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LAHORE: Okara police on Saturday arrested the imam of a mosque on terror charges in relation to the incident involving a 15-year-old boy who had cut off his own hand believing he had committed blasphemy.
On Friday night a first information report (FIR No. 36/16) was registered against the prayer leader Shabbir Ahmed on behalf of the state under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and Section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Police officials said the cleric was arrested under the National Action Plan (NAP) for inciting violence during a speech in which he asked a controversial question.
Around five days ago, the cleric, addressing a Mehfil-i-Milad at a village mosque in Chak 3D of Hujra Shah Muqeem town in Depalpur Tehsil of Okara District, said that "those who love the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) always say their prayers".
He then asked his audience "Who does not love the Prophet (PBUH)?" The cleric asked, "Raise your hand.” The child misheard the question and raised his hand.
The imam then pointed to the youth and alleged he was a "blasphemer who was liable to be killed".
When asked, members of the crowd said they were aware the boy had not committed blasphemy as he was the victim of a misunderstanding.
However, police maintain that the allegations of the cleric led to the boy's heinous act, as he felt ashamed and dejected after being called a blasphemer.
The 15-year-old maintains that the imam is blameless while his act was reportedly celebrated by his parents and neighbours.
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can stir mob violence and lynchings.
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Comments (82) Closed
Jan 16, 2016 05:46pm
Definitely a step in right direction and should complete the legal course.
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Jan 16, 2016 05:50pm
had he been the Imam of Lal masjid interior minister would have been insisting for more proofs.
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Jan 16, 2016 05:53pm
I will say Imam is the main culprit and people who encouraged the act shall be held responsible and the case shall go to speedy court ,it's very SAD a young man lost his hand while living in ignorant
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Jan 16, 2016 06:00pm
Hope he is punished if found guilty.
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Jan 16, 2016 06:01pm
Correct action by the police!
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Jan 16, 2016 06:05pm
The parents must be arrested too until they are proven innocent.
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Jan 16, 2016 06:12pm
some sensible work
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Jan 16, 2016 06:19pm
lesson for others
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Jan 16, 2016 06:22pm
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can stir mob violence and lynchings. And now children are cutting their hands!
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Jan 16, 2016 06:22pm
The claim the teenager cut his own hand is a big lie. It is concacted to protected the people of the clerics. There must be a video on mobile phone of the incident.
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Jan 16, 2016 06:29pm
Thank you, General Zia. Your legacy lives on.
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Jan 16, 2016 06:41pm
@Maajid my father has served in the reign of zia, and this is what he saying to me about zia. You are hundred percent right.....
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Jan 16, 2016 06:44pm
I feel sad for the boy because his impulsive act has harmed him for the rest of his life.
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Jan 16, 2016 06:47pm
Thats not Fair, Imam misunderstood just as the kid misunderstood Imam.
This FIR is just for publicity. The kid even stands by his words that the imam was not to be blamed.
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Jan 16, 2016 06:50pm
a good move by the state
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Jan 16, 2016 06:50pm
these sort of unethical actions by uneducated and blind faith people has created Islam an hard core religion in the mind of non-muslim
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Jan 16, 2016 06:57pm
Horrific act! If prosecuted the Imam should be jailed and re-educated on what Islam is all about.
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Jan 16, 2016 07:04pm
Good step!!! Well done!! And it was quick too...
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Jan 16, 2016 07:07pm
Getting sick of these Imams.....Who really needs such negative Imams?
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Jan 16, 2016 07:09pm
Well done. These ill informed clerics are the main cause of the problems in this country.
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Jan 16, 2016 07:10pm
Why were the parents not arrested for reckless endangerment?
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Jan 16, 2016 07:10pm
This society needs fix it!
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Jan 16, 2016 07:29pm
Arrest his parents too... swift reaponse from police is commendable...
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Jan 16, 2016 07:32pm
The Imam is not to be blamed. period.
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Jan 16, 2016 07:37pm
Religious fanatics are the source of so many problems in Pakistan... these radicals have to change their ways and stop ruining the next generation with their hate speech...
