Day of reckoning for ‘blasphemy cleric’
Policemen stand guard outside a court room in Islamabad, Sept 2, 2012. — Photo by Reuters
ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: Police investigators investigating the blasphemy case involving a Christian girl, found two more eyewitnesses against the prayer leader who allegedly maneuvered evidence against her, police said on Monday.
The witnesses, Khurram Shahzad and Hafiz Mohammad Owais, recorded their separate statements under CrPC 161 (examination of witness by police), with investigating officer sub-inspector Munir Hussain Jaffery, stating that they saw Hafiz Mohammad Khalid Jadoon putting some pages of the Holy Quran, after tearing them.
The sources in the police close to the investigation told Dawn that the complainant of the case — Malik Amad, who was also the neighbour of the girl — brought a polythene shopper to the mosque carrying ashes and some burnt papers and handed it to them.
Shahzad was offering prayers, while Owais was in Itekaf (meditative seclusion) , but later Amad took the shopper from them and handed it over to the prayer leader Khalid Jadoon; adding that the prayer leader later tore some pages from the Holy Quran and put it in the shopper.
They objected to the act, but Hafiz Jadoon replied: “You are just kids and you do not know how to strengthen a case.”
Later they brought the matter in the knowledge of the prayer caller of the mosque — Hafiz Zubair – who also raised an objection over the act, but it was ignored again.
Earlier, Hafiz Zubair’s statement recorded under CrPC 164 (Power to record statements and confessions) stated that Hafiz Jadoon took the custody of the shopper carrying ashes and put it in the mosque.
After people left the mosque, Hafiz Jadoon asked for the shopper and someone brought it from the mosque to him.
Hafiz Jadoon after taking the shopper put some pages from the Holy Quran and one person raised objection on the act, the sources said.
The person raising the objection complained over the act, but Hafiz Jadoon replied it was an evidence against them and the only option to force them out of here.
The prayer caller further said in his statement that “Hafiz Mohmmad Khalid Jadoon put the pages of the Quran in the shopper as evidence against the Christians,” the sources quoted the statement.
A senior officer of capital police told Dawn that Hafiz Jadoon is yet to confess his involvement in maneuvering the evidence.
However, he did not challenge the eyewitnesses in his presence repeating their statements, alleging his involvement in
maneuvering the evidence, the officer added.
“He avoided eye contact with the witness and felt ashamed when the police asked to challenge the statements of the witnesses,” the officer said.
Another senior officer said that the investigators were ordered to add PPC 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) in the FIR already registered on charge of PPC 295-B against Hafiz Jadoon.
He was allegedly involved in defiling the pages of the Holy Quran, he added.
The investigators were also asked to trace and arrest other conspirators, including the complainant of the case Amad Malik, the officer added.
The complainant alleged that the Christian girl burnt the pages and hid the act of Hafiz Jadoon, the officer said.
The police officer said that the shopper carried seven pages of Noorani Qaida — highlighting the procedures of prayer — but only two were burnt.
Four to five torn papers of the first part of the Holy Quran were also in the shopper but they were not burnt, he added.
The ashes found from the shopper have some weight and it was suspected that ashes of wood or coal were put in the shopper too, as the ashes of paper were weightless.
We call our self muslim but we dont follow….IF we read Quran and read translation, also if we read HADITH…….and follow the hadith, than we can learn a lot about ISLAM….
As we all know that Hazrat Mohammed (SAW) did talk to non muslims and did help non-muslims…
also did business with non-muslim…with honesty and decency….as we all know so many non-muslim became muslim…..becoz Mohammed (SAW) never hate any non-muslim….also we all know ISLAM is LOVE and PEACE and HUMANITY…….But we dont follow that….thats why we are behind, and Pakistan lost respect around the world…..I think JUDGE must let Ramsha masiha free, let her stay with her family and Govt. of Pakistan provide her nice place to live, and provide security for her and her family members………..May Allah Bless them…….Who knows?? if they treated right , they may become muslim………Inshallah……….
Sincerely,
Ash Mirza (USA)
I am pakistani christian living in America, Before moving to usa I had many muslim friends I went to school with we never had any religious problem between us. There was never single moment when myself or any other christians thought to insult quran or prophet mohammad. Living in USA we as christian nation do not insult Islam or any other religion because fundamental teaching of Jesus Christ is Love and Forgivenes and we christian live with that. I feel sorry for Minorities living in pakistan and how they live in fear and their no protection from government.Feel sorry for Shia community who believe on quran but still get beat up sorry for ahmdiya community they can not call themselves Muslims… Very Sad my Sunny brothers and sisters wake up start living in peace and harmony and save pakistanGod Bless
Pakistan has sunk in the lowest depth of un-Islamic behavior and inhuman acts. Blasphemy law is just one nail on the coffin of Pakistan. All politicians and leaders of today as well as the anti-Islamic leaders of the past with Muslim names, will be accountable in front of Allah for what they have done to Pakistan and Pakistanis. They have no fear of Allah. May Allah save Pakistan from all politicians and religious leaders of this day, Ameen!
Sooooooooo true my friend, very very well said. The very very best comment.
God bless those two eyewitnesses.
