A Christian man was brutally assaulted and humiliated by a group of influential Muslims in his village for collecting firewood. The attackers shaved the man’s head, eyebrows, and mustache before parading him through the streets on a donkey in a degrading display. The police have registered an FIR and arrested two individuals involved in the incident, while the main perpetrators are currently on pre-arrest bail. In response to this act of violence and humiliation, the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) team visited the family to offer their support and stand in solidarity with them.
On 27th February, a Christian man named Wasif Masih, 35, was brutally beaten and humiliated by a group of Muslim landowners in the village of Babaywali Chak 110 G/B, located in Chak Jhumra, Punjab, Pakistan. The perpetrators—Muhammad Junaid, Naeem, Teeter ul Haq, and three accomplices—attacked Mr. Masih for collecting firewood from the roadside. They detained him for four hours at a poultry farm, where they shaved his head, left eyebrow, and part of his mustache, darkened his face, and paraded him through the village streets on a donkey. The culprits, known for their violent actions, have instilled fear throughout the area. While the police have filed an FIR and arrested two of the attackers, the main culprits—Muhammad Junaid, Naeem, and Teeter ul Haq—have secured pre-arrest bail. Mr. Masih was rescued when the police arrived, but the attackers fled before being apprehended.
On 3rd March, a team from the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) visited Chak Jhumra to meet with Mr. Wasif Masih and his family, offering their support and ensuring that Mr. Masih would receive legal assistance in his fight for justice against the violent and humiliating actions inflicted upon him. During their visit, Mr. Masih shared the harrowing details of the ordeal he endured.
He recounted that on the evening of 27th February, around 6:00 pm, he went to collect firewood from trees by the side of a canal in the village. While gathering the sticks, he was confronted by the perpetrators—Muhammad Junaid, Naeem, Teeter ul Haq, and three other men. They began to verbally abuse him, calling him “chuhra” and physically assaulting him.
Mr. Masih explained to BACA, “Muhammad Junaid shouted, ‘You Chuhra! How dare you collect wood from our lands?’ and then he began beating me brutally.”
“I begged them to forgive me, but they continued to harass and assault me without mercy,” he added, describing the relentless violence he endured.
Around 7:00 pm, the perpetrators took Mr. Wasif Masih to a poultry farm owned by Muhammad Junaid, where Naeem and Teeter ul Haq joined them. There, they locked him inside a room, unleashing their hatred and cruelty. Muhammad Junaid then summoned a barber named Muhammad Razaq, instructing him to shave Mr. Masih’s head, eyebrows, and mustache. They darkened his face, and in a further act of humiliation, they placed him on a donkey and paraded him through the village streets, forcing people to witness the abuse they had inflicted on him.
Mr. Masih recounted the traumatic experience to BACA, saying, “I cried and begged them to take me to the police station if they thought I had done anything wrong.”
“They ignored my pleas, called me ‘Chuhra’ instead,” he continued. “They put me on the donkey and threatened to kill me if I tried to get off.”
When the group of perpetrators approached the house of Muhammad Mushtaq and knocked on his door to force him to witness their parade, Muhammad Mushtaq stepped outside and immediately confronted them. He rebuked the culprits, saying, “Your faces should be darkened for your evil acts.”
Upon hearing this, the perpetrators abandoned Mr. Masih and fled the scene. At this moment, Mr. Masih’s mother, Jamila Bibi, and his elder brother, Patras Masih, arrived after hearing about the incident from others in the village. Patras quickly called 15 for police assistance.
The police arrived promptly and apprehended Muhammad Mujahid Mushtaq, the son of Muhammad Mushtaq, who was present at the scene. He was asked to guide the officers to the homes of the culprits. Following his identification of the culprits, the police arrested barber Muhammad Razaq and Muhammad Junaid at their respective residences. An FIR was registered against the accused under sections 506, 342, 357, 148, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), in case number 335/25.
The main culprits—Muhammad Teeter ul Haq, Muhammad Jamshed, Muhammad Naeem, and others—have secured pre-arrest bails from the court. Despite this, Mr. Masih and his family are resolutely determined to seek justice for the violence and humiliation he endured, as he committed no crime against the perpetrators.
In his account to BACA, Mr. Masih shared that the culprits had also stolen his mobile phone, valued at Rs. 60,000 (£180), along with Rs. 20,000 (£58) in salary he had recently earned from his employer. As a daily wage labourer, this loss has had a significant financial impact on him.
Mr. Masih has formally requested legal assistance from BACA to help him seek justice and hold the perpetrators accountable for the crimes they inflicted upon him. BACA has inquired about the cost of a legal representative for the case, which would amount to £700. Additionally, we aim to replace Mr. Masih’s stolen phone and recover the £238 in lost salary.
If you are able to help and would like to donate to our appeal, you can do so [here]. Your support will be invaluable in ensuring Mr. Masih receives the justice he deserves and can rebuild his life after this traumatic experience.
Juliet Chowdhry, Trustee of the British Asian Christian Association, stated, “This brutal attack on Mr. Masih goes beyond theft and violence; it is a direct assault on his Christian identity. Unfortunately, incidents like this are all too common, as wealthy individuals often leverage their influence to bribe authorities and employ coercive tactics to intimidate victims, thereby evading justice. In this case, a man was subjected to severe physical abuse and public humiliation simply for collecting brushwood—a routine task that could have easily turned into a murder, as we have seen in many similar incidents in Pakistan. The only way to break this cycle of violence is for law enforcement and the judicial system to hold perpetrators accountable, ensuring that they face appropriate legal consequences and ending the systematic impunity that enables such acts to persist.”
