Source:  www.assistnews.net

Date:  2008-05-21

By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan

ATTOCK, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian armament factory worker has fled his home after his Muslim co-workers accused him of blasphemy.

Nazim, a Christian resident of the area told ANS that Danish, 25 was very much upset as the Muslim co-workers had been targeting his Christian faith for last several days.

"Danish kept it to himself. His Muslim co-workers accused him of committing blasphemy when he asked them to stop criticizing his religion", Nazim told ANS.

As the word of his alleged blasphemy spread out, hundreds of Muslim factory workers gathered in the factory but Danish managed to escape as the managing director of the factory calmed down the charged workers, he said.

Jagdeesh Kumar, 22, a Hindu, was beaten to death by his Muslim co-workers in the port city of Karachi in April this year.

Some reports suggest that blasphemy accusation was slapped on Danish after his Muslim co-workers failed to convert him to Islam.

Danish is a resident of Jaki basti (slum) that houses some 20 Christian families. The incident has sparked fear and uncertainty among local Christians.

Christian parliamentarian and Chairman of All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) has expressed his grave concern over registration of fake blasphemy cases. The blasphemy laws, he said, had rendered the minorities communities insecure.

He urged the democratic, liberal, enlightened and moderate forces of the country to join hands with the APMA in its struggle for repeal of the disputed laws.

Since their implementation in 1986, the laws are being widely misused with impunity by the Muslims to settle personal scores against marginalized communities of the country.