On June 4, 2020, Nadeem Joseph and his family were attacked by Muslim neighbors after moving into the TV Colony of Peshawar, the capital of the Khybar Pakhtunkhawa province in Pakistan.
Joseph and his mother-in-law were shot by Salman Khan and his sons. Khan reportedly attacked Joseph and his family because they purchased a house in what he claimed is a Muslim neighborhood.
In a video message recorded from his hospital bed, Joseph said, “A month ago, I purchased a house in TV Colony. I still have to make the final payments to the seller, but Salman Khan, a Muslim in the neighborhood, has started harassing my family.”
During the time Joseph and his family resided in TV Colony, they were harassed by Muslim neighbors who called them “chooras”, a derogatory term used to denote Christians as untouchable, damaged the doors of their home, and rode motorbikes in front of their house.
Joseph claimed Khan and his sons asked his family to leave this neighborhood as it was “meant for Muslim residents only.” Khan when on to ask, “How dare a Christian family live amid Muslims?”
“Christians and Jews are the opponents of Muslims,” Khan claimed. “Therefore, you cannot stay in this house.” Joseph reported this is what Khan said prior to opening fire on him and his family.
As a result, Joseph was shot twice in his stomach and his mother-in-law once in her shoulder. Both were admitted to the hospital. Police have not yet registered a First Information Report against the Khan and his family.
Religious intolerance and discrimination in Pakistan is widespread. Christians often face this discrimination as a part of their daily lives. This discrimination often dictates the jobs Christians hold, the education they receive, and even the neighborhoods in which they live.
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