Desecration: Man held for burning the Holy Quran
Mentally challenged man guilty of setting the Holy Quran on fire in a Mosque.
HARIPUR:
The police on Thursday claimed to have arrested a man for setting the Holy Quran on fire in a mosque. However, according to family sources, the suspect is mentally challenged.
The police quoted Syed Ahmed Shah as saying that he went to a mosque to offer Asr prayers when he saw Ashraf Hussain (name changed to protect identity), the son of the mosque’s caretaker, setting some pages of the Quran on fire. Shah tried to stop Hussain but failed to do, upon which he informed the police, who sent a contingent to the mosque and arrested the man in the act.
According to the police, the pages were in shambles which was the reason he was burning them. However, the police have registered a criminal case against Hussain under Section 295 B of the Pakistan Penal Code (under which anyone who wilfully defiles damages or desecrates the Holy Quran is punishable with imprisonment for life).
Neighbours said Hussain’s father had been fired from his service a few months back as the mosque committee found his mental condition to be deteriorating. However, a few days back, he returned to the mosque on his own and took its charge.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2011.
The police on Thursday claimed to have arrested a man for setting the Holy Quran on fire in a mosque. However, according to family sources, the suspect is mentally challenged.
The police quoted Syed Ahmed Shah as saying that he went to a mosque to offer Asr prayers when he saw Ashraf Hussain (name changed to protect identity), the son of the mosque’s caretaker, setting some pages of the Quran on fire. Shah tried to stop Hussain but failed to do, upon which he informed the police, who sent a contingent to the mosque and arrested the man in the act.
According to the police, the pages were in shambles which was the reason he was burning them. However, the police have registered a criminal case against Hussain under Section 295 B of the Pakistan Penal Code (under which anyone who wilfully defiles damages or desecrates the Holy Quran is punishable with imprisonment for life).
Neighbours said Hussain’s father had been fired from his service a few months back as the mosque committee found his mental condition to be deteriorating. However, a few days back, he returned to the mosque on his own and took its charge.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2011.