Rimsha has been in custody since being arrested in a poor Islamabad suburb, Mehrabadia, two and a half weeks ago, accused of burning papers containing verses from the Holy Quran, in breach of Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws.
Judge Muhammad Azam Khan adjourned the case until September 7 because of a lawyers’ strike, following a request from the lawyer for Rimsha’s neighbour Hammad Malik, who filed the original complaint against her.
Police on Saturday arrested Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti, the imam of the mosque in Rimsha’s area who first submitted the burnt papers as evidence against her, after his deputy told the police that he had tampered with the evidence.
Chishti’s deputy Maulvi Hafiz Mohammad Zubair and two others, Mohammad Shahzad and Awais Ahmed, told a magistrate the cleric added pages from the Holy Quran to the burnt pages brought to him by a witness to beef up the case against her.
A medical report last week said Rimsha appeared to be around 14 years old, which would make her a minor, and had a mental age below her true age, but the court has yet to decide whether to accept the assessment.
Some reports have said Rimsha has Down’s Syndrome and her case has prompted concern from Western governments and anger from rights groups, who warn the blasphemy legislation is often abused to settle personal vendettas.
COMMENTS (37)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
it take years for people to get there cases heard in pakistan so much cry for a single girl
All those people (Muslims) who falsely accused this innocent girl (Rimsha), should be aware of their major sin - FALSE ACCUSATION. Such is considered حَرَام ḥarām!
Christians have a saying: "Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone". The meaning of this is clear - none of us are perfect or sinless. Therefore we should be tolerant and forgiving of others. Unfortunately this doesn't happen, because of our arrogance - it makes some people feel superior to other groups and as a result they insult, demean and falsely accuse others. Just as happened in this case.
Time for Muslims to reflect on their faith and correct teachings.
Please let the child go, please !
She is fourteen. It is an enormous travesty of justice that she is in jail, for whatever reason. Ironically though, that is where she may be safest. Ironically, and tragically.
It may be safer for the girl to remain for a while under protective custody of the court till she is declared innocent loud & clear by the court. Masses should accept her innocence totally. And that can happen only after the Cleric is charged formally. Secondly, trying the Cleric under very same blasphemy laws would, in a manner perverse, only reaffirm the law & strengthen the position of those that support it. It should be a fresh trial preferably in a different court under different provisions. He should be tried under various other sections applicable to all non-religious offenses such as cheating, perjury, inciting or even attempt to murder.
Please, leaders of Pakistan, have you no sense of compassion? Get this girl,out of prison....it has been proven she is a minor...do the right thing...give her back to her parents..
expected as much. Even if somebody gives a video proof that the girl is innocent, she cannot be saved.
@feroze: you are right but i have a feeling someone will harm her and her family as soon as she gets out,the pakistan government should send her and her family out of the country.
BTW, what is the stance of PML(N) on this issue???
@sumair:
Do you know what is the punishment for leaving Islam?
I am just concerned about your safety.
The day this girl will be killed by muslims by any means in the name of GOD, i will leave islam. period
The neighbor who plotted with the mullah must arrested along with the mullah and the lawyer Rao for on hatred charges and instigating people to take law in their hands if the court frees the girl. I think CJ is pretending to sleep that is why he is not listening
@gp65: ""And yes India may have slums but our justice system is not Talibanised and I am proud to say that minorities can and do get justice in our court system""
Yes its obvious what you did to Modi
i shall request the honorable court please keep this girl as long as possible in either judicial or police custody.once she comes out from the jail she will be killed by fanatics which will put shame on Pakistan.Pakistan is a land of pure and these fanatics and extremist organisations are getting active patronage from the administration thereby giving bad name to the country.
According to Reuters people from Rimsha and Imam's area are very angry. They have said to support the imam no matter what. Christians will never be allowed to come back. Infact there are quotes from several women who say that christians should be burnt alive.
Really ashamed of my country. The silent majority is a myth just like all other myths we made to make ourselves feel better.
@Pakistani: "@Cautious: The case is in the court, let them decide it don’t impose your thoughts on others, keep quite in your slums in inida"
Yes indeed it is in court. But do you not see the irony that while your court cannot and does not hold any terrorist including people like Malik Ishaq citing lack of evidence, it wil keep an illiterate 14 year old framed on a false charge in jail despite the fact that the police has evidence that the girls was framed.
And yes India may have slums but our justice system is not Talibanised and I am proud to say that minorities can and do get justice in our court system,
There is NO evidence in the Shari'ah that 'hudood' punishment was inscribed for the burning of the Quran or that it is a blasphemy in the first place. To eliminate extremely old and worn out copies of the Quran which are no longer intelligible, three methods are employed: burning, burying or shredding. Purposely burning of the Quran is NO DOUBT disrespectful but in NO way does it deserve a life imprisonment sentence because no such punishment was inscribed. We have NO right to inscribe punishments where there are none. Neither do we have the right to add new things into religion (bid'ah) because that would indicate that Islam was incomplete or in need of something new (which if it was, the Prophet himself would have revealed it to us with the will of Allah); a direct contradiction of the Ayaat: ...This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion... (5:3)
Citation: http://islamqa.com/en/ref/114932
When C J can order doctors not to strike any further as people suffer, why can not he take notice of his foot solders going on strike every now and then. C J look at the performance of the lower courts even with no strike judge is afraid to deliver the justice as he is hostage himself
@Cautious: The case is in the court, let them decide it don't impose your thoughts on others, keep quite in your slums in inida
@Nand: Even then those proofs are not gonna work. Because then they will need further proofs to conter check those "proofs".
let her go she is just a child .She is Innocent Hang that Cleric
Congratulations Pakistan - once again you have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory! Arresting the Imam was a step in the right direction but all that counts for nothing if you don't release the child.
I think Rimsha's case provides us the Pakistani's a strategic opportunity to nail the evil in the bud. We have for once an Imam Masjid in custody with ample evidence that he has not just implicated an innocent girl of Blasphemy but has also committed Blasphemy himself. He should be hanged in public and made an example! The nation is looking forward to the honourable Chief Justice to deliver a historic verdict, which will help address some momentous angularities prevalent in our society. Its time for the so called SILENT MAJORITY to raise their voice against the extremist minority who have held the country hostage in the name of religion to further their own political agendas. Pakistan is for PAKISTANI'S ONLY... In the words of Quaid-e-Azam "You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the State... We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State... I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in due course Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State. Quaid's speech to the First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11 Aug 1947.
Shame on you Pakistan shame on you!!
I swear! She is unfortunate to born in the land of pure. If Allah writes the destiny and children are innocent then whose crimes she facing punishment for? Wish I was born in an atheist or secular country.
I say we just level countries like this
our Courts seems to be talibanized
As usual, we need more proof and not literature.
BAIL?? She should be instantly aquitted and allowed to with her family immediately leave the country!!!
The girl is left to suffer because the lawyer is on strike? What kind of justice system allows that? Can't we ditch this sorry excuse for a lawyer (read human) and hire some proper legal representation instead?
This whole fiasco plunges even deeper into the depths of absurdity when you think these imbeciles can't go any lower.