Hatred against Christians has reached a very dangerous level (Pakistan)

ASIA/PAKISTAN - A boy, burnt alive because a Christian, is in serious condition

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - A 14-year-old Christian teenager, Nauman Masih, was burnt alive by some young Muslims who Nauman did not know. The young man is now in hospital in Lahore, where he is struggling between life and death, with severe burns all over his body. As Fides learns, the incident took place on Friday, April 10, when young Muslims who were going to the mosque met Nauman along the way. They stopped him because a Christian, beat him, threw petrol over him and before fleeing they set fire.
The police was alerted and registered a complaint against unknown persons. Nauman told the superintendent of the police: "The young people who attacked me were complete strangers. They started to beat me after I told them I was a Christian. I tried to escape but they chased me and poured petrol over my body". Nauman threw himself on a pile of sand, while some passersby helped him to put out the fire and called an ambulance.
"We strongly condemn the serious incident of religious hatred. We immediately sent a report to the Prime Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif", said Sardar Mushtaq Gill to Fides, a Christian lawyer and human rights defender.
In a note sent to Fides, Nasir Saeed, director of the NGO CLAAS ("Center for legal aid assistance and settlement") says: "We are in a deplorable situation. Hatred against Christians has reached a very dangerous level if an innocent Christian can be burned to death by Islamic extremists without any reason. Christians in Pakistan live under constant fear for their lives, despite the assurances of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 13/04/2015)