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Blasphemy case: Christian man arrested for burning Quranic pages
Mob ransacks Shahdara Town police station to demand arrest.
Mob ransacks Shahdara Town police station to demand arrest.
LAHORE:
Shahdara police have arrested a Christian man after a charged mob blocked GT Road for three hours demanding that he be booked in a blasphemy case for burning pages of the Holy Quran.
The police registered an FIR under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code against Khurram Masih on the complaint of Zulfiqar Ali and arrested him on Monday night. Masih was produced before a judicial magistrate on Wednesday and remanded in judicial custody.
A mob of about a thousand people wielding sticks took to GT Road at Shahdara Chowk and blocked traffic with burning tyres on both sides of the road.
They damaged several vehicles and later ransacked Shahdara Town police station. Senior police officials went to the scene and appeased the protesters with promises to arrest the accused.
According to the FIR, Masih lived with his wife in a rented property in Majeed Park, Shahdara Town. On Monday his neighbour, also a tenant, told the property owner, Zulfiqar Ali, that the couple had burnt pages of the Holy Quran to light a fire to make tea.
He also told people in the neighbourhood and they began gathering outside the property and chanting slogans. Meanwhile, the couple fled to the house of a nearby relative.
Ali, the complainant, told The Express Tribune that he had visited the house after hearing of the incident and had seen burnt pages with Arabic verses on them, from a Quranic reader (qaeda). He said he had helped trace down the couple at their relative’s house and had them arrested.
“I had no choice,” he said. “Things were getting out of hand. I do not know where all the protestors came from.”
He said that only Masih had been arrested because he had made the tea, as his wife was asleep at the time.
Inspector Mian Shafqat Ali, who is in charge of the investigation, said that it had been established that the accused had burnt Quranic pages “intentionally”. He said that Masih’s wife had been released after interrogation as she had no role in the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2011.
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Reader Comments (25)
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Not convincing at all. This looks like another case of misuse of the law as it stands for petty personal gain. I hope the matter is investigated transparently and fairly to get to the truth.
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I hope that the court will look into the case justly but the increase of “mob” mentality in Pakistani society will take it to the dark ages. It should control strictly otherwise this mentality will start eating innocent lives in a morally bankrupt society.
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Witch hunt and demagoguery by the people who can’t even read the Quran and if they can read it they surely don not understand it ..
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So Islam is in danger, if a few pages of Quran is burnt (though in this particular case it seems highly contrived to settle personal score).
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And you wonder why you have a hard time getting outsiders (aka minorities) to invest in Pakistan?
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One man claims that another one burnt Quran pages. Then without any evidence whatsoever a mob of 1000 swings in? Also this hapens in Lahore – not some remote rural village?
As a practicing Muslim, I would be offended by blasphemy as much as anyone else. When the guy in Florida openly claimed to do that that was blasphemy. But getting riled up based on unsubstantiated allegations is totally crazy. It also gives credence to the notion that Muslims are intolerant. Finally a question to all these people who are so concerned about following Quran:
What are the laws of evidence in Quran and what is the punishment for making false accusations?
Are these mobs who are making unsubstantiated allegations based on one neighbour’s complaint and getting a man arested not themselves blasphemers?
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I was always told that Quranic pages could be burnt to save them from descretion.
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According to report the mob, blocked the traffic, damaged several vehicles, and later ransacked Shahdra police station, and the police officer, in order to appease the mob through promise to register the case against the christian couple. The police should have also registered cases against the culprits who had damaged several vehicles and those who ran sacked the police station. The accusation is false on the face of it, the christian in Pakistan, are living in continuous state of fear and alarm. The accused was in his house how someone standing outside, could watch him burning the papers. The case has been registered under duress as the police officer himself said,” I had no choice, thing were getting out of hand.” Only God can help the poor chap.
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what about the remaining pages?? just food for thought to the self appointed “protectors” of religion.
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It is so sad..How a mob/individual knows that someone burning pages of Holy Quran to make tea…can the person justify this act by the smell of smokes?
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So the poor guy first bought a Quran from the market and later burnt it to make tea! What a ridiculous accusation. Why would someone intentionally burn Quran knowing that he lives in an extremist society.
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Its by fate that one is born into any country. I thank god for not having me born in Pakistan.
I know riligious books are too sacred to be burnt, but even if by mistake I burn a few pages, i’m sure the laws of my country/religion would not bind me for a capital punishment.
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if i see torn pages of Quran or Quric script from anynews paper or book i burn them in a clean pot.That was taught to me by mother.It is done so that the holy ayets dont come under feet or fly like autumn leaves.
Stop looking for blasphemers, just respect your own religion and try to be the best among all the people and act like our dear prophet taught us.
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i don’t believe the ” burning quran” story in such a country like pakistan, these fundamentalists are targeting and torturing that guy for some other reasons.
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Pakistan has really become a laughing stock of the world living in a fools paradise with religious mindset
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So Islam is int danger because few pages of Quran were burnt ?
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I really thank god for being born in India where a climate of debate and verbal arguments about religion is permitted to moderate the society . I personally remember in my school(christian) at 10th grade in my class there would be frequent debate and verbal arguments about core religious beliefs of christianity ,hinduism and islam being challenged and argued between my christian/RSS/muslim class mates .There was always a realisation among us that there are different beliefs and one cannot change others and the only way to live happily is treat others with tolerance and dignity to other’s way of life..Everyone on the road or work or anywhere races for development with this basic ever permeating reality in India . I hope one day Pakistan learns this culture as soon as possible without using a law .
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Moulvi’s burnt several copies of Quran when they attacked the old Ahmadiyya mosque in Jhang, desecrated the ‘Kalima‘ on the wall by smearing tar all over the name of Allah and the Prophet (PBUH) .. the blasphemy law was no where to be seen.
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Once again Misuse of this LAW . WHY doesnt the govt just BAN this LAW .
Innocents are dying & lives are getting ruined & people are taking out their personal Enemities through this .
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First of all where was this ANGRY MOB when PTA came up with the idea of blocking “JESUS CHRIST” as it was deemed as an offensive word. As per my knowledge Muslim faith is not complete if they don’t believe in Jesus Christ. It is ironic when so called protectors of Islam don’t raise voice when filthy words are used against Jesus Christ or Mother Marry. dual standard people.Recommend
I think these people will finish this Pakistan and want another Afghanistan in South Asia.
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One of the comment says that such mob mentality will lead Pakistan into dark ages. Isn’t this enough already? How worst can it go? Point being Pakistan is in dark ages and we need to enlighten it. The question is where to start from? Lets work together to bring Pakistan out of dark ages into enlightenment of Rahmatulil Alemeen (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
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Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance and Allah is full of mercy.
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Ok all, you should read this news
Amitabh Bachchan reads the Holy Quran
http://www.columnpk.com/amitabh-bachchan-reads-the-holy-quran/
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The man who tried to see inside a house without permission of the owners. He should be taken by neck. Seems he is mentally sick despite passing an order to respect the social norms why police is recording such peoples statements. No society in world allow to normal one to try to see inside any bodys residence. Even real son has to have invitation or permission. who don’t know reagal limits is strayRecommend