Pakistan court acquits Christian on death row

[Solomon2]

Agence France-Presse April 4, 2013 09:31
Pakistan court acquits Christian on death row

A Pakistani court has acquitted a Christian man who was sentenced to death for blasphemy six years ago in the country's second largest city, lawyers said Thursday.

Younis Masih, 34, a labourer, was arrested in September 2005 in the low-income Qenchi Amar Siddhu neighbourhood of Lahore after local residents accused him of interrupting a gathering of Sufi singing to make blasphemous remarks.

Masih's lawyer, Naeem Shakir, said his client was sentenced to death in May 2007 and fined 100,000 rupees ($1,000), but appealed to the high court in Lahore.

"The high court on Wednesday decided to overturn the death sentence and ordered that Masih be acquitted," Shakir told AFP.

"I argued the case in February and put to the court that there is no direct evidence against Younis Masih and that the case was based on hearsay," he said.

Blasphemy is a very sensitive issue in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the 180 million population are Muslims, and even unproven allegations can spark a violent public backlash.

Rights campaigners argue the blasphemy laws, for which the maximum penalty is death, are often abused to settle personal scores and should be reformed.

Shakir said his client would be freed "in a couple of days" after he obtained a written copy of the decision and a detailed judgement.

The deputy prosecutor general confirmed the acquittal.

Nadeem Anthony, a lawyer working for the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also confirmed the acquittal and hailed the high court decision.

Last month, more than 3,000 furious Muslims rampaged through the Joseph Colony area of Lahore, looting property and burning buildings after a Christian was accused of blasphemy.

Surrounding Punjab province was also the scene of one of the worst outbreaks of anti-Christian violence when a mob burned 77 houses and killed seven people in the town of Gojra in 2009 after rumours that a Koran had been desecrated.

 

[474474]

Feeling better about yourself?

 

[Agnostic_Indian]

Feeling better about yourself?

you seem disappointed with the verdict ?

 

[474474]

you seem disappointed with the verdict ?

I've never heard the word aquit before and from context it could either mean pardon or accuse and I can't deduce the meaning on my own, of course I could have googled it but no point in that.
My only problem is that the OP posted this only to make Pakistan look bad and feel better about himself, rather than any actual grief for the victim's fate.
Mind you I am opposed to the blasphemy laws, but I can;t tolerate Pakistan bashing under that excuse. Shame on OP for using this sad story for his own sick purposes.

 

[Solomon2]

Feeling better about yourself?

I've noticed that the Lahore Court has issued several such acquittals this year; this one is just the latest. I posted the article to provide Pakistanis like yourself the opportunity to comment on this news.

 

[474474]

I've noticed that the Lahore Court has issued several such acquittals this year; this one is just the latest. I posted the article to provide Pakistanis like yourself the opportunity to comment on this news.

I feel good that minorities are getting their rights. What else did you expect? That we want to burn him/stone him etc?

What kind of animals do you take us for?

 

[Solomon2]

I feel good that minorities are getting their rights.

What "rights" do you have in mind, specifically?

 

[474474]

What "rights" do you have in mind, specifically?

Freedom of speech, right to get a fair trial etc

 

[Solomon2]

Freedom of speech, right to get a fair trial etc

I see.

What kind of animals do you take us for?

That depends on what happens next, I suppose. Does the man have the right to sue his accuser in civil court for lost earnings, damages, and property? Is his life safe? Will you support the Court's verdict when the next mass march against accused Christians occurs or will you join in the crowd yourself?

 

[474474]

I see.
That depends on what happens next, I suppose. Does the man have the right to sue his accuser in civil court for lost earnings, damages, and property? Is his life safe? Will you support the Court's verdict when the next mass march against accused Christians occurs or will you join in the crowd yourself?

Ask yourself, why the hell did you arm the mass marchers yu are reffering to? I mean in an ideal scenario it would have all been fine but newer and newer extremist groups whose names I've never heard of keep popping up every second (might or might not have to do with all the madrassas you're financing your call)

 

[Solomon2]

Ask yourself, why the hell did you arm the mass marchers yu are reffering to?

What, you think I can control maddened Muslims in Pakistan all by myself, in my pajamas, in front of my computer in the U.S.?

Still, the implication of your response - since you acknowledge no personal nor collective responsibility for riots past, present, or future - is clear: you claim credit for the court's decision, but are not willing to shoulder any responsibility when the situation calls for civic courage.

(As for the "What kind of animals do you take us for?" question, I'm sorry but the mods forbid specific responses to it.)

 

[474474]

What, you think I can control maddened Muslims in Pakistan all by myself, in my pajamas, in front of my computer in the U.S.?

Still, the implication of your response - since you acknowledge no personal nor collective responsibility for riots past, present, or future - is clear: you claim credit for the court's decision, but are not willing to shoulder any responsibility when the situation calls for civic courage.

(As for the "What kind of animals do you take us for?" question, I'm sorry but the mods forbid specific responses to it.)

So in short your are admitting what sick perversions are stewing in your twisted mind?
It's not my responsibility because Pakistan is a big country and is ruled by US lackeys with an iron fist and are happy of this condition of ours.

 

[Solomon2]

So in short your are admitting what sick perversions are stewing in your twisted mind?

Specify and explain, please.

It's not my responsibility because Pakistan is a big country and is ruled by US lackeys with an iron fist and are happy of this condition of ours.

So why don't you praise the U.S. for supporting Pakistani citizens' rights as well as this ruling of the Lahore Court?

 

[474474]

Specify and explain, please.

So why don't you praise the U.S. for supporting Pakistani citizens' rights as well as this ruling of the Lahore Court?

Why don't you support that all this happened in the first place? The bad outweighs the good

 

[Solomon2]

Why don't you support that all this happened in the first place? The bad outweighs the good

Because I learned that real history is crafted out of facts in context supported by explanations that have more meat to them than mere rote learning and that accurate moral judgment is mostly based on appreciation of history with a dash of human psychology, taking into account that not all humans' reaction to stimuli is the same.

Yeah, that makes the world a complicated place. You don't care for that, do you? You want short, neat answers that support your anger and adrenaline levels, yes? You automatically reject an answer that scares you and makes you realize your own cowardice in the face of the mob, right?