A Pakistani anti-terror court has sentenced five people to death over the killing of a Christian couple who were lynched and burned in a kiln after being falsely accused of blasphemy.
This sentencing represents good news in a country where abusive and easily manipulated blasphemy laws have been long criticized as tools for a witch hunt against Christians. Christians are often set up and falsely accused, sometimes simply for getting into a dispute with a Muslim co-worker or neighbor who decides out of revenge to lie about them blaspheming Islam or Muhammad.
The only Christian in Pakistan’s cabinet, Shahbaz Bhatti, who was openly critical of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and sought reforms, was murdered by assassins who “left leaflets signed ‘Taliban al-Qaida'”, five years ago. Outspoken Pakistani Governor Salman Taseer was also assassinated by his own guard for efforts to implement reforms in Pakistan.
Recently in Pakistan, 150 Muslim clerics demanded death for Asia Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy who has been living under brutal conditions in jail since 2009.
“Five sentenced to death in Pakistan for lynching and burning Christian couple in a kiln”, Independent UK, November 23, 2016:
A Pakistani anti-terror court has sentenced five people to death over the killing of a Christian couple who were lynched and burned in a kiln after being falsely accused of blasphemy.
The deaths of Shahzad Masih and Shama Bibi caused outrage in Pakistan and saw other Christian families living near their home in Punjab flee the area in fear.
The illiterate couple had been falsely accused of tossing out pages of the Quran along with the rubbish, desecrating the Muslim holy book.
Blasphemy is legally punishable by death in the deeply conservative Muslim country, where even unproven accusations can stir violence.
Critics say the laws are abused to wage personal vendettas, often against Christians.
Witnesses described how an angry mob of hundreds of people set upon the couple near the town of Kot Radha Kishan in Punjab in 2014, attacking them and then throwing their bodies into a brick kiln.
It is unclear whether they were still alive when tossed into the kiln.
Riaz Anjum, the lawyer representing the couple’s family, said a total of 103 people had been charged in the case. But the court in the eastern city of Lahore had acquitted 90, including the owner of the brick kiln.
He had been accused of locking the couple up as they tried to flee for fear they would default on their debt to him.
Apart from the five sentenced to hang, eight others were given two years’ imprisonment.
“The five people awarded the death sentence were involved in dragging, beating and burning the couple while the other eight played a supportive role according to the judgement,” Anjum said.
Senior prosecutor Khurram Khan confirmed the ruling.
Police have traditionally been reluctant to clamp down on mob violence for fear of enraging Islamists, a fact not lost upon the relatives of the deceased….

Michael Copeland says
“…deeply conservative” signifies dutifully APPLYING Sharia.
It is not a matter of “interpreting” Sharia”.
“Interpreting” is a red herring. “Kill” means kill.
PRCS says
It also means reluctance, to change. Unwillingness.
In the Punjab, it definitely does not mean Republican; rather strict, devout, literalism–where thinking, and especially acting outside the box has serious consequences.
Western politicians and “journalists” might say what happened to those two human beings had nothing to do with Islam.
They are wrong.
Angemon says
Time to go and find five more impossible things before breakfast…
Wakeup says
At least the bastards are going to hang.
vladkoval says
Do not forget: Presidential Pardon in Pakistan exists too))
old white guy says
I would not hold my breath waiting for those executions to occur.
Christianblood says
That is right! I don’t even think they will be in jail for more than over a few months!
utis says
I agree. In any case, they and TSarnaev will be exchanging Eid greetings twenty years from now right here on planet Earth.
A Harris USA says
I would love to see the day these pigs are hung by the neck till dead!! Like the rest of us, I do not see it happening. BUT eventually they will answer to the ultimate judge!! BTW, watch what the big Muslim in the white house does before the door wacks him in the ass. I look for Gitmo to be the “Big Pardon”… watch that Mufti in the white hut!!!
billybob says
We’ll see… Riots may erupt and the ruling will be overturned.
John A. Marre says
I looked at the pictures of the Christians, then I looked at the Muslims. One group had peace and love in their eyes. The other had anger and moronic hate. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which group had which.
Jack Diamond says
It is not unclear whether they were still alive when they were thrown into the kiln. Shama’s sister, an eyewitness, said they were still breathing, which is why an iron sheet was put over them to hold them down. She also confirmed police were present during the entire attack and did nothing to stop it.
So, five people are held accountable and that is supposed to satisfy justice. We’ll see if that even happens. Of course nothing changes concerning the infernal blasphemy law, which does not even require an “intent” for the death penalty to be imposed (usually extra-judicial), in keeping with orthodox Islamic law. Oh, but authorities are willing to admit some are “falsely accused”, if the publicity is bad enough.
