Pakistan: 17-year-old boy jailed for allegedly insulting Muhammad on school exam

There is no mention of what Samiullah may have written, or what an opportunistic school official seized upon to level the charge. But the past month of demonstrations in favor of Pakistan's blasphemy laws has clearly shown the extent of public support for them.

As such, it is natural that we will not only see more cases, but even more frivolous ones as people look for an excuse to jump on the bandwagon -- the blasphemy bandwagon. "Pakistan urged to free schoolboy arrested for blasphemy," from BBC News, February 2:

Human Rights Watch has called on the Pakistani government to release a teenager who has been charged under the country's controversial blasphemy law.

Muhammad Samiullah, 17, is under arrest in the southern city of Karachi.

He is accused of blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad in an examination paper. Human Rights Watch called the boy's case "truly appalling".

Same question as ever: Whose prophet? The very idea of protecting Muhammad, a mortal man, from "blasphemy" smacks of shirk -- the grievous sin in Islam of allegedly worshiping someone other than Allah. In the words of James Thurber, "you might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward."

The blasphemy law has been in the spotlight since a Christian, Asia Bibi, was sentenced to death in November. [...]

'Mind boggling'

"Pakistan has set the standard for intolerance when it comes to misusing blasphemy laws, but sending a schoolboy to jail for something he scribbled on an exam paper is truly appalling," said Bede Sheppard, senior children's rights researcher, at Human Rights Watch.

There is no way not to misuse these laws. The only truly meaningful reform would be to repeal them.

"It's bad enough that a school official flagged it, but for police and judicial authorities to go ahead and lock up a teenager under these circumstances is mind boggling."

Everyone wants in on the action.

The alleged incident, reported by an invigilator, took place during high school final examinations, called intermediate exams, in Karachi's North Nazimabad neighbourhood.

Police officials said they arrested Muhammad Samiullah after a complaint was lodged by the chief examiner of the intermediate board on 28 January.

He was later produced in court where the magistrate sent him to a juvenile detention, while police pursue their investigations.

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9 Comments

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tanstaafl | February 3, 2011 6:37 AM | Reply

Dead Student Walking.

exsgtbrown | February 3, 2011 7:49 AM | Reply

Being smart enough to know Muhammad is a fraud is Un-Islamic...

traeh | February 3, 2011 9:29 AM | Reply

From a core Islamic text, a hadith in which Muhammad said there is to be no punishment for murdering someone who insults Muhammad

From Sunan Abu-Dawud, a canonical hadith collection:
Book 38, Number 4348:

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:
A blind man had a slave-mother [a slave who bore children for him] who used to abuse the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and disparage him. He [the blind man] forbade her but she did not stop. He rebuked her but she did not give up her habit. One night she began to slander the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and abuse him. So he [the blind man] took a dagger, placed it on her belly, pressed it, and killed her. A child who came between her legs was smeared with the blood that was there. When the morning came, the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) was informed about it.

He assembled the people and said: I adjure by Allah the man who has done this action and I adjure him by my right to him that he should stand up. Jumping over the necks of the people and trembling the man stood up.

He sat before the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said: Apostle of Allah! I am her master; she used to abuse you and disparage you. I forbade her, but she did not stop, and I rebuked her, but she did not abandon her habit. I have two sons like pearls from her, and she was my companion. Last night she began to abuse and disparage you. So I took a dagger, put it on her belly and pressed it till I killed her.

Thereupon the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Oh be witness, no retaliation is payable for her blood.

salah | February 3, 2011 9:39 AM | Reply

"..the grievous sin in Islam of allegedly worshiping someone other than Allah"
Worshipping Muhammad...by mixing his sweat with perfumes, by eating his sputum, by drinking his urine..etc.
"The Glory of Muhammad" (Based on the hadith and the fatwa of the Grand Mufti of Egypt Dr. Ali Gomaa)
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/11/glory-of-muhammad.html

Truthiocity.blogspot.com | February 3, 2011 9:59 AM | Reply

Anyone notice the neighborhood this happened in is called Nazimabad? NAZI-mabad? Nuff said.

winoceros | February 3, 2011 11:36 AM | Reply

Misusing blasphemy laws. What kind of human rights are you supporting, exactly? The "we just have to understand some of the Muslim laws, since most people don't end up dead or anything" type.

Why does BBC call him "Prophet Muhammad"? Have they agreed that he is a prophet?

What about "the Muslim revered as a prophet across the Islamic world, the warlord and founder of Islam, Muhammad"?

Jan replied to comment from winoceros | February 3, 2011 12:58 PM | Reply

What about the 'self-styled' prophet, who was a psychopathic (schizophrenic, if you want to be kind) paedophile, and who indulged in febrile and revolting hallucinations which he passed off to his deluded and seriously stupid followers as intimations from God.

You know, the more I read, the more I am completely dumbfounded that ANYONE, with half a brain ,could accept these moronic, violent and vicious meanderings as anything more than the vapourings of a seriously disturbed mind; I'm beginning to seriously wonder if in fact there IS a consciously evil entity AKA satan, and mo is in fact HIS emissary ?! ( before all the devil and hell believers begin to group forces, I hasten to add I'm being sarky - I really think mo was a schizo with some good PR).

winoceros replied to comment from Jan | February 3, 2011 1:19 PM | Reply

You make a good point. Many people teeter on agnosticism or are devout atheists (one of my favorite oxymorons!). They absolutely cannot believe someone would believe that God spoke to Moses through a burning bush or how he received the Ten Commandments, or that Jesus fed 5000 with loaves and fishes...all fantastic tales, to be fair.

But people can buy the fun stuff (no offense, I know many truly believe these things happened, and I certainly could not prove they didn't...their contemporaries seem convinced) because Jesus is a loving Savior. Because God is a just God, punishing the wicked, allowing his Son to die in a new covenant of grace and forgiveness, and that the Golden Rule, like a comfortable adage can bind the devout and casual together.

Who wouldn't want to try to believe, even if they were skeptical, in this type of unassailable goodness. My word, the hardest part is realizing you can never be as good as Him. What a bummer for believing Christians and Jews. But Mohammed. Holy-dagger-in-the-pregnant-belly-of-my-foes, Batman!

What does the militant atheist say to a Christian? "Really, he rolled a rock away? He rose from the dead? Loaves and fishes? Forgave the tax man? Got a little angry with the moneychangers in the synagogue? Piffle!!!"

But what does he say to the devout Muslim? "Your guy did what? And you think that's okay and a perfect model of a man to emulate and he can't be criticized or I'm dead? I guess I'll just have to change my name or be careful when I'm walking around places the more devout of you live."

It's astounding how anyone can believe that crap is uplifting, moral, righteous, worthy of anything, really. The only thing I can think of is some of the food is tasty. But I think I can get tasty food lots of places, no?

profitsbeard | February 3, 2011 4:52 PM | Reply

What is also truly creepy about Islam is the number of male Muslims named [after] Mohammad.

Imagine if an equal number in other faiths - 30-40%? were named Jesus.
Or Moses.
Or Buddha (Siddhartha).
Or Confucius.

Every day, running into a dozen or twenty Jesuses. Or a score of Moseses. Or a bushel or Buddhas (Siddharthas). Or a pack of Confuciuses.

Perhaps only if people do such a thought experiment will the disturbing brainwashing lunacy of so many damned Mohammads rnunning around come through.

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