Released From Death Row

[Gul Masih, Pakistan, 1992]

The judge looked at Sajjad Husain, who was the only witness against the Christian Gul Masih. The judge liked what he saw:Sajjad was young and fervent, college-educated, and with his full beard he looked like a true Muslim.

No one else had heard the conversation between the two neighbors. No one could confirm that Masih had defamed the Islamic prophet, Mohammed. It was Sajjad Husain's word against Gul Masih's word.

The judge looked at Gul Masih. Despite constant persecution, Gul Masih had chosen to be a Jesus Freak. In fact, his name "Masih" means Messiah. Many Christians in Pakistan, especially those who convert to Christianity, unashamedly use this as a public source of identification with Jesus Christ.

Pakistan's blasphemy laws are harsh: every critical word about Mohammed or the Koran, their holy book, is considered blasphemy, and violators are sentenced to death. (12 other Pakistani Christians have been accused in recent years under these laws. Five of them were acquitted by the courts, but then illegally murdered by Muslim extremists. Many others are still being accused.)

The judge nodded toward Husain and said, "I have no reason to disbelieve this witness."

Then he turned to Gul Masih. "I sentence you to death by hanging."

When news of Gul Masih's situation was published, Christians from all over the world wrote to him in jail to encourage him that people knew of his situation, that they cared, and that they were praying for him. He responded to a Canadian woman:

"First of all, I am thankful to you that you have encouraged me. My Lord has come to me twice in my prison cell. One day, I was sitting in my cell thinking about this injustice in a sad and hopeless mood. Suddenly athe cell filled with light and my body trembled. I saw my Lord. Four days after this, my Jesus came again and overshadowed me by raising His hands & blessing me. From that day on, I have been happy & at peace. My Lord is with me in Jail. He doesn't leave me alone. We are five members in our family. We have a great love for each other. I am very grateful to my Lord. He has fulfilled all my needs in the best possible way. I am also thankful to you and my other brothers & sisters who have supported me. I hope that by the grace of God we will see one another. Let us not forget the power of prayer."

In addition to writing to Gul Masih, many also wrote to the Pakistani Ambassador saying they were aware of the "unproven and unjust" sentences of Gul Masih and two other Pakistani Christians. One Christian leaders says the law is used as a weapon against the Christians in the country. Many blasphemy charges are lies from a jealous, neighboring shopkeeper or farmer.

These letters were used by God to help facilitate Gul Masih's release after almost 3 years in prison. In a miraculous turn of events, on November 29, 1994, the Lahore High Court of Pakistan cleared Gul Masih of all charges of violating the blasphemy law and removed him from the danger of certain death.

Being released from death row does now exactly mean freedom for Gul Masih. His life remains threatened by Islamic fundamentalists who were outraged by t he court's verdict. Within a month, the leader of the Muslim temple in Sarghoda issued a fatwah, an order for Gul Masih's assassination. Wanted posters were placed throughout the city of Sarghoda, pleading for his execution. Death threats were called out on the loudspeaker from the tower of the local mosque. Gul Masih remains fearful for his life and is in hiding despite his release from prison.
~*~

There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he's doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I've told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you'll be well-warned and ready for them.
-Jesus (John 16:2-4, The message)