The Pakistani government made 39 innocent Christians pay a large sum of blood money, known as a diya, before releasing them from prison.
“There was no evidence against [these Christians],” says Bruce Allen of FMI. “But [the government] said, ‘hey, if we can get diya paid to the victims’ families, then the judge is absolutely free to commute a sentence and release these prisoners.’”
And over 193,000 US dollars (the equivalent of the sum paid) was paid as diya, or blood money. Allen says this payment is a part of Islamic law in Pakistan, and that it doesn’t mean the men have been considered guilty of committing the crime.
But the families of the Christians never could have paid this price. Allen says most Christians in Pakistan are impoverished, and these families especially so, since their husbands couldn’t earn any money.
Allen says, “These were charitable donations most likely from overseas, where people said, ‘if we know that the judge is considering the payment, then we want to help these families out to do this.’”
Irfan Bashir Masih, one of the Christians released, said that he was not even present when the two Muslim men were killed. He had no hope that he would see his family again until the money was paid. Read more here.
SOURCE: Mission Network News, Kevin Zeller
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