Pakistan disabled girl arrested for blasphemy

[james&olya 1,121]

You should so you can make those 'fanatics' of your religion stop. As far as I have seen Muslims are EITHER fanatics OR they do not care what others think.

And you are confident you have been exposed to a truly representative sampling of Muslim attitudes? I am guessing you get most of your info from media sources, perhaps even Faux news (fairly unbalanced). You are ready to make your sweeping statements based on this type of info? Don't you think it just might be possible you are doing pretty much the same thing as much of the population over there does, believing whatever sensationalistic headlines and stories you are fed by the media and then making judgments based on such a biased viewpoint?

[NINA80 9]

You should so you can make those 'fanatics' of your religion stop. As far as I have seen Muslims are EITHER fanatics OR they do not care what others think. I would like to know if you want peace and want to take any actions against those fanatics instead of a 'I don't care.'

well there are fanatics in every religion, every race and every nation. if you give your self a chance to learn a bit about history. you will find that the most big fanatics Human history have nothing to do with Islam.

I really don't care and i will never defend Islam or Muslim simply cuz we're not guilty of any action. also cuz i believe that there are always causes and consequences. so before we discuss the consequence let first discuss the causes;)

[NINA80 9]

You should so you can make those 'fanatics' of your religion stop. As far as I have seen Muslims are EITHER fanatics OR they do not care what others think. I would like to know if you want peace and want to take any actions against those fanatics instead of a 'I don't care.'

what's your religion? I can help you find a list of fanatics who share the same of your values======thks google:);)

[catknit 144]

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A judge in Pakistan granted bail Friday to a teenage Christian girl accused of burning a religious textbook, marking a significant step in a controversy that has renewed scrutiny of the country’s blasphemy laws.

After a lengthy court hearing that saw heated arguments, the judge, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, ordered that the girl, Rimsha Masih, 14, be released on bail of one million rupees, or $10,500.

Ms. Masih, who comes from a family of poor Christian sweepers, has been detained in a high-security prison since Aug. 16, when Muslim neighbors in her Islamabad suburb accused her of burning a textbook used to teach the Koran to small children.

Ms. Masih’s relatives said they expected her to be released by Friday evening.

The decision to grant bail was significant because blasphemy cases can take many months to come to trial in Pakistan, during which time the teenager would have been incarcerated in a notorious high-security facility.

Campaigners called on the police to go a step further, and drop the charges entirely, because Ms. Masih is a minor. “The police should come forward and say there is no case, and that there will be no trial,” said Asma Jahangir, the country’s most prominent human rights lawyer.

The case has come to represent what many see as the abuses carried out in the name of Pakistan’s colonial-era blasphemy laws, which critics say are often used to intimidate members of minority groups. Ms. Masih was jailed after hundreds of Muslims protested outside her local police station at the instigation of a cleric, Muhammad Khalid Chishti, who said she should face the full force of the law — including, possibly, the death penalty.

This week, the police detained Mr. Chishti on suspicion that he planted pages from the Koran on Ms. Masih in an apparent effort to frame her. Since then, calls have grown for the case to be dropped.

Friday’s hearing saw long and often fiery arguments that, at one point, prompted the presiding judge to ask that the decorum of the court be respected.

Ms. Masih’s lawyers said the blasphemy charge was a ruse on the part of a local “land mafia,” with the goal of evicting up to 400 Christian families from her neighborhood.

ny times article

So - looks like she may be released on bail. Two interesting fun facts from this article:

#1 - her age ranges anywhere from 14 to 16

#2 - she's from a family of sweepers

The interesting thing is point number two for those knowledgeable in South Asian culture. It's very easy to start with the whole Islam vs Christianity thing and I'm not stating that that isn't a factor [easily is a factor]. But, there is a different background of sociological/cultural baggage in the subcontinent. Caste is still defined in a lot of areas - even with those practicing Islam and Christianity. And I know many Muslims here can and will argue there is no place for caste structure in Islam and that it is a "Hindu" thing - doesn't mean it still isn't practiced. Anyway - chances are this girl's family [if not many of the Christian community] that some people want "out" are Dalits aka untouchables. So, here you have the Christian/Muslim thing, the Dalit thing, and a community that is economically disadvantaged. A tinder box especially if the land owners want to change up the locale [possibly at the insistence of the imam - who can be categorized in my opinion as a dbag]. I contend, though, that the imam's rationale may not simply be the Muslim v. Christian thing that seems to be hyped.