Our children need the power of a free mind, not a set of fragile beliefs.Any belief which cannot protect itself is not worth protecting under any law.It is not our duty to protect God,Prophets or holy books.The truth in them is their protection.If there is a strong feeling in your blood that it is your duty to protect them,then you are believing in a weak God,weak prophet and weak book.
I fully agree, religion creates more problems then it solves……………….
Very well said Ali….I hope our brethren also understand this and not cause more grief in the name of religion as it is no fault of the religion in the first place!
The word “shopper” has been used 11 times in this article. This is not English! Dawn is an English language newspaper and the readers expect to read English. Mind your language, please!!!
Grow up! make your life more useful rather then looking for word “shopper”.
Spare me your wisdom. Thank you.
I agree with Farooq…It is a silly blunder!
How wicked and cruel can these so called followers of islam can be. They don’t even realise that God can see all this injustice to His people. The say five times prayers but their heart are unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts that evil intentions emerge
Hi gerry’s its me again. we christian will only get justice when these muslims go the western countries and they get a piece of their own lesson how the behave wiht us. The only way to teach them a lesson is when they go to the west mock them and harass them as they did with us in Pakistan.
Naz,
kispe naz hai apko.An eye for an eye makes the world go blind.You are not thinking any better than the moulvi involved.
naz plz keep in mind too that the persons giving evidences and in a sense helping the girl in the case are also muslims.
Rattan is 100% rite.
The blasphemy law is cause of all this and should be cancelled
Hafiz Mohmmad Khalid Jadoon, if found guilty, should be given a taste of his own medicine since he has “blasphemed” by tearing out the pages of the holy book. Wouldn’t that by sweetly ironic.
Though this could be a golden moment to set precedents of harsh punishments for false accusations, assuming they are not already there and it’s just a matter of enforcement, if not to repeal the archaic act altogether.
I live overseas and am appalled at this state of affairs in the country. I salute the two men who have come forward to tell the truth and appreciate the law enforcement agencies taking immediate actions to arrest the culprit. The wheels of justice must move forward and ‘fast’ to nail down the culprits and clear the innocent girl of all charges. I appreciate the role of religious leaders to come forward and raise concerns about the injustice being done to the Christians in Pakistan. The culprits must be made example of to discourage such incidents and the minorities must be reassured that strict measures will be taken to avoid such incidents in the future. The blasphemy law, the security situation around the country, the treatment of minoriites as well as Muslim sects, poverty, corruption, lawlessness, terrorism, poor governance and so many other issues are all bringing Pakistan a bad name. I ask all concerned citizens to rise up and let their voices be heard.
NG
Bhai, I also lived overseas and came back for the love of the country after 25 years. I am now ready to leave for good. This nation is not interested in doing anything. They site there and take and take this corruption because they themselves are corrupt. They don’t follow any rules, traffic, lies and cheating is the way of life. It seems anyone who was any good or could leave has left. From masi who works at your home to highest office is corrupt to the core. Guns and gunmen everywhere roaming around threatening common people. THERE IS NO HOPE HERE. My suggestion don’t even read newspapers from Pakistan. It will only upset you.
u are absolutely right reading the pakistan newspaper will only upset u and show u the nastyness of our own people. ur right brother.
Dear All
Please do not rush to conclusions. You are forgetting that those two or three who have given evidence against Imam Khalid Jadoon are also followers of Islam and done the right thing. Unfortunately we give blanket and sweeping statements without qualifying them. Here one person committed wrong and others are preventing it. No one is talking about the good of “many” who have testified against “one”. good and bad are everywhere around the globe. So please appreciate those who have done good. For Zahid who came back after 25 years to Pakistan and has not seen any good in Pakistan, I am quite surprised as there are lots of honest and hard working people and plenty of beauty in this country; had that not been the case, this country would not have survived for last sixty years. I did my BE, MSC and PhD in USA, stayed there for 10 years and now back in Pakistan for last several years. I enjoy, see, feel and share the beauty of this beautiful motherland every day. No denying the fact we have very deep rooted problems but then no country is free from all evils. Please look more closely and I hope you will start to feel the same way I do. Good Luck
There are two lessons to be learned here. First the men who stood up and told the truth as to the planting of the “evidence” deserve to be recognized for what they did. They are the true heros here. The girl should be released and the cleric should make a public apology to her before he is tried for blasphemy. This rift between the religions of the world needs to end, corruption is not going to help the matter. We are all people of the Earth lets start acting like it, by loving and caring for each other no matter who you are or what god you pray to.
So let’s join hands and praise the Creator of Heavens and the Earth that all mankind are equel, lets love one another as God loves all His creation
Dear Liaqat,
can you please explain to me how can you tolerate the injustices in the law against minorities in Pakistan? Even the constitution of Pakistan has taken the role of Allah and defined who is a Muslim and who is not? And furthermore it also defines how should a non Muslim behave,act, pray, etc!!! I agree with you that the land is beautiful, many people are very nice but the Pakistaniversion of Islam is in shambles and full of hatred and bigotory. Killing Shias, Ahmedis, Christians, Hindus , etc go unpunished!!! I shall be very surprised if this bigoted and criminal minded Mulla will get any punishment in the end. Even the murderer of Salman Taseer has not yet been punished!!! Yes there may be ills and some faults in other countries as well but it is nothing comapred to what is happening in Pakistan. and by the way , what is your solution for solving these problems?