SARGODHA, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN – MAY 25, 2024 Nazir Masih was part of the Christian minority. He had long lived in harmonious tolerance with the Muslim majority. Everything changed when rumors began to spread that he was anti-Islamic and committing blasphemy against Islam. He was even accused of having burned the Quran.
These rumors outraged a crowd that came to settle scores with him. In a fit of mob madness, they dragged him outside, where they collectively beat him until he was in critical condition. On June 2, 2024, he died in a hospital.
From the perspective of Islamic theology and traditional ethics, a “proper Muslim” should not resort to violence or take punishment into their own hands, even if the desecration of the Quran is deeply offensive to them. The Quran and the Prophet Muhammad emphasize restraint and patience. The Prophet himself was repeatedly insulted and humiliated, but he did not personally respond to blasphemy with violence.
