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Punjab: Christian couple touches Qur‘an with dirty hands, gets 25 years in prison
Asia News ^ | 04/24/2010 | Fareed Khan

Posted on 04/25/2010 8:28:44 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – A court in Kasur district, Punjab, convicted a Christian couple, Munir Masih and Ruqqiya Bibi, to 25 years in prison. According to the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), judge Ajmal Hussein convicted the couple for touching the Qur‘an without washing their hands.

Munir Masih and Ruqqiya Bibi were released on bail last January, but were re-arrested after the judge ruled against them. The husband was locked up in Kasur’s district prison; the wife was sent to the women’s prison in Multan. Both have started serving 25 years behind bars.

CLAAS, an association that fights for the rights of the poor and marginalised, said that the couple was accused of “contaminating” the Qur‘an when they touched it “without washing their hands”.

The incident, which dates back to December 2008, unleashed the fury of Muslim extremists who put pressure on police. Unconfirmed reports suggest that extremists paid off police agents to discover “new evidence” to justify the sentence.

At the end of the police investigation, husband and wife were charged with blasphemy.

The blasphemy law is the harshest tool for religious repression available in Pakistan. It was adopted in 1986 by then dictator Zia ul-Haq to protect Islam and its prophet, Muhammad, from attacks and insults.

In fact, it is actually comprised of sections 295-B and 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which respectively punish with life in prison anyone who defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Qur‘an, and imposes the death penalty on anyone who defiles the name of the Prophet Muhammad.

In the last two months, there were two more convictions against Christians in Pakistan.

On 11 January, a court in Faisalabad sentenced Imran Masih, a 26-year-old Christian man, to life imprisonment for insulting and desecrating the Koran. He was accused of deliberately burning Qur‘anic verses and an Arabic book in order “foment interfaith hatred and hurt the feelings of Muslims.”

On 25 February, a court in Karachi sentenced Qamar David, also a Christian, to life imprisonment for hurting the religious feelings of Muslims when he sent blasphemous SMS.

CLAAS announced that it was filing an appeal with the High Court in Lahore to have the 25-year sentence against Munir Masih and Ruqqiya Bibi overturned.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: christianity; islam; koran; muslims; muslimworld; pakistan; pakistanichristians; persecution; quran
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1 posted on 04/25/2010 8:28:44 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Can someone show me news of people from “Christian” nations imprisoning someone for mistreating the Bible?


2 posted on 04/25/2010 8:30:37 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Personally, I wouldn’t touch a Koran. There’s not enough Purell on the planet.

http://joytiz.com/2010/islam-rising-civilzation-falling/


3 posted on 04/25/2010 8:31:24 AM PDT by jazminerose
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To: SeekAndFind

How many people have touched a koran in American bookstores without washing their hands first?


4 posted on 04/25/2010 8:34:20 AM PDT by kalee (The offences we give, we write in the dust; Those we take, we engrave in marble. J Huett 1658)
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To: SeekAndFind
What you see in cases like these is just how incredibly superstitious and into magic your typical Moslem really is.

One of today's news stories is about how many billions of dollars Moslems spend on pure witchcraft!

Now, please excuse me, I have a dozen Korans to defile today ~ they are for sale in a nearby bookstore ~ on open shelves. Why just anyone could go in there and do just anything ~ so any of you Moslems out there reading this thread it's your fault for stirring this up.

5 posted on 04/25/2010 8:35:04 AM PDT by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
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To: jazminerose

Islam is pure evil.


6 posted on 04/25/2010 8:35:04 AM PDT by nolongerademocrat ("Before you ask G-d for something, first thank G-d for what you already have." B'rachot 30b)
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To: kalee

I came home one day from work and some missionary-type had left a copy of the Koran attached to my screen door.


7 posted on 04/25/2010 8:36:19 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: SeekAndFind

Islam is Evil....what else is there to say


8 posted on 04/25/2010 8:36:28 AM PDT by UCFRoadWarrior (JD Hayworth for Senate ..... jdforsenate.com)
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To: SeekAndFind

Coming to a country near you soon...


9 posted on 04/25/2010 8:36:54 AM PDT by ez ("Abashed the Devil stood and felt how awful goodness is." - Milton)
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To: SeekAndFind

Islam is evil.


10 posted on 04/25/2010 8:38:44 AM PDT by Artemis Webb (DeMint 2012 (Remember May 20th is "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day"))
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To: nolongerademocrat

No, no, no. It’s the religion of peace and love. Right?


11 posted on 04/25/2010 8:39:28 AM PDT by RC2
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To: SeekAndFind

12 posted on 04/25/2010 8:39:51 AM PDT by Rebelbase (Don't think of work as 5 days on, 2 days off. Instead think 4 nights on, 3 off.)
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To: ez
"Coming to a country near you soon..."

Mexico? lol

13 posted on 04/25/2010 8:40:06 AM PDT by verity (Obama Lies)
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To: SeekAndFind

This has me thinking about an art project...


14 posted on 04/25/2010 8:42:02 AM PDT by mnehring
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To: RC2

Ummmm, you tell me:

Islam in Zanzibar - kidnapping and forced conversions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX7iWFqUQyg


15 posted on 04/25/2010 8:43:09 AM PDT by nolongerademocrat ("Before you ask G-d for something, first thank G-d for what you already have." B'rachot 30b)
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To: 1rudeboy

What did you do with it?


16 posted on 04/25/2010 8:45:01 AM PDT by kalee (The offences we give, we write in the dust; Those we take, we engrave in marble. J Huett 1658)
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To: SeekAndFind
Don't forget, friends: May 20th has been declared Everybody Draw Mohammed Day. If you can't draw, appropriate someone else's cartoon. Display it proudly. Those who have websites should post their cartoons for general enjoyment.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Curmudgeon Emeritus of Eternity Road

17 posted on 04/25/2010 8:46:19 AM PDT by fporretto (This tagline is programming you in ways that will not be apparent for years. Forget! Forget!)
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To: kalee
How many people have touched a koran in American bookstores without washing their hands first?

Don't give me any ideas...


18 posted on 04/25/2010 8:46:44 AM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 458 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: kalee

I put it on the shelf next to my other one, in the Religion section of my library. It was a nicer copy.


19 posted on 04/25/2010 8:46:59 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: SeekAndFind

Really reminds you of the Pharisees, doesn’t it?


20 posted on 04/25/2010 8:47:35 AM PDT by Beowulf9
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