Pakistan: Pastor Arrested for Allegedly Disrespecting the Quran
- Updated Jan 05, 2017
A Christian pastor in Pakistan has been accused of disrespecting the Quran and has been taken into custody.
According to ChristianToday.com, Pastor Babu Shehbaz was arrested after his name was found scribbled on the pages of a Quran which was found on a street near a Christian district in Nishtar Colony in Lahore, Pakistan’s capital.
Shehbaz was arrested after Haji Nadeem filed a complaint against him. The accuser Nadeem did, however, admit that there were no witnesses who saw Shehbaz desecrate the Quran. It is therefore doubtful whether the pastor wrote his name in the Muslim holy book or if he was framed.
Christian rights activist groups believe that Nadeem is actually behind the controversy and is attempting to frame Shehbaz. Groups like Open Doors USA point to the fact that Pakistan is one of the worst countries for Christian persecution, largely due to Islamic extremism.
"Though the military announced a war against Islamic radicals, it continues a policy of distinguishing between 'good' and 'bad' jihadists," according to Open Doors. "While it fights the latter, it courts the former and uses them as a proxy to reach its goals in neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan and India."
Four million Christians live in Pakistan, which has a total population of 199 million people, the majority of whom are Muslim.
Publication date: January 5, 2017
