Muslim Employer Holds Pakistani Christian Family Captive for a Year

Mother & Daughter Allegedly Raped Repeatedly

Washington , D.C. (June 8, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Pakistani police freed a family of Christian brick kiln workers on June 2 in Raiwind , Pakistan . Asghar Masih, Rehana Bibi and their three children were allegedly held hostage at a brick kiln by Muhammad Nawaz, the Muslim owner.

Asghar escaped and informed Pakistani officials about his family’s plight. The police then raided the brick kiln and freed the victims after arresting Nawaz.

Nawaz allegedly raped Rehana and her eldest daughter repeatedly during the imprisonment and he and accomplices also tortured and chained the victims to prevent them from escaping.

Asghar has shown ICC the injuries around his neck, ankles, and wrists from being chained four hours at a time.

Nawaz denied the allegations in a statement to ICC, but Muhammad Mujahid, a brick kiln worker and eye witness, corroborated that the Christian family was kept as a hostage for more than a year.

In Pakistan , brick kiln owners keep workers hostages if they don’t pay their loans. However, Mujahid said that the Christian family didn’t owe any debt money to Nawaz.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho stated, “The plight of this Christian family highlights the victimization of Christian minorities in Pakistan . Pakistani Christians are treated like third-class citizens in their own country simply because of their faith. We commend Pakistani officials for freeing victims. We urge officials to vigilantly protect rights of religious minorities in Pakistan .”