Christian teenager allegedly tortured to death in Pakistan - for phoning a Muslim girl. Latest 'honour killing' highlights plight of Christians in Pakistan

The body of a Christian teenager has been dragged out of a canal in Pakistan – he was allegedly tortured to death in an ‘honour killing’ for seeing a Muslim girl.

The case is highlighted by Release International, which serves persecuted Christians around the world. It is subject to investigation, so some details have been omitted.

The 19-year-old man, ‘Rehmat’, was brought up by Christian parents in a city in Punjab. He met 19-year-old ‘Fatima’ on their way to school. Both names have been changed for legal reasons.

Fatima was brought up by a Muslim family in the neighbourhood. Although it was taboo for Muslims and Christians to become romantically linked they started to call one another on their mobile phones.

One day Rehmat left his phone at home. Fatima rang and his mother picked up the call. Recognising that her son’s life would be in danger she warned him to keep away from Fatima.

Then she went to Fatima’s parents to tell them, too, so they could nip the relationship in the bud. But this only made matters far worse for her son.

Fatima’s parents scolded her and confined her to her room. And according to Release International’s partners – lawyers representing Rehmat’s family – Fatima’s parents issued a stark warning.

They warned Rehmat’s parents that they would not permit a Christian man to disgrace Islam, and threatened to kill Rehmat if the relationship continued.

But 19-year-old Fatima continued to call Rehmat on his mobile phone. Then one day she rang and asked to see him alone outside the area.

But she was not alone. Her family had put her up to it. Five family members, including her father and two uncles went with her. Unknown to Rehmat’s family, their son hired a motorbike and went to the liaison – and to his death.

Joseph Francis, of Release partners, CLAAS (Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement), which gives legal support to persecuted Christians in Pakistan, takes up the story:

‘They took Rehmat by force. They held him and tortured him for almost two days. Rehmat could not bear the severity of the torture and died.’

Eventually, the teenager’s body was pulled out of a canal. CLAAS lawyers say the police refuse to report the case as murder and are insisting on registering the cause of death as suicide. ‘The police were biased, because it was a matter of religion,’ says Joseph Francis. CLAAS has now taken up the case with the authorities and is pressing for justice for Rehmat’s family.

‘There have been many tragic cases of so-called honour killing in Pakistan,’ says Release International’s CEO Andy Dipper. ‘And this appears to be one of the worst. A 19-year-old teenager allegedly tortured to death – just for talking to a neighbour’s girl on the phone.

‘Sadly, all too often, Christians in Pakistan are treated as second-class citizens with few rights under the law. They face religious prejudice in the raw and contempt for the value of human life. That prejudice is highlighted here by the apparent refusal by the police to see that justice is done – regardless of religion. Please pray for Rehmat’s family. And pray for change in Pakistan.’

Through its international network of missions Release International supports Christians imprisoned for their faith and their families in 30 nations. It supports church workers, pastors and their families, and provides training, Bibles, Christian literature and broadcasts. Release International is a member of the UK organisations Global Connections, the Evangelical Alliance and the Micah Network.

ENDS 

NOTES TO THE EDITOR 

For further information please contact Andrew Boyd on 01730 301905 or 07986 712 813, or contact Release International on 01689 823491 or by email at info@releaseinternational.org  

For a country profile on Pakistan, please go to: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/country-profiles/pakistan.php 

For more information on Release International please go to: www.releaseinternational.org