Source/Credit: Pakistan Christian Post
By Jawad Mazhar | May 24, 2011
Lahore, Pakistan: May 24, 2011. (PCP) Police in tehsil (administrative division) Cheechawatni, of district Sahiwal have registered a fake Blasphemy Case, against a mentally ill Christian person for hurting Muslims’ religious feelings, under Pakistan’s black controversial blasphemy laws.
The Christian families elated to 25-year-old Christian youth identified as Babber Masih – the only other Christian families in the area – have fled their homes after a Muslim mob threatened to harm them, relatives of the accused told PCP.
Cheechawatni police in Pakistani Punjab Province registered the blasphemy case against Masih on May 02nd after arresting him at about 2200 hrs.
The Christian family handed over the Christian youth over to the Police as Muslims and radicals Muslims had gathered there to kill him.PCP learnt through Rana Sardar, who had informed the Shakir Masih’s family that they must hand over Masih to the police for his own safety.
Islamic clerics attacked the police van in bid to kill Masih on the spot, Local sources on condition of anonymity told PCP.
Well placed and reliable sources went on say Muslim mob of fanatics continued chasing after the Police vehicle as it carried him away.
But by the grace of God this gave an opportunity to the Babber Masih’s related families to escape in order to save their lives.
PCP was apprized by sources at present the Christian families were in hiding.
Masih’s brother, Amjad Masih, said that after fleeing from their home, he talked with neighbors who told him that several other neighbors had been pressured by Muslim clerics to go to the police station to provide testimony against the accused.
“These neighbors were of the opinion that they could not refuse to give evidence after the Muslim clerics forced them, telling them that they were coming out of the mosque after prayer when Babber Masih used abusive language against the prophet Muhammad,” Amjad Masih said. “They told me, ‘It is such a sensitive matter that we could not refuse.’”
He said Babber Masih has suffered a mental illness for the past six or seven years typified by fits of unprovoked rage. He said that his brother’s loss of mental balance was reflected in abusive language and lack of concern for food and clothing.
Amjad Masih told PCP that he had learned from witnesses that Babber Masih was walking by the Canal Mosque looking upward and calling out names as the mosque leader was coming out and heard him using abusive language about Muhammad. He said he did not learn about the alleged incident until he had returned from an area bazaar.
“When I reached home I saw a large number of Muslim clerics that had gathered outside our house,” he said. “I believe they had come from other cities, because I cannot identify them and they were not of our area.”
When he asked why they had gathered there, he said, the clerics told him that Babber Masih had used insulting language about Muhammad, which can be punishable by death in Pakistan. His older brother James Masih, he said, had locked the accused in a room. He confirmed that neighbors believed that the clerics would kill Babber Masih unless police were informed.
Police were not available for comment at press time. Representatives from a human rights organization have met with Babber Masih in Sahiwal Central Jail, where he has been since Tuesday (May 3).
Masih was charged under Section 298 of Pakistan’s blasphemy statues for “uttering words . . . with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings” and Section 298-A for “use of derogatory remarks . . . in respect of holy personages.”
Attorney Khurram Shehzad Maan of the ‘European Center for Law and Justice’s office’ in Pakistan said that the complainant in the case was not the cleric who allegedly saw Babber Masih speaking ill of Muhammad and other Islamic figures, but rather a dairy farmer named Zeeshan Arain whose property is on the same street as Babber Masih’s. He said the police should have examined him to confirm whether he was insane, as Babber Masih’s family had informed them.
Maan said that Section 84 of Pakistan Penal Code states, “Nothing is offense which is done by a person who, at the time of doing it, by reason of unsoundness of mind, is incapable of knowing the nature of the act, or that he is doing what is either wrong or contrary to law.” Therefore, he said, police had the option of sending him to a mental asylum rather than registering a First Information Report.
In the FIR, Arain clearly states that Babber Masih was addressing the stars as he allegedly cried out against the prophet and holy personages of Islam, Maan said.
“It means that the police must have come to know since the beginning that Babber was not a sane person, who was addressing stars, and also Babber never meant to injure feelings of any Muslims,” Maan added.
Amjad Masih said that the few neighbors who were not siding with the murderous mob had told him not to return home, as police out of uniform, the clerics and several others were visiting their houses to see if they had returned.
“I want to go back home,” he said. “We have business there, and we don’t want to leave the place, but we fear that the people will attack us. We do not have any idea how to respond in this situation.”
With tensions running high in the area, on Thursday May 5th there was a meeting known as a panchayat (gathering of local elders parallel to the Courthouse) in which Islamic clerics from all major mosques of the local and surrounding areas gathered with Christian representatives.
Muslims in the Panchayat were not willing to allow the Christian families return their homes.
Read original post here: Extremist Muslims lodge blasphemy case against handicap Christian: By Jawad Mazhar
Terrible state of affairs. No minority is safe. The man probably suffers from Tourette's Disease but i'm highly doubtful that anyone will diagnose him properly or that he will get any justice. Good article. Keep it up.
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