Another story about Bashir Masih, underscoring how Pakistan’s blasphemy law is used as a weapon against the disadvantaged. From Asia News, with thanks to Emergency Room:
Multan (AsiaNews) — Pakistan’s blasphemy laws strike Christians again. Bashir Masih, a 30-year-old Christian, was sentenced to seven years in jail for desecrating the Qu”ran.
“It is a tragic situation. This law strikes at the poor, those who cannot defend themselves, the people who lack the means to be heard,” Mgr Joseph Coutts, Bishop of Faisalabad, told AsiaNews. But according to the judge, Bashir Masih tore a copy of the Qu”ran to use in some occult practices.
Even though the sentence was pronounced on February 23 in the Civil Court in Chishtian, a town located in the diocese of Multan, the case did not receive any publicity. Local NGOs and human rights groups are still unaware of the case.