Christian accused of blasphemy over water
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Last month, a Pakistani Christian and his family were forced to flee from a mob after he was accused of blasphemy by Muslims after an argument over tap water.
According to The Christian Post, Aftab Gill frequently collected water for his family from a tap at a local mosque, which was the only clean supply of water available to the Wazirabad community of Punjab province. But when Gill last drew water from the tap, he was told that Christians were not allowed to get their water from the mosque unless they accepted Islam.
British Pakistani Christian Association officer Shamim Masih told the Post that obtaining clean drinking water is often a problem for many Christian communities in Pakistan.
“Living near any mosque for a Christian family in a Muslim dominated country like Pakistan could be dangerous at any time,” Masih said. “I had a very similar experience when I was living in Rawalpindi and we had a rented house near a mosque.
“Normally during hot summers, water levels dropped and we faced a shortage of water. People used to collect water from the nearby mosque, paying them a small fee. I was forced to do the same and we happily paid our contribution — until one day the cleric came to know that we are from the Christian faith. Immediately, the local cleric stopped us from taking water from the mosque, which caused us great difficulty.”
The BPCA has appealed for donations to help build another clean water tap for the town in its church.