Pakistan: Police charge mentally ill Christian with blasphemy
The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) is a Christian charity dedicated to helping persecuted Christians in Pakistan. Nasir Saeed, the director of CLAAS-UK, said: “Pakistani politicians, courts and law enforcement agencies all are aware that blasphemy law is frequently misused to settle personal grudges and petty disputes but still has failed to stop ongoing misuse of this law.”
This is in keeping with what we have seen in so very many nations: persecution of Christians is not wholly or solely a result of mob violence. All too often it is initiated by governments, and/or aided and abetted by law enforcement officials who are more sympathetic to the persecutors than to their victims. This needs to become an issue of international concern, but despite the fact that Christian persecution is still escalating, it is not receiving adequate attention from global human rights agencies.
“Pakistani police charges [sic] mentally ill Christian with blasphemy,” Pakistan Christian Post, March 18, 2019:
London: March 18, 2019. (PCP) A mentally ill Pakistani Christian man has been charged with blasphemy. Stephen Masih was charged following a complaint from local cleric Hafiz Muhammad Mudassar.According to the FIR, two Muslims named Muhammad Rafique and Muhammad Imran, told Muhammad Mudassar Stephen had made derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).Stephen, 38, is unmarried and lived with his sister Alia and their mother in Imran Pura Badiana Village District Sialkot.According to Alia, when Stephen was in 5th grade, he became sick with typhoid fever and became mentally unwell.Stephen dropped his studies due to illness, and with the passage of time his family noticed behavioral change.Around 12 years ago, they had medical checkup from Civil Hospital and his doctor declared him mentally disabled, but they do not have medical report.Due to poor financial circumstances his family did not provide him medical treatment.Alia also says that because of his mental state, Stephen often used abusive language against his mother and sister and often fights with them.On March 10th Stephen pushed his mother and started abusing her and Alia.One of the Muslim neighbors asked why he was mistreating them, upon which Stephen started arguing with her as he was out of his senses.The next morning Stephen has an argument with Hafiz Muhammad Mudassar’s wife (complainant of the FIR) who threatened call the police.Alia said that on the same day a Muslim female named Zeenat, known to the complainant’s wife, came to their home and told Stephen she would be making a complaint against him to the police.Meanwhile a few Muslim men gathered outside their house and pulled Stephen out of his house and started beating him brutally, gradually joined by others.Someone called the local police who arrived and took Stephen with them before logging a false case under section 295- C PPC (Pakistan Penal Code) against Stephen.Alia reportedly went to the police station. She says her brother only shouted and used abusive language against the local ladies but did not utter any derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but the police didn’t believe her….Nasir Saeed, director, CLAAS-UK has said that it is very sad that misuse of the blasphemy law continues against Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan….Mr Saeed said: “Pakistani politicians, courts and law enforcement agencies all are aware that blasphemy law is frequently misused to settle personal grudges and petty disputes but still has failed to stop ongoing misuse of this law.”…
Posts
