Martyr FEROZ MASIH, A National HERO of Pakistani Christians.
On February 13, 1997, Feroz Masih was martyred by discriminatory firing of Karachi Police on peaceful protest procession led by Nazir S Bhatti, President, Pakistan Christian Congress before Karachi Press Club against incident of Shanti Nagar on February 6, when thousands of fundamental Muslims attacked this Christian village in Punjab and burnet down churches and homes, desecrated Holy Bibles, kidnapped women and assaulted elders and children. The peaceful rally of 25 thousand Christian protestors faced firing, baton charging and tear gas shelling by Karachi Police before Sindh Governor House, Karachi, without any warning where Feroz Masih sacrificed his precious life against injustice of administration. The Police firing also injured more than one dozen Christians and 1000 Christian protestors were arrested and charged under sections 144, 146, 148, 224, 226, and 301.
The month of February is milestone in history of Christians of Pakistan when Feroz Masih sacrificed his life to safeguard our equal basic constitutional democratic rights and its moral duty of every Pakistani Christian to pay homage to Martyr Feroz Masih, who is no doubt our National Hero. Feroz Masih was 45 when martyred and he left behind 2 daughters and a son.
We have 2 more Christian National Heroes Nawaz Masih And James Masih who also sacrificed their lives on streets of Rawalpindi by police firing during peaceful protest procession led by Professor Salamat Akhtar against nationalization of Missionary Schools, colleges and Hospitals by the PPP government in 1972. These two heroes were also young and left behind children and wives.
It's very tragic that Pakistani Christian Community has forgotten their National Heroes who sacrificed their lives for Christian sisters and brothers. Our new generation even do not know about their precious sacrifices for them because so-called opportunist Christian leadership has not even dared to issue any statement on their anniversaries. The families of our heroes have been suffering and facing hardships to make two ends meet but we have not established any foundations for thier welfare . The families of Feroz Masih, Nawaz Masih and James Masih do not receive any messages by our religious, social and political leadership on their anniversaries. The live nations built monuments of their heroes but we are so ignorant that our national heroes are lying in graveyards without tombs and their families are suffering and living in poverty.
Its time to remember our National Heroes in our daily family prayers and to condemn those Christian leaders who are serving as agents of ISI and other government agencies to bargain on Christian rights in Pakistan and receiving gold, medals and awards from western countries in the name of Christian rights.