Shama and Shahzad worked in a brick kiln, which means they were slaves. It is a modern form of slavery. They were prevented from leaving the village on orders from the brick kiln owner, who owned them as well. When the mob got to them they were locked up in the brick kiln offices, they got in through the roof. Where did the blood thirsty mob come from? From announcements from mosque loudspeakers in the local villages that a Christian woman had desecrated the Qur’an. This is even in the initial police report. Men from five villages gathered until there were thousands of them. And when this mob broke in and got hold of them, the couple were beaten with clubs and hatchets then tied and dragged by a tractor, doused, and finally put in the kiln to be burned…alive.
After they were dead a larger police contingent arrived and arrested 42 people. The police report said 500-600 men had tortured the couple and identified 60 by name. It also implicated the mosque (and therefore the Imam) for stirring up the Muslims.
And since Shama was pregnant with her fifth child, it is three who were murdered.
https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2014/11/Article_3462820.html/
http://brownpundits.blogspot.com/2014/11/burnt-offering-martyrdom-of-shama-and.html
Christianblood says
This was graphically pure Evil! I read this young couple were dragged out of the place were working as daily laborers, had their legs broken so that they could not escape, then stoned and beaten to death and even burned alive before they were even dead!
Islam is just pure EVIL! Islam is an extreme cult of hate, torture, amputation, beheading, stoning, barbarity, cruelty, darkness and death. Islam is just as evil as the Nazi Hitlerism and may be even more dangerous because muslims claim their hateful barbarity and cruelty is divinely ordained.
bob says
Thanks for the concise information regarding this murder of these two lovely people. We still have Pakistani’s here in the UK who would applaud this type of murder. I remember the attack in the park months ago in the Easter party. No pity for the Christians from them but there was concern for the innocent muslims caught up in the kilings. So backward and so murderous!
David says
Puke-a-stan!
World leader in both Jihad Terror AND ass-backward muslim thought!
I’m praying that, if the GIANT ASTEROID does hit our Earth, that it HITS right in the heart of EVIL, PUKE-a-stan!
Jerry says
Can any honest thinking person believe that America is not headed in the same direction as Pakistan? where Christians and other religious minorities are persecuted, where rational thinking atheists are under a constant threat of death, where intellectual dissenters are ostracized or worse, and where human rights abuses against women and children is a daily occurrence. I am surrounded by 10’s of thousands of muslims in Minneapolis where I live. I’m supposed to believe that the political aggression they import in the name of religion is not at all a threat, and that their main cause in my state and nation is one of religious freedom and equal rights as CAIR so often implies. But there’s nothing “equal” or “free” about their “religion.” The foundation for that paradigm of evil is one of bigotry and hatred against those who do not accept their depraved ways for allah and muhammad. Anyone who clings to the ideas of islam, whether it be out of religious conviction or simple comaraderie with fellow muslims, cannot be trusted in my opinion. Such ideas filthify moral thinking and feed the flames of hate. Evil ideas rarely produce good results. And we are foolhardy to the point of death if we think islam will be an exception to that eternal moral truth.
PRCS says
It’s had 1400 years to prove otherwise,
The conclusion should be obvious.
Jerry says
Yes, thanks, it is obvious. And that’s why those politicians that defend islam as a religion of peace betray our nation and human rights. Calling islam “peaceful” is like calling Nazism the same after the holocaust. I know evil when I see it, and no sly politician is going to convince me otherwise.
Edgar Allen says
Wait and see the demonstrations that are sure to follow by MODERATE MUSLIMS against this verdict. And wait for more retaliation by MODERATE MUSLIMS against other innocent Christians.
Remember, only the “tiny minority” are extremists.
BringBackTheCrusades says
Justice will be speedily served if the condemned are immediately required to shred a Koran in front of the same mob. Perhaps the exercise will help save their souls. Even better require the whole mob should shred korans. Is the Imam among the accused? He should provide the korans and order them to be shredded.
One wonders if this decision is a result of Trump being elected?
katherine says
Yes – here’s hoping Trump will continue wasting $billions in Pukhi-stan to fight Christian extremism.
Guest says
Since when does the Pakistani government care about Christians?
BlueRaven says
This sentence is just a dog and pony show – or smoke and mirrors. They will never carry out the sentence. Pakistanies are trying to suck up to Trump. He is talking with Indians. They are trying to pretend the Christians are treated fairly. They think Trump will buy their bull.
Pakistanies are scums – I mean their government and army. Though, as a rule, I do not trust any of them.
Singh the Singh says
Pakistan will go up in flames if they are executed, so it won’t happen. It’s taqiya at work. Pakistanis have mastered Muslim deception to a fine art. They are incredibly cunning and devious. Look how they sucked billions out of the US while continuing to fund the Taliban and hide Obama in full view. Do not trust Pakistan.