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WASHINGTON, June 12: International Christian
Concern has learned that radical Muslims running a tea
stall beat a Christian man to death for using a cup
designated for Muslims on May 9. The young man, Ishtiaq
Masih, had ordered tea at a roadside stall in Machharkay
village, Punjab, Pakistan, after his bus made a rest
stop.
When Ishtiaq went to pay for his tea, the owner noticed
that he was wearing a necklace with a cross and grabbed
him, calling for his employees to bring anything
available to beat him for violating a sign posted on the
stall warning non-Muslims to declare their religion
before being served. Ishtiaq had not noticed the warning
sign before ordering his tea.
The owner and 14 of his employees beat Ishtiaq with
stones, iron rods and clubs, and stabbed him multiple
times with kitchen knives as Ishtiaq pleaded for mercy.
The other bus passengers and other passersby finally
intervened and took Ishtiaq to the Rural Health Center
in the village. The doctor who took Ishtiaq's case told
ICC that Ishtiaq had died due to excessive internal and
external bleeding, a fractured skull, and brain
injuries.
Makah Tea Stall is located on the Sukheki Lahore highway
and is owned by Mubarak Ali, a 42-year-old radical
Muslim. ICC's correspondent visited the tea stall and
observed that a large red warning sign with a death's
head symbol was posted which read, "All non-Muslims
should introduce their faith prior to ordering tea. This
tea stall serves Muslims only." The warning also
threatened anyone who violated the rule with "dire
consequences.”
A neighboring shopkeeper told ICC on condition of
anonymity that all Ali's employees are former students
of radical Muslim madrassas (seminaries).
Ishtiaq's family said that they immediately reported the
incident to the police and filed a case against Ali.
However, the murderers are still freely operating the
tea stall.
When ICC asked the Pindi Bhatian Saddar police station
about the murder, the police chief said that
investigations were underway and they are treating it as
a faith-based murder by biased Muslims. When asked about
Ali's warning sign, police chief Muhammad Iftikhar Bajwa
claimed that he could not take it down. However, the
constitution of Pakistan explicitly prohibits such
discrimination.
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