Following the recent mob violence against Christian minorities, Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws have come under fresh scrutiny. But some arg
Following the recent mob violence against Christian minorities, Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws have come under fresh scrutiny. But some argue that vigilantism and personal vendettas are the real problem. Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws have once again been thrust into the spotlight after an angry Muslim mob burned down several Christian churches and houses in the eastern district of Faisalabad in Punjab last week after accusing two Christians of desecrating the Quran. Videos shared on social media showed hundreds of people armed with batons and sticks attacking the Salvation Army Church and the Saint Paul Catholic Church. Both were set on fire. Christians were also attacked in their homes. The dispute erupted when torn pages of the Holy Quran, the holy book for Muslims, were found near a Christian settlement with allegedly blasphemous content written on the pages. Allegations of blasphemy frequently incite violent mobs in Pakistan. In February, a man accused of blasphemy was lynched by a violent group in Punjab, despite being held in police custody at the time.
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It has nothing to do with the blasphemy laws. You only have to accused somebody of blasphemy and there's a mob there before you know it, ready to string the victim up. They don't bother waiting for the law to take its course, as in the case of the unfortunate man held in police custody. It would be very easy to rip the pages from the Quran, write on them then drop them close to a Christian neighbourhood, "find" them and point a finger. The vigilantes take it from there.
