Blasphemy
Pakistan Christian man accused of blasphemy arrested
Islamabad: Pakistan continues to persecute its religious minorities with a Christian man arrested in the northwestern city of Nowshera under the country’s notorious blasphemy laws being the latest victim, media reports said.
The suspect, identified by police only as David, has been accused of desecrating the Quran, the Islamic holy book, according to the Tribal News Network as quoted by UCA News.
The arrest came a few days after a video went viral on social media platforms showing pages of the Quran in a drain in Risalpur, a city in Nowshera district, reported the news agency.
Police reportedly launched an investigation against the arrested person acting on complaints by Muslims.
It is claimed that David confessed and told investigators that he tore pages out of the Quran to practise witchcraft, reports UCA News.
“Pakistani authorities need no more evidence to see how dangerous the blasphemy laws are – they are abused to make false accusations that can, and have, led to unlawful killings and even whole communities being attacked and their homes burnt,” said David Griffiths, Director of the Office of the Secretary General of Amnesty International.
Dangerous accusations
On 13 August 2020, police filed a case against actor Saba Qamar and singer Bilal Saeed for shooting a music video in a mosque.
The clip was released online and led to large protests in Lahore on 14 August 2020 during which the leaders of religious party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) promised “vengeance” against the artists, reports Amnesty International website.
On 31 October 2018 TLP held large rallies to protest the acquittal of Christian farmworker Asia Bibi, effectively shutting the country for three days.
Both Qamar and Saeed have published statements apologizing on their respective social media accounts, but their lives continue to be in danger.
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