"It is the duty of the international community to build pressure on the Pakistani government to fulfil their international obligations and bring their law in line with these (international) treaties."
Source/Credit: Premier UK
By Premier Report | January 6, 2016
A Christian shopkeeper has been arrested in Lahore and charged with blasphemy.
According to the Pakistan Christian Post, Babu Shahbaz Masih was arrested after pages of the Qur'an were found scattered on the street outside his street by a rival shop keeper. One of the pages had his name written on it.
The Post reported that Masih, 41, is illiterate but holds regular prayer meetings at his house.
The prayer meetings are popular with Muslims and Christians alike and Masih is considered a faith healer, according to the newspaper.
Masih is married with one daughter and two sons.
His wife and daughter were also taken into custody after Masih's arrest.
Blasphemy is punishable by up to a lifetime in prison in Pakistan.
Nasir Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK told the Post that blasphemy laws are used to persecute Christians and other religious minorities.
"Blasphemy laws clearly violate international human rights treaties ratified by the Pakistani government, therefore, it is the duty of the international community to build pressure on the Pakistani government to fulfil their international obligations and bring their law in line with these treaties."
Pakistan ranks as the sixth worst country in the world when it comes to the persecution of Christians, according to Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors.
Pakistan:
- Population: 192.8 million
- Christian population: 3.9 million
- Types of persecution: Blasphemy laws used to settle personal scores against minorities including Christians
- According to Open Doors, an estimated 700 Christian women are abducted every year, and often then raped and forcibly married to Muslims
Read original post here: Pakistan: Christian shopkeeper charged with blasphemy
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