Religious bigotry in Pakistan’s education system makes schools a dangerous place for minority Christian students
Please sign our petition calling for better protection of Christian children in Pakistani schools (click here)
KARACHI:
Muslim students in Karachi Pakistan attempted to murder their Christian classmate Haroon Irfan (15 yrs) when they descended on him in a brutal stabbing that left his kidney severed into two pieces.
The parents of students in question sought to immediately press the victim’s family not to pursue charges and were joined by the police in their efforts.
Haroon’s father claims that local police refused to register a First Information Report (FIR), and they pressured him to give forgiveness by getting compensation outside of the court system.
The family, however, has decided they will attempt to get justice Khursheed Bibi, Haroon’s grandmother, said:
“We are not going into any process of negotiations or forgiveness, we want justice.”
BPCA Officer Irfan Masih (middle) met with the family and has already paid £200 towards medical costs after the family were left without any help from other charities that purported to help. The family still need to raise funds for medical costs associated with Haroon’s injuries. We have an appeal below.
On Friday 15th February 2019, Haroon Irfan, a Christian student at Government Mohammadi School in Karachi, who was well known for his intelligence and who according to his school principal bears the nickname “little Einstein”, reported that his Muslim classmate, Muhammad Majid, snatched his school notebook and attempted to ruin it. Haroon did not retaliate in violence but reported the bullying to his teacher who helped him retrieve his book.
On Sunday, 17th of February, two days later – Haroon was on his way to buy food when he was attacked by Majid and several other Muslim boys.
Ifran, his father explained that, Haroon was alone on the road, when Majid and five others beat Haroon for reporting Majid for stealing and damaging his notebook to the teacher.
The assailants surrounded Haroon to attack him they stabbed him in the stomach and injured his kidney. The attack was so brutal that one of Haroon’s kidneys was cut into two. The gang then left him to die on the ground in a pool of his own blood.
Unfortunately by the time he was taken to Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital his kidney had to be removed by surgical staff.
This incident mirrors an attack on slain scholar Sharoon Masih (15 yrs), who also had a dream to attain an education but was struck down on the third day of classes by his classmates supposedly for drinking water from the common container. In that case also corrupt police officers fudged the investigation (click here).
Nor is it any different from draconian police officers who murdered 15 year-old Arslan Masih when he stood up to a school bully in an attempt to defend himself from the constant harassment he experienced for being a Christian. (click here)
BPCA President, Wilson Chowdhry said:
“We are grieved that yet another young man had been met with such hate in his place of learning. This bloody attack on Haroon demonstrates the untenable situation for Christian students in Pakistan’s education system.
“Bigotry and intolerance is systematically taught in Pakistan’s schools and modelled by its teachers, must end if there is to be any positive change towards justice for religious minorities in future generations.
“Hate material in the curriculum must be purged from the curriculum and the positive role of Christians and other minorities in the
establishment of Pakistan must be taught instead.
“Measures must be taken to bring his attackers to justice, and hold corrupt police officials to account. BPCA stands with Haroon and his family as the seek this end.”
Please sign our petition calling for better protection of Christian children in Pakistani schools (click here)
British Pakistani Christian Association, continues to provide advocacy and humanitarian aid to the family and are paying towards their medical care. We cannot do it without your help please donate by clicking (here)
