaned their international status
and is well documented regarding their police force. However, this latest act that has no doubt destroyed a young man’s life is an alarming precedent,
that illustrates the quality of lives for Christians in Pakistan has hit rock-bottom.”
[more images at bottom of post]
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Two of Naveed John’s brothers contemplate his future
Outside the solicitor’s office
The brothers are praying earnestly for Naveed’s release.
Imageof the home of Naveed
The mattress that the sword was removed from.