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Jan 16, 2016 07:39pm
Twisted minds, Imam should spent rest of his life behind bars and all the villagers who were clapping should also be arrested. We have to wipe out this cancer of radicalisation from our society.
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Jan 16, 2016 07:44pm
A sad incident and the height of ignorance. How these children can get the right education because they belong to such families who are equally ignorant, poor and uneducated.
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Jan 16, 2016 07:49pm
Punish the imam to the maximum - but reading that the boy's parents and close friends; including the boy - celebrating the hand cutting is very troublesome.
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Jan 16, 2016 08:08pm
Bravo Police. .... please take it to its logical conclusion. Hope the ignorant cleric gets severe punishment.
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Jan 16, 2016 08:21pm
Some body should raise this issue in the National Assembly for appropriate action.
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Jan 16, 2016 08:22pm
The child has suffered irreparably. Who will punish the cleric? The state? Haaah! Salams
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Jan 16, 2016 08:22pm
Where are our the ultra-wise parliamentarians who know how to change all routes of any corridor?
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Jan 16, 2016 08:55pm
Whether he broke the law or not, this Imam is a danger to the public. He accused a child of blasphemy without any shadow of proof. He must not be allowed ever to teach or lead especially as an Imam.
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Jan 16, 2016 08:57pm
illiterate clerics must be banned to address any religious gathering no matter how small..any cleric who hasn't got a legit degree from any registered madrassah or university, should not be allowed to use the pulpit. if any 1 does invoke violence despite his degree then madrassah or university should be checked for the reasons.. This must be the law, enough damage has already been done.
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Jan 16, 2016 09:53pm
he needs to be punished,,,,,,
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Jan 16, 2016 10:18pm
@Najam
Why. If proved guilty then he should be punished.
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Jan 16, 2016 10:33pm
well done, but what about those PARTIES/ CLERICS whose manifesto is based on such vague / novice Cleric's knowledge which at the end quenches their own nefarious agenda only..... why don education board work in harmony with established clerics who can give us moderate education / society and more tolerable civil life rather than such stupid situations. ?
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Jan 16, 2016 11:11pm
Even if the boy had no misunderstanding regrading the question, suppose that he well understood the question and answered it with total honesty: What is wrong with that?. Does he not have a right to self introspection whereby he is allowed to examine, gauge and measure his true feelings, sincerity, love and commitment to the life, meanings and teachings of the holy prophet and being in this self critical mode of himself, he quickly reaches the conclusion that while his life in performance of all deeds or many deeds is no reflection of prophet's exemplary life, he in fact has no legitimate right to proclaim his love for the holy prophet. May be this very young man's mind processed all that at a stellar speed and came to make an honest conclusion while his life was not in obedience of prophet's commands, his claim for love with the prophet, if not outrightly false, was at least dubious. Shouldn't we rather commend him for his brave honesty rather than paste blasphemy label on him.
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Jan 16, 2016 11:17pm
Did he cut his own hand ? Needs through investigation to bring the out the facts and culprits punished.
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Jan 16, 2016 11:27pm
Make it a start. Hes the kind who is poisoning young minds in Muslim world.
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Jan 16, 2016 11:28pm
@Pagrri Sambhal - Not just "more proof" but "moreConcrete proof".
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Jan 16, 2016 11:31pm
What about his parents - how guillible and ignorant can they be? What does this say about common pakistani people and their level of ignorance and their religious piety that overshadows any humanity and common sense.
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Jan 16, 2016 11:48pm
@Maajid easy to blame everything on someone who is not here to defend himself. General Zia's handling of the Afghan conflict, completing the nuclear program and developing the delivery system are some of the reasons we are still surviving this 4th generation warfare. If his decision to go to war in Afghanistan was wrong then how come no one objected to Pakistan's participation when the US invaded the same country??? Go put on the streets with your candles to protest!
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Jan 16, 2016 11:49pm
@eddied any thoughts on educated left wing group who have looted 300 billion dollars in the last 5 years alone?
