Overcome by thirst after working under the sweltering summer heat in Pattoki, Pakistan, a Christian brick kiln worker reached for the closest water cooler and took a sip. Doing so cost him his life.

The worker, a 39-year-old man named Sadique, had just finished stacking bricks before he took the drink. The water cooler belonged to some of his Muslim co-workers. One of the Muslims, Ahmed, confronted Sadique, telling him he couldn’t drink their water because he was a Christian and would “contaminate” it.

When an argument broke out, other co-workers separated the two men and told Ahmed to walk away and cool down. Ahmed soon returned with a knife.

Believing the conflict had ended, Sadique sat down and drank more water. Ahmed approached Sadique from behind and slit his throat, killing him.

A Family in Mourning

Sadique leaves behind a widow and four children, including his 10-year-old son, Daud, who has a blood disorder. International Christian Concern (ICC) is exploring ways to help Sadique’s family. When an ICC staffer met with his widow, she fought through tears as she shared her story.

“My husband just went to work to earn a livelihood for us, his family,” she said with her weeping children standing beside her. “He didn’t know they would take his life just for drinking water from their cooler.”

Sadique’s murder is another example of how Muslims in Pakistan look down on Christians and treat them as “Achhoot,” or untouchables.

Christians in Pakistan are often forced into the back-breaking work of making thousands of bricks a day. A system of greed keeps their families trapped in these horrible conditions for generations. These brick kiln laborers, often unseen and unheard, are among the most marginalized and vulnerable in Pakistan.

Thankfully, in this case, law enforcement and government officials responded swiftly, taking Ahmed into custody and filing a First Information Report (FIR). Authorities have expressed a determination to ensure Saqique’s widow receives justice. The local police station has been strictly ordered not to manipulate or alter the case file in any way, an ICC staffer said, and measures have been put in place to ensure the family is legally protected.

“No legal action can bring Sadique back,” the ICC staffer said. “As the community prays for justice for his family, prayers are also being offered that God changes the minds of these religiously rigid individuals who feel no remorse in taking a human life over a cup of water.”

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