More on the zealous imam who tried to frame a child for “blasphemy,” from the BBC.
A Pakistani imam has been remanded in custody, accused of planting pages of the Koran among burnt pages in the bag of a Christian girl held for blasphemy.
They still don’t quite spell out that there were no pages of the Koran in the girl’s trash bag until the imam planted some, but that appears to be what they’re saying.
Prosecutors say Imam Khalid Chishti will himself face charges of blasphemy…
Imam Khalid Chishti allegedly told a witness, after tampering with the girl’s bag, that this was a “way of getting rid of Christians”, a prosecutor said.
He shouldn’t be charged with blasphemy, because blasphemy should not be considered a crime. He should be charged with attempted murder and obstruction of justice.
(Ok I’m not a lawyer. Maybe those aren’t the right crimes. But he should be charged with whatever is the right crime for trying to get the girl killed, and tampering with evidence.)
Imam Chishti appeared in the Islamabad court with a white blindfold and shackled hands.
There was a large police presence as he was ushered into the building.
“The imam was arrested after his deputy Maulvi Zubair and two others told a magistrate he added pages from the Koran to the burnt pages brought to him by a witness,” an investigator Munir Hussain Jaffri said.
He said Mr Zubair and some others had told the imam not to interfere, urging him to “give the evidence to the police as he got it”.
According to Mr Jaffri, Imam Chishti had told them: “You know this is the only way to expel the Christians from this area.”
Well good morning ethnic cleansing.
14 comments
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Kausik Datta
September 2, 2012 at 10:20 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
This is despicable beyond belief. This level of insane hatred for others, merely for the reason of a separate belief system of the other person, is only possible in religion. This Imam, this pathetic excuse for a human being, was quite content to sacrifice the life of a little girl (in this case, even whether she was special needs is immaterial) to satisfy his notion of ideological purity of his… geographical area!
Maverick
September 2, 2012 at 10:50 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
So burnt Koran is the Muslim version of the blood libel?
Bernard Hurley
September 2, 2012 at 10:52 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
In the 60′s Robert Bolt warned of the results for the law enforcers of absurd laws:
davidmc
September 2, 2012 at 10:55 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Perverting the course of justice, at the very least.
Forbidden Snowflake
September 2, 2012 at 11:13 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
More like host desecration libel.
Boy does that link ever remind me of Crackergate. I tell ya, banning idolatry was the best thing the Abrahamic religions ever did – pity they can’t get themselves to stick it out.
xmaseveeve
September 2, 2012 at 11:18 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Along with other potential charges, I’d say it was incitement to murder, because he knowingly or recklessly fabricated evidence which would expose this child (and others) to a baying, bloodthirsty mob.
Although, of course, I hate blasphemy laws, I am reminded of a Grimm’s fairytale, in which an evil character is punished in exactly the same way as he wanted his victim to be…
Sam Harris posted a link to an article which included disgusting, braindead comments from the Muslim villagers. They don’t care if the girl was framed, and are demanding the imam’s release!
So worrying. It reminds me of the Polish people interviewed in ‘Shoah’.
Sheila Crosby
September 2, 2012 at 11:47 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’m surprised and delighted that the despicable man’s been arrested. I hope that means the Christian teenager and the witnesses are safe.
And yes blasphemy is a silly charge – perjury, perverting the course of justice and inciting riot would be much more sensible.
Zme
September 2, 2012 at 12:08 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Much as I hate blasphemy laws and mob violence, I would definitely feel some schadenfreude if this man of god were to be charged with blasphemy and torn to shreds by his co-religionists on his way to court.
urmensch
September 2, 2012 at 4:20 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
It is really good that the three men didn’t stand by, knowing what they did, and let the Imam get away with framing the child.
I hope they don’t get turned on by the mob.
Jim Baerg
September 2, 2012 at 4:46 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Perhaps we should have an automatic death sentence for anyone making accusations of blasphemy (or witchcraft).
Art
September 2, 2012 at 10:00 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
The phrase : “hoisted on his own petard” comes to mind.
Winterwind
September 3, 2012 at 5:01 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
urmensch: I agree. I hope they were genuinely concerned about truth and justice. The cynic in me suspects that they might have been more troubled by the Imam burning pages from the Qur’an than by him framing the girl.
Sunny
September 3, 2012 at 7:57 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I am glad that Mr. Zubair listened to his conscience and spoke up. Is he going to be in trouble now?
canadagoosejakker2012.webs.com
November 28, 2012 at 10:08 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
This cellar room is very damp in the rainy season.I do want to see him now.It’s against the law.I fell in love with her at first sight.I’ll see to it.It’s time for us to say ¡°No¡± to AmericaIt’s time for us to say ¡°No¡± to AmericaHe is only about five feet high.You can either stay or leave.Let’s have a beer or something