Christian Charged with Blasphemy

Following a dispute about rent between a Christian and his Muslim landlord in PAKISTAN, Muslims falsely accused the believer of burning pages of the Koran to prepare tea. These blasphemy charges are punishable with life imprisonment.

Pray for courage for this Christian. Ask God for his release. “The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

LEARN MORE: False Charges against a Christian in Pakistan

One day Khuram Masih, a 23-year-old low-income laborer in Pakistan, had a dispute with his landlord about the rent for the house where he, his wife, and five other families live. But while this Christian was gone later that day, the landlord and other Muslims circulated a rumor that he and his wife had burned pages of the Koran to make tea. A crowd gathered outside the house and shouted anti-Christian slogans. As mosques made announcements of the alleged crime, Christians in the area began to panic.

Masih did not know what was going on until that evening. Then he found out that his wife was in police custody. When he went to secure her release, he learned of the blasphemy charges against him. Reports say that he was “visibly shaken” and “wept as he sought protection for his wife.” She has since been released. The accuser later changed his story and said that only Masih, not his wife, was involved in the crime. Masih says that the charges against him are completely made up, and that other aspects of his accuser’s story conflict with the evidence.

For Masih, as for many other Christians in Pakistan, justice, if it comes, may be slow. Due to Islamic pressure, the lower courts do not generally grant bail in such cases. His legal defenders say that they will “make efforts for his bail in the Lahore High Court once the proceedings begin.”

Pray for Masih and his wife in the long struggle they face ahead.

To read the full story about Masih, click here. 

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” – Matthew 5:10-12