Blasphemy Case: Bible-defiling accused confesses to crime

Accused says he tore up a Bible as a response to the Quran burning in Florida.

LAHORE:

Muhammad Akhtar, accused of defiling the Bible and arrested on Friday outside a Lahore church, confessed to his crime before the court of a magistrate where he appeared on Saturday.

He was brought handcuffed to the court of Magistrate Malik Muhamad Asif Awan at Cantt Katchery, Lahore.

“I tore up a copy of the Bible into pieces in retaliation to the burning of the Holy Quran in Florida by Christian pastor Terry Jones,” Akhtar said, when Awan asked him if charges against him were true.

The judge then asked him if he knew that such acts went against the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Islam, Akhtar responded that he did not know whether his act was in accordance with Islam or not.

“I did what I deemed fit,” he said.

The magistrate then sent Akhtar on a 14-day judicial remand. The next hearing will be on April 23.



Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2011.