A Christian student was beaten to death by his entire class of Muslims while at school. After the attack the Muslims expressed absolutely no remorse for their actions, and the teacher said that he didn’t notice or care to look at what was happening because he was busy reading the newspaper according to a report:
A Christian teenager who achieved academic excellence despite years of institutional peer bullying and discrimination, was killed by Muslim pupils whilst in a classroom environment in Vehari District in the Punjab.
Against all the odds Sharoon Masih gained the highest scores at his former school named Chack 461 EB, eponymous with its geographical location. So convinced were teachers that Sharoon would be a successful individual that they challenged the parents not to put him to work but to encourage him to pursue higher education. His father Elyab Masih (35 yrs) saved some money from the work he undertakes as a labourer on a brick kiln and paid for the admission for Sharoon to join ‘MC Model Boys Government High School Burewala and District Vehari’.
Sharoon was isolated from the very first day he joined his new high school as he was the only Christian within his form. His parents told BPCA officer Mehwish Bhatti that he suffered targeted abuse from the very first day. Sharoon’s mother Riaz Bibi (30 yrs) said he was warned by his peers not to mix with Muslims at school. One boy is believed to have said ‘You’re a Christian don’t dare sit with us if you want to live’. Many boys called Sharoon a ‘chura’ which is a very derogatory term against Christians. Repeated attempts were made to convert him to Islam, however, Sharoon never lost his faith to the chagrin of the Muslim children around him exacerbating his pariah status.
Though it must have been very difficult attending a school in which you enter as anathema, Sharoon used his segregation to study and was noticeably one of the top performers in his classroom, even within a few days. His academic prowess however, only added to the disdain for him felt by other pupils. Even then Sharoon Masih could never expect the brutality that led to his death on 27th August 2017. Whilst in a classroom Sharoon was brutally beaten by nearly the whole class on only the fourth day at the school.
The violence was of such a ferocity that poor Sharoon died where he was in the classroom. Early pupil reports suggest that the teacher overseeing the classroom ignored the brutal mauling of a despised Christian. However the teacher has since claimed he was reading a newspaper and did not notice the attack. Later the Head Teacher stated that the attack occurred between classroom sessions and that one teacher was late on arrival allowing the incident to occur without notice.
All the reports state that as he was beaten while a cacophony of insults were shouted at Sharoon in what must have been a nightmarish last moment of life for the Christian teenager. Questions are being asked about the inactivity of ‘the classroom teacher’ and the duty of care of other teachers in the vicinity to react to the noise emitted from the melee. Already the school has taken action against the Head Teacher who has been dismissed from his post.
Reports about the trigger factor for the brutal murder vary, however a main culprit Muhammad Ahmed Rana has already confessed and has been arrested and detained by local police. Sadly few other students feel any remorse for killing a Christian and no-one is willing to implicate the other murderers by naming them. The parents of Sharoon believe the wall of silence reveals the contempt that these students have for Christians and the low value placed on their lives.
Razia Bibi, said:
“My son was a kind-hearted, hard-working and affable boy. He has always been loved by teachers and pupils alike and shared great sorrow that he was being targeted by students at his new school because of his faith.
“Sharoon and I cried every night as he described the daily torture he was subjected to. He only told me about the abuse and violence he was facing. He did not want to upset his father because he had such a caring heart for others.
“The evil boys that hated my child are now refusing to reveal who else was involved in his murder. Nevertheless one day God will have His judgement.”
Though initially students claimed that Sharoon was killed for bumping into the foot of Muhammed Rana, Mr Rana is insisting as his defence (for what it’s worth) that Sharoon smashed the screen on his smart phone, which spurred his anger. He has said other boys were involved but so far has refused to implicate others. (source)