Pakistan: Christian Teenager Cleared of BlasphemY Charges
Oct 02 2007
Postings >> Pakistan

A judge in Pakistan has cleared a Christian teenager of blasphemy after prosecution witnesses 'miraculously' changed their statements.

In a move rarely seen in a lower court, Judge Muhammad Abdul Sattar acquitted 18-yearold Shahid Masih, in a courtroom packed with extremists baying for a guilty verdict.

Masih was arrested after being accused of tearing pages from a tafseer, a book explaining the Koran: at the time he was alleged to have been stealing books from a medical clinic in Faisalabad. A Muslim youth Muhammad Ghaffar, also accused of involvement in the burglary in 2006, was the one who allegedly first accused Masih of ripping the tafseer.

There was astonishment in the courtroom when, under oath, prosecution witnesses Mohammad Younis and Khalid Mehmood dropped their original testimonies in which they repeated Ghaffar's alleged claim. Judge Sattar cleared Ghaffar and Masih of all charges.

'There were about 100 fanatics inside and outside the courtroom who were astonished when their own witnesses claimed that the accused were innocent,' said defence lawyer Khalil Tahir. 'They were very, very angry.'

Compass Direct reports that both judge and witnesses 'practically fled the court' after the verdict. Pressure from extremists has meant that lower courts rarely acquit blasphemy suspects. 'It's not less than a miracle,' said Tahir.

• Praise God for the surprise acquittal of Shahid Masih. Pray that he can rebuild his life: he intends to stay in hiding for several months before looking for work.
• Thank God too for the prosecution witnesses' decision to change their testimonies.
• Ask God to protect them: their lives too may be at risk from extremists.