A Muslim cleric has been arrested in
Pakistan on terror charges after a teenage boy he accused of blasphemy responded by sawing off his own hand.
Shabir Ahmed challenged anyone who did not love the prophet Muhammad, the most revered figure in
Islam,
to raise their hand. The boy misunderstood the question and put his
hand up, prompting a chorus of shouts from those attending the Milad, a
traditional event where songs and poems praising Muhammad are performed.
Ahmed, the cleric at the mosque in the small Punjab town of Hujra Shah
Muqeem, reportedly denounced the boy as a “blasphemer who was liable to
be killed”.
Nausher Ahmed, a police officer, said an emotional Ali rushed home and
returned with his severed hand on a plate, which he presented to the
mullah.
The police registered a case against the cleric on Friday, five days
after the incident, after coverage of the case in local newspapers.
Police said they had been unable to take immediate action as no one had
lodged a complaint.
However a town resident Sajid Ali said the mullah had been arrested and
was later released after pressure from other clerics. He said the boy
had been given only rudimentary medical care at a clinic where his wound
was bandaged.
Sajid Ali said:
“The mullah has no right to exploit the emotions of Muslims and test
their love for the prophet. The environment at the Milad put him under
such deep pressure that he was forced to take this step.”
The boy, said he had no regrets. “What I did was in love for prophet
Muhammad,” he said. His father, Muhammad Ghafoor, said he was proud of
his son.
The cleric was arrested under counter-terrorism legislation designed to
prevent incitement to violence. Disrespect for Islam is an extremely
sensitive issue in Pakistan where people who have killed to protect the
honour of the religion are
folk heroes.
Blasphemy is a capital offence under Islamic laws that are routinely
condemned by human rights groups who say false accusations are often
levelled against religious minorities or by people embroiled in personal
disputes.
Source: The Guardian