[Once upon a time, and still occasionally, Dalits were aggressively sought out for conversion/reversion/salvation to help the numbers game [we have xxxx whatevers in this locale] the thought being it's win-win. The former untouchable is now a newly minted Muslim/Christian and should be treated "better" and whichever group now has more followers. But, if for generations looking back and going forward your family is a family of sweepers there hasn't been much of a net-change. And, everyone knows from where you came...].

[Boiler 45,519]

You are quite right, apparently they took up Christianity during the time of the Raj as a way of improving their position.

Now with so many Muslims in dire straits some of them have taken up this job, so another cause of friction.

Still begs the question what would be a suitable punishment for the Iman.

It seems beheading is the local preferred punishment.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

You are quite right, apparently they took up Christianity during the time of the Raj as a way of improving their position.

Now with so many Muslims in dire straits some of them have taken up this job, so another cause of friction.

Still begs the question what would be a suitable punishment for the Iman.

It seems beheading is the local preferred punishment.

According to Pakistan's criminal code, the death penalty may only be carried out by hanging.

[Confused 2 94]

And you are confident you have been exposed to a truly representative sampling of Muslim attitudes? I am guessing you get most of your info from media sources, perhaps even Faux news (fairly unbalanced). You are ready to make your sweeping statements based on this type of info? Don't you think it just might be possible you are doing pretty much the same thing as much of the population over there does, believing whatever sensationalistic headlines and stories you are fed by the media and then making judgments based on such a biased viewpoint?

And you have been exposed to them? I get them first hand because I belong to a part of the world dealing with them and all the problems that come with them. You do not have to write anything if all you are trying to do is to sound politically correct. You obviously do not know anything and fall for all the misleading sweet talks.

[Confused 2 94]

According to Pakistan's criminal code, the death penalty may only be carried out by hanging.

Them maybe he could be discreetly sent to any of the numerous training camps where the 'trainees' could practice on him. The religion of peace and tolerance HA!!!

[Sofiyya 1,687]

And you have been exposed to them? I get them first hand because I belong to a part of the world dealing with them and all the problems that come with them. You do not have to write anything if all you are trying to do is to sound politically correct. You obviously do not know anything and fall for all the misleading sweet talks.

In this part of the world, your views just make you a lousy azz bigot and problems come with you.

Edited September 8, 2012 by Sofiyya

[james&olya 1,121]

In this part of the world, your views just make you a lousy azz bigot and problems come with you.

He is confused!

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

You are definitely confused.

I know Islam is not a religion of love and peace. I was joking

.

[james&olya 1,121]

I know Islam is not a religion of love and peace. I was joking

.

And we all know there have never been those who profess to be christian who have advocated for widespread killing!

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

And we all know there have never been those who profess to be christian who have advocated for widespread killing!

.. and there are people defending them? Or do the followers of that religion recognize the stupidity of the past and "evolve" ??

[james&olya 1,121]

.. and there are people defending them? Or do the followers of that religion recognize the stupidity of the past and "evolve" ??

Maybe it is prejudice to say and think this but I do believe that christianity has evolved farther in this area than islam. I would hope that christians recognize that it is not inherent in the religion so much as it is just the evolution of that religion within a particular culture that is involved here.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

And we all know there have never been those who profess to be christian who have advocated for widespread killing!

Oh yes plenty of them are nut jobs also. The difference is that we have enough bright people and a constitution to hold them in check. In many (most) Islamic countries they are running the show and Islamic law is the law of the land.