Pakistan: Christian Teenager Suspected of Theft Focus of Blasphemy Case
Sep 26 2006
Postings >> Pakistan

A Christian teenager suspected of theft has suddenly become the focus of a huge controversy and a blasphemy case.

The family of Shahid Masih, 17, first realised something was wrong when their doctor, Dr Masood, warned them some medicines had been stolen from his clinic. They did not discount the possibility of Shahid's involvement in the theft and openly admitted that Shahid had a drug problem. But they could not have predicted what happened next.

Two weeks later, four police officers came to the Masih home in Faisalabad and told his family Dr Masood had accused Shahid of blasphemy. Shahid was alleged to have torn pages from a tafseer, a book explaining the Koranic verses, together with a Muslim friend.

Both youths have now been charged under Pakistan's Section 295B blasphemy laws. Shahid is now in custody in Faisalabad and has not been allowed any visits from his family, according to AsiaNews.
Khalil Tahir, the lawyer who prosecuted members of a Muslim seminary in Punjab accused of torturing to death Christian teenager Javed Anjum, has taken on Shahid's case and waived his legal fee. He claims there were no witnesses to the alleged desecration of the Muslim holy book and so there is no case to answer.
RI and its partners in Pakistan have long campaigned for the repeal of the blasphemy laws which are frequently abused to settle personal scores. Though it is apparently not the case in this instance, they are often used to persecute religious minorities.

• Pray for Shahid Masih and his Muslim friend who were accused of blasphemy, apparently on trumped-up charges. Pray for wisdom for their lawyers.
• Continue to pray for the repeal of Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Pray for justice for Pakistan's religious minorities such as Christians whose rights are often ignored.