Cleanliness is next to godliness

Pastor Sahib Masih is spreading the message of hygiene

KARACHI: In a small cramped room, a priest gives a sermon on 'cleansing the soul and body'.

"It's the month of [Lent] fasting. Cleansing your outer [body] is as important as your inner [soul]," Pastor Sahib Masih tells a couple who listen attentively to him on the terrace of their 40-square-yard house in the Natha Khan slum.

"With a healthy [pious] soul you can enter the eternal life but a healthy and clean body also is a precondition to draw close to God," he politely adds, as the Catholic Christian couple nod along.

"Is that clear? Any questions?" Pastor Masih asks in a gravelly voice, this time sounding like a soldier.



Yes, the now full-time 47-year-old preacher was once a sailor in the navy. Unlike other Christian clergies preaching faith in the country, Pastor Masih adds hygiene in his lecture as well.

Pastor Masih visits families living in lower-income areas to speak about the importance of hygiene. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

Hailing from a small town in Punjab, Pastor Masih arrived in Karachi as a recruit in the Pakistan Navy in 1989. "At that time, Karachi was a different city, people would carry umbrellas because it could rain anytime, yet the city was neat and clean," he told The Express Tribune with shiny eyes while recalling the days when he was 18 years old. "There was not that much environmental pollution back then," he added.

After retiring two years ago, Pastor Masih chose to live in the metropolis, which is still expanding and the sanitation conditions are going from bad to worse, offering him enough room to preach religion and hygiene.



His target areas are unprivileged Christian and Hindu families - many of whom work as sanitary workers - living in slums. During his service, he did various courses on sanitation and later obtained a four-year religious studies degree at the protestant Pentecostal Church.

"My knowledge on both [the] subjects helps me a lot," he said, adding that his seniors in the Navy appreciated his work.

"To ensure cleanliness and safety in the shops, soldiers are encouraged to kill rats. Killing one rat used to earn us Rs10 plus one day leave," the retired soldier recalled. "Once I killed 100 rats in a month and earned a cash prize and leave," he added, with a smile on his face.

The pastor, a former sailor in the Pakistan Navy, believes disease spreads due to poor hygiene. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

In Christianity, each parish priest assigns certain areas to the clergies who are required to visit every family at least once a month, a system to keep them in contact with the Church.



Pastor Masih does two jobs at the same time. "Most of the people I visit are uneducated and work as sanitary workers in the government or private sectors and suffer from different diseases because they directly handle trash," he said. "The other thing is that the slums where they live have sewerage overflowing in almost every street and open drains where mosquitoes breed and other germs are produced that result in diseases. Therefore, these people need to be taught how to maintain hygiene - especially personal hygiene."

Pastor Masih visits around 100 families living in the city's large slums like Essa Nagri, Azam Basti, Natha Khan and Cattle Colony.

"During the initial visits I figure out the hygiene conditions," he explained. "Slowly and gradually I then start talking to them about hygiene."

Once acquainted, both sides open up. "First, we offer prayers and talk about the religion," he said. "Sometimes, I make references to the Holy Bible on the subject. After prayers, during informal chit-chat, I share tips on how to improve hygiene conditions."



A majority of the Christian and Hindu community members face socio-economic problems and cannot afford to live in the upscale neighbourhoods. The elected representatives rarely visit them, only during elections and then disappear. Those who do approach them to address their civic issues are from non-profit organisations.

"Initially, I found all the families I visited had one member or so ailing. I realised that their sickness was because of ignorance of religion and cleanliness," said the pastor. "So, we discuss how to resolve hygiene-related problems and we also pray. With precautions and prayers, many diseases are gone."

A recent example of Pastor Masih at work can be seen in the case of sanitary worker Adeel Masih's wife, who lives in the Natha Khan slum.

"The lady had severe pain in her teeth and could not eat anything. She was going to get teeth implants because her condition was so bad. I told her to start cleaning her teeth every day. I also prayed for her every day. Within days she was completely healed and healthy," said Pastor Masih.



Adeel's wife agrees. "Pastor Sahab told us about cleanliness, which is also important before we go to pray and also for our health. I do not want to get teeth implants now," she said confidently.

The priest said he took up the cause of serving people not just religiously but in other ways too, such as spreading hygiene awareness.

Pastor Masih visits around 100 families living in the city's large slums like Essa Nagri, Azam Basti, Natha Khan and Cattle Colony. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

"Today, Karachi has turned into a city of trash," he lamented of the civic conditions in the city, where the local administration is failing to collect and dispose of 12,000 tons of garbage generated daily. Lying unattended on the street corners, along the open drains or footpaths, the litter is spreading infectious diseases that many are not aware of.

"The government alone cannot do everything. So, giving awareness to the people on the subject is needed. Then, there is no will," he said.

The pastor is literate in Hebrew and translates verses on hygiene from the Bible into Urdu then sells them to people for ornamental purposes.



Asked about an association with any group, Pastor Masih said his association was with God. He said, however, that more people can spread more awareness. "I'm performing this task alone. If the government or any group would like to join me, it will help save lives," he said with a smile as he revved his motorcycle, ready to make the trip to visit another family in need.