What a cruel punishment.
A Christian laborer in Pakistan, Wasif George, was brutally humiliated by local Muslim landowners who accused him of stealing wood from their property. According to his brother, Patras George, Wasif was not stealing but merely collecting fallen branches to use for cooking. On the evening of February 27, seven men attacked him, shaved his head and facial hair, blackened his face, and forced him to ride a donkey while being paraded through the village. The attackers threatened anyone who attempted to intervene, leaving the villagers in fear.
The assault has left Wasif George deeply traumatized, with his family worried that he may attempt suicide due to the public humiliation. His brother explained that instead of reporting Wasif to the authorities, the landowners took the law into their own hands, using the incident as an opportunity to intimidate the Christian community in their village. Only a few minor figures, including a barber involved in the abuse, were detained by the police, while the main culprits, who are influential landowners, remain free and are pressuring the family to settle the matter.
Patras George has expressed frustration with the lack of justice, noting the bias of the police and the silence of both Christian leaders and political figures. The Christian families in the village, who are mostly laborers, feel powerless to stand up to the wealthy Muslim landowners. The police have registered a case, but no significant action has been taken, and the accused have managed to secure pre-arrest bail.
The chairman of the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party, Aslam Sahotra, has voiced his support for the George family and criticized the villagers’ silence and the police’s inaction. He called on the Punjab chief minister and senior police officials to intervene and ensure that justice is served. Pakistan ranks high among countries where Christians face severe persecution, highlighting the vulnerability of marginalized communities in such cases.