ASIA/PAKISTAN - Another young Catholic dies of beatings: Samuel Masih, in prison on charges of blasphemy died in hospital of beatings received in prison

Lahore (Fides Service) - The blasphemy law in Pakistan is a threat hanging over members of religious minorities. A young Catholic boy Samuel Masih, charged with blasphemy and put in prison in August 2003 died in hospital three days ago on May 28 of beatings inflicted by his prison warder, an fundamentalist Muslim.
Local sources said that not only minority groups, Christians, Hindus and others are threatened by the blasphemy law but even Muslims suffer negative consequences: very often behind the charge of blasphemy against Mohammed there is a will for revenge or to remove someone for some dispute or other reason.
Very often the person charged and imprisoned pending trial is beaten and tortured even before he is taken before a court. Very often the suspects are killed Muslim fanatics even before the trial. This was the case of young Samuel Masih, from Lahore, who died on May 28 after some months in coma in the hospital where he was taken after being beaten in prison. Samuel, suffering from TB, as accused by a bookshop owner of Lahore of leaving garbage near a Mosque in Lahore.
The event caused grief among Catholics in Pakistan, who met for the funeral on 29 May presided by Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha, archbishop of Lahore and president of the Bishops’ Conference. Condemning the episode the Archbishop called on the central government to guarantee life and security for religious minorities and he encouraged Christians to work to remove this law strongly criticised by civil associations and human rights groups. Many people offer professional legal assistance and money to help people charged under this law, like Khalil Tahir a lawyer on Faisalabad who is freely offering his services to the family of Anjum Javed, a boy killed by Muslim fundamentalists.
Recently President of Pakistan Gen. Musharraf called for a revision of the penal code and the blasphemy law which the local Church wants abolished.
Article 295/c of Pakistan’s Code of Penal law, know as the blasphemy law, condemns anyone who, in word or writing, acts, or visible representations with direct or indirect insinuations, insult the holy name of the Prophet”. The punishment can be life imprisonment.
The Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Commission for Justice and Peace says the law is often used to strike adversaries in personal disputes. The Commission says that since 1987 at least 148 Muslims, 208 Ahmads, 75 Christians and 8 Hindus have been falsely accused of blasphemy.
Pakistan has a population of 155 million 97% Muslims. Christians are 2,5%, including 1.2 million Catholics. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 31/5/2004 lines 48 words 428)