POC 17 Sadeeq Masih Family
The Unforgiven
My family:
- Sadeeq Masih (Father) – 01st January 1971
- Marium Sadiq (Mother) – 05th June 1975
- Seneha Sadeeq (Daughter) – 18th February 2001
- Alizah Sadeeq (Daughter) – 14th April 2005
- Alesha Sadeeq (Son) – 23rd May 2007
- Abishai Sadeeq (Son) – 15th November 2008
Arrived as refugees in Bangkok: February 16, 2014
Refugee Status: “Refused” by UNHCR
Details on gaining Refugee Status is here.
Faith is free, but freedom comes at a price
Sadeeq Masih, a Christian from Kotli Rai Abubakar, Pakistan, recounts the severe persecution and violence his family faced due to their religious beliefs, which ultimately forced them to flee the country. Sadeeq worked in the housekeeping department of a hotel in Lahore for 25 years and lived with his wife and five children. Their lives took a drastic turn in October 2013 when his brother-in-law, Awais Masih, was falsely accused of intentionally touching a Muslim girl after a bicycle accident. The incident escalated into a religious issue, and a mob, led by the girl’s father, Al-Haj Muhammad Yasin, a Muslim cleric, brutally beat Awais and Sadeeq’s other brother-in-law, Asif Sadiq.
Despite attempts to resolve the matter through the police and a meeting with the Inter-Faith Harmony and Peace Committee, the situation worsened. During the meeting, Sadeeq referenced the peaceful nature of the Prophet Muhammad, which angered the Muslim clerics, leading to a violent confrontation. Sadeeq was severely beaten, and the clerics demanded that his family convert to Islam or face death for allegedly insulting Islam and the Prophet.
The following day, Al-Haj Muhammad Yasin incited a mob through a mosque sermon, labeling Sadeeq’s family as “infidels” and “blasphemers.” The mob attacked their home, stoning it and threatening to kill the family. Fearing for their lives, Sadeeq and his family went into hiding at his uncle’s house in Kotli.
With the help of a pastor and friends, Sadeeq and his family obtained passports and visas. On February 16, 2014, they fled to Thailand, seeking asylum and protection from the ongoing persecution they faced as Christians in Pakistan. They have since been living in Bangkok, awaiting international protection from the UNHCR.
More information…
Sadeeq Masih — Detailed Statement
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First published: 2025/08/01/
Latest revision: 2025/09/15/