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| Pakistan blasphemy case: 'Muslims could take law into their own hands' | Pakistan blasphemy case: 'Muslims could take law into their own hands' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A lawyer representing the man who accused a Pakistani Christian girl of blasphemy has claimed that if she is not convicted, Muslims could "take the law into their own hands". | A lawyer representing the man who accused a Pakistani Christian girl of blasphemy has claimed that if she is not convicted, Muslims could "take the law into their own hands". |
| Rao Abdur Raheem, who appeared in court for the first time at a bail hearing on Tuesday, cited the example of Mumtaz Qadri, the man who last year gunned down a senior politician who had called for the reform of the much-abused blasphemy law. | |
| The lawyer's comments are likely to further complicate a bitterly contentious case which has caused international outcry and embarrassed the Pakistani government. | The lawyer's comments are likely to further complicate a bitterly contentious case which has caused international outcry and embarrassed the Pakistani government. |
| The girl, Rimsha Masih, whose family says she is 11, was arrested earlier this month and charged with desecrating the Qur'an after a neighbour, Malik Hammad, claimed that he saw her with burnt pages of the holy text in a bag she was carrying. | The girl, Rimsha Masih, whose family says she is 11, was arrested earlier this month and charged with desecrating the Qur'an after a neighbour, Malik Hammad, claimed that he saw her with burnt pages of the holy text in a bag she was carrying. |
| Her family had hoped that she would be granted bail on Thursday after a medical report this week found that she was a minor – thus eligible for bail – and has learning difficulties. But those hopes were dashed when Raheem challenged the report in court and the hearing was postponed. | Her family had hoped that she would be granted bail on Thursday after a medical report this week found that she was a minor – thus eligible for bail – and has learning difficulties. But those hopes were dashed when Raheem challenged the report in court and the hearing was postponed. |
| According to Raheem, the medical report on Masih was illegal, as it followed the orders of a civil servant and not the court, and went beyond its remit of determining her age. He accused the government of supporting her and manipulating court proceedings. | According to Raheem, the medical report on Masih was illegal, as it followed the orders of a civil servant and not the court, and went beyond its remit of determining her age. He accused the government of supporting her and manipulating court proceedings. |
| Speaking outside the Islamabad court after the hearing, Raheem said: "There are many Mumtaz Qadris in this country … This (medical) report has been managed by the state, state agencies and the accused." | Speaking outside the Islamabad court after the hearing, Raheem said: "There are many Mumtaz Qadris in this country … This (medical) report has been managed by the state, state agencies and the accused." |
| Later, sitting in his office beneath a large poster of Qadri, Raheem told the Guardian: "If the court is not allowed to do its work, because the state is helping the accused, then the public has no other option except to take the law into their own hands." | Later, sitting in his office beneath a large poster of Qadri, Raheem told the Guardian: "If the court is not allowed to do its work, because the state is helping the accused, then the public has no other option except to take the law into their own hands." |
| Last year, many lawyers rallied around Qadri, who had killed Punjab governor Salman Taseer in public, showering him with rose petals when he first appeared in court. Raheem said he had taken on the case for free because he was convinced that Masih should be punished. | Last year, many lawyers rallied around Qadri, who had killed Punjab governor Salman Taseer in public, showering him with rose petals when he first appeared in court. Raheem said he had taken on the case for free because he was convinced that Masih should be punished. |
| "This girl is guilty. If the state overrides the court, then God will get a person to do the job," said Raheem. "There is so much evidence against her, a reasonable court is not in a position to find her not guilty." | "This girl is guilty. If the state overrides the court, then God will get a person to do the job," said Raheem. "There is so much evidence against her, a reasonable court is not in a position to find her not guilty." |
| It remains unclear why the accuser suspected Masih and how he saw inside the bag that she was apparently carrying. Also unclear is whether any burnt pages were actually from the Qur'an or another book that contained religious verses. | It remains unclear why the accuser suspected Masih and how he saw inside the bag that she was apparently carrying. Also unclear is whether any burnt pages were actually from the Qur'an or another book that contained religious verses. |
| Following Raheem's objections to the medical report, the court has asked the authorities for clarification and will hear the case again on Saturday, when bail for the girl could again be considered. | Following Raheem's objections to the medical report, the court has asked the authorities for clarification and will hear the case again on Saturday, when bail for the girl could again be considered. |
| Blasphemy allegations are often made on the flimsiest of evidence but enraged mobs pressure the police into registering cases. In court, the alleged act of blasphemy cannot even be repeated, as that would be an act of blasphemy in itself, so verdicts are based on not hearing the main piece of evidence. | Blasphemy allegations are often made on the flimsiest of evidence but enraged mobs pressure the police into registering cases. In court, the alleged act of blasphemy cannot even be repeated, as that would be an act of blasphemy in itself, so verdicts are based on not hearing the main piece of evidence. |
| Earlier this year, a mentally disturbed Muslim man in Bahawalpur, a city in the middle of the country, was accused of blasphemy and arrested. After a crowd of up to 2,000 stormed the police station and dragged him out, he was beaten and burnt alive. In 2009, a mob attacked an area where Christians lived in Gojra, a town in Punjab province, burning at least eight people to death. | Earlier this year, a mentally disturbed Muslim man in Bahawalpur, a city in the middle of the country, was accused of blasphemy and arrested. After a crowd of up to 2,000 stormed the police station and dragged him out, he was beaten and burnt alive. In 2009, a mob attacked an area where Christians lived in Gojra, a town in Punjab province, burning at least eight people to death. |
| The fate of the Christians at Gojra hangs heavily over Masih's own community, who were settled in Mehrabadi, a poor mixed Christian-Muslim area on the outskirts of Islamabad. They fled en masse after Masih was taken away by police from her home. Two weeks later, many of the Christians have trickled back, but they remain terrified. Arif Masih returned to his house in Mehrabadi after nine days, to find it looted. | |
| "People are so afraid, they cannot sleep at night," he said. "Christians and Muslims have been living here next to each other, like brothers and sisters, for 20 years. But now we just want to leave, we want to be given somewhere else to live." | "People are so afraid, they cannot sleep at night," he said. "Christians and Muslims have been living here next to each other, like brothers and sisters, for 20 years. But now we just want to leave, we want to be given somewhere else to live." |