Pakistan acquits girl of blasphemy charges

[al bupp]

Source: Aljazeera English

Pakistan court has thrown out charges against a young Christian girl accused of blasphemy in a case that drew international condemnation, lawyers said.

Rimsha Masih spent three weeks on remand in an adult jail after she was arrested on August 16 for allegedly burning pages from the Quran.

She was released on bail in September and police have since told the courts that she was not guilty and that a cleric who allegedly framed her should face trial instead.

...

Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti, a cleric who first gave police the burned papers as evidence against her, was detained on September 1 for desecrating the Quran and tampering with evidence.

Read more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/11/2012112061914152892.html

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Here's the problem.

There are religious fanatics who will not recognize the civil judiciary acquitting this girl. Her life is still in danger from vigilantes. Her next move should be to get out of Pakistan altogether and immigrate to a western country with the cloak of anonymity if possible.

[al bupp]

2. Apparently, her family agrees w/ you, up to a point

According to the article, since their daughter was released on bail in September, they've moved to an "undisclosed location", and fear for their lives.

As for the religious extremists, I used to have a tag line here on DU, borrowed from the late Robert Anton Wilson, which said "Death to all fanatics!".

[glacierbay]

3. Sadly

This is true, that girl and her family need to leave Pakistan before the fanatics find and kill them.

[Ash_F]

4. It is a shame that there are even blasphemy laws but this is at least encouraging

..that she was acquitted. Here is hoping for change.

[Igel]

5. Pakistan has a pattern.

If there's little international attention shown to a blasphemer, then s/he's convicted. If the possiblity of a death sentence is noted in the international press, then it's a life sentence.

If there's a lot of international attention shown to a blasphemer, then they're acquitted. Shortly after the attention fades, they're killed. They can be in hiding. They can be in the open. They can be under government protection, with guards at their homes or in a government protection program in a safe house.

Then, at most, there's a three sentence article in the "other news" column of 3rd-tier news websites mentioning the death at the hands of "extremists."

There's another born every minute is so outdated. With current population levels, it's more like every 0.1 s.

[LeftishBrit]

6. I am very glad to hear that.

I hope that the nutcases accept the verdict, and do not cause this poor girl or her family any further problems. Sadly, there's no guarantee of that.

[fujiyama]

7. Her and her family need to get out of that country

I hope a Western country offers them amnesty.

Sadly, that country is overrun by fanatics.