Pakistan Court Acquits Christians Of Blasphemy

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Two sisters, both Christians, have been acquitted two months after being charged with “blasphemy” against Islam in Pakistan’s Punjab province, but concerns remain about other believers still held in Pakistani prisons, Christians said.

Christian charity Barnabas Aid told Worthy News on Tuesday that its “contacts confirmed that Sonia and Saima had been acquitted by Toba Tek Singh Sessions Court.”

Their full names were not revealed, apparently amid security concerns.

The two sisters had been accused on August 7 “of throwing a bag containing wastepaper with pages of the Quran on abandoned land,” Christians said.

They were reportedly detained and charged under section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code for “wilful defilement, damage or desecration of the Koran,” viewed as a holy book by Muslims.

This section of Pakistan’s blasphemy legislation law carries a mandatory life sentence for those convicted, according to experts.

Both women vehemently denied the accusations. In comments shared with Worthy News, their lawyer, Chaudhry Haneef Hameed Mithu, said, “The accusation had been made to settle a personal grudge.”

ORDERING ACQUITTAL

Sessions judge Waseem Mubarik ordered the acquittal after reviewing evidence supplied by the district police officer, according to Christians familiar with the case.

“Local police and lower courts in Pakistan routinely accept the truth of “blasphemy” allegations, so it is notable that in this instance, both police and court investigated properly,” Barnabas Fun noticed.

Police also intervened to prevent mob violence when the accusations were first made, Christians said. However, Barnabas Fund cautioned that “Sonia, Saima, their families, and the wider Christian community may still be at risk from extremists who will not accept the court’s decision.”

The group added that it urged its supporters to “pray that their release will serve as an example that will deter those who abuse Pakistan’s “blasphemy” laws to accuse Christians and other vulnerable people without cause. Pray for protection for the sisters, their family, and other Christians from any retaliation following this verdict.”

It was unclear how their case could impact
last month’s Pakistani court decision to sentence Shagufta Kiran, a Christian mother of four, to death for “committing blasphemy against Isla.”

The ruling by the Islamabad Cyber Court, first reported by Worthy News, “highlighted broader concerns about the persecution of Christians” in Muslim-majority Pakistan, suggested Farrukh H. Saif, the co-founder and director of the Emergency Committee to Save the Persecuted and Enslaved (ECSPE).

“Alongside the death penalty, Shagufta was fined 300,000 Pakistani Rupees ($1,077) in yet another controversial case under Pakistan’s stringent blasphemy laws,” he told Worthy News.

TRUMPED-UP CHARGES

His group has closely followed the case and supports Christians facing what he views as trumped-up blasphemy charges.

Shagufta Kiran was detained in July 2021 after being accused of forwarding a message through the social media messaging service WhatsApp that purportedly contained blasphemous content, Christians said.

The alleged crime dates back to September 2020, when Shagufta, a member of several interfaith WhatsApp groups, reportedly forwarded the controversial message.

In comments shared with Worthy News, her husband, Rafique Masih, said, “Shagufta forwarded the message without reading it and had no malicious intent.” The exact text wasn’t shared with Worthy News, but Worthy News established that even mild criticism about Islam is often perceived as blasphemy.

“Alongside Shagufta, her two young sons, ages 10 and 12, were also taken into custody, though they were later released.”

She is among hundreds of people, including Christians, who are believed to remain behind bars on blasphemy charges in the Islamic nation.

Advocacy groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned Pakistan’s blasphemy laws as “inconsistent with fundamental human rights” and demand that Pakistan ensures fair trials and the protection of religious freedoms.

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