Why I Am Now Proud of Pakistan...

[jbg]

I am now quite proud of Pakistan

Pakistan and the Ummah have made a giant swing in the right direction. Formerly, on the say-so of a cleric, a Christian girl with Downs Syndrome was charged with blasphemy for having allegedly defaced a Koran. Now, the evidence is that the accuser, who is a cleric, either lied or trumped up the evidence. Now he's the one who is in serious trouble.

I admire the job that Pakistan is doing in rooting out true lack of faith and punishing it. By ensuring justice, they are furthering Allah's peaceful intentions for the Ummah and the world.

Peace on earth, good will to man.

September 2, 2012

Pakistani Blasphemy Case Shifts as Cleric Is Arrested

(link, excerpts reproduced here)

By SALMAN MASOOD

ISLAMABAD — The Muslim cleric at the forefront of a campaign to prosecute a Christian girl for blasphemy has suddenly found himself at risk of facing the same charges, after one of his colleagues went to the authorities and accused him of falsifying evidence of burned holy papers.

The surprise arrest might change the direction of a case that has brought the world’s attention to Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, which critics say are regularly used to exploit and intimidate minorities. And it bolstered the possibility of a speedy release for Rimsha Masih, the girl awaiting trial in prison on charges she burned Muslim sacred documents; her bail hearing is scheduled to resume Monday.

The cleric, Mohammad Khalid Chisti, 30, who leads a mosque in the impoverished Mehr Jaffer neighborhood on Islamabad’s outskirts, was arrested by a contingent of police officers late Saturday, presented before a judicial magistrate Sunday morning, and taken into police custody for 14 days.

Until his arrest, Mr. Chisti had cast himself as a holy man who was incensed at a desecration and had passionately exhorted local residents to protest and demand the harshest of punishments for the accused girl, who family members and police officials say is a developmentally disabled minor. The demonstrations sent hundreds of Christian families fleeing the neighborhood after threats were reported.

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But the kind of testimony given by Mr. Zubair is rare in incidents of accused blasphemy, where much of the details are murky or disputed, as people are generally afraid of inviting the wrath of religious figures and leaders who use their pulpits to whip up a storm of public anger, often leading to violent protests and riots.

Indeed, even if charges are dropped against Ms. Masih, some neighbors believe she will never be safe. At times, even just the rumor of blasphemous acts in Pakistan have led to lynchings or other violence, particularly against minorities.

Late last month, a group of influential Islamic clerics urged the police to investigate the charges against Ms. Masih and prosecute her accusers if the charges proved to be fabricated.

Edited September 4, 2012 by jbg

[jbg]

This thread is meant as a counterpoint to another thread (link) where I may have not given due credit for progressive and forward looking elements in the subject region.