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Jan 17, 2016 12:02am
@Whatacountry what is the definition of innocence . Their crime is ignorance and the whole society is responsible for this ignorance .
The only way to cleanse this problem is by promoting free relegious enquiry.
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Jan 17, 2016 12:12am
@Fawzia
If it was truly an impulsive act, then no sympathy for the kid. Fools deserve the fruits of their stupidity.
However, it is a good thing that the police finally acted upon the instigators.
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Jan 17, 2016 12:57am
@Najam Imams are mostly responsible to incite public passion and sometime to violent actions. Imams should be more cautious, give sermons in mosques responsibly and be aware of the fact their words are taken seriously and believed to represent true religious teachings. Action taken against the Imam is right.
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Jan 17, 2016 02:05am
Extremely troubling to read the views of who have commented above except for three comments. When people have lost the sense of what is right and wrong and what or who is the perpetrator and the victim, then the society's moral problem lies in much deeper place(s) than the Iman or the amputated boy. Sad, I humane, pathetic, hopeless, and bankrupt situation.
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Jan 17, 2016 02:21am
The so called fictitious imam had no right to pass judgement and say this boy has to be killed, now this young boy has ruined his own life because of the culprit imam.Literacy has to be promoted in quickly in the rural areas otherwise the illiterate will keep on falling prey to these turkeys.
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Jan 17, 2016 03:12am
First of all this so called imam should be punished for asking a question to devout muslims if they love holy prophet PBUH. That is the corner stone of our belief. How dare you doubt a muslim about this. Shame on you. Looks like the doubt was on him.
In Islam, there is no punishment if you didnt know. An obvious example is if you eat during roza without knowing in ignorance, your roza is still valid. This neem hakeem imam and local villagers have no clue about my religion.
It is a blatant lie that the boy cut off his own hand. He was forced into it by the gangsters and religious mob.
Punish this coward person, lock him in the jail and throw the keys away.
Such a sad situation.
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Jan 17, 2016 04:24am
@ Raja, you are trying to defend the indefensible. The imam, "misunderstood" or not, incited the kid to commit a horrific act.
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Jan 17, 2016 08:25am
A perfect example of stupidity on the part of the Imam as well as all those who endorsed the Imam.
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Jan 17, 2016 08:47am
Lack of knowledge is a curse and can create devastating results. How to be prudent and be rational before taking actions such as this may prevent saddening acts. Empathy and tolerance teaching in religion may help.
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Jan 17, 2016 08:57am
V painful and unfortunate
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Jan 17, 2016 09:11am
Great news justice should be done.
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Jan 17, 2016 09:30am
@pk if Proved guilty??? need to use condition here?
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Jan 17, 2016 09:41am
Imam is 100% responsible for this incidence.
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Jan 17, 2016 09:47am
@Maajid Right on. Unfortunately, no subsequent so called democratic rulers had the guts to undo the draconian laws introduced by dictator Zia.
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Jan 17, 2016 09:53am
All those who celebrated this stupid act must be charged along with the so called Imam. State whould take control of all the mosques of the country and the friday surmons should be dictated by the state only. If we would not stop these mosques from opening in each and every corner of our streets, we would keep on hearing about Incidents like these.
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Jan 17, 2016 10:11am
@Badshah
Sorry could not understand your comment.
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Jan 17, 2016 10:31am
@Nasiroski
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Jan 17, 2016 10:48am
@faryal It is simply the lack of education in Pakistan that is the root cause of such foolish actions,including bombings
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Jan 17, 2016 10:51am
May be there hope after seeing this news. It gives rise to the possibility that Obama was wrong.
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Jan 17, 2016 11:05am
The incident is simply due to ignorance and lack of common sense. However, Imam is the main character who created all these confusion.
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Jan 17, 2016 11:17am
Appreciable action by state. Hope, He will punished as other may not give verdicts without any solid reason on sensitive issues.
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Jan 17, 2016 12:41pm
These guy exploiting young mind in the name of religion and own benefits. Religion is to forgive
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Jan 17, 2016 12:46pm
This is clear act of intolerance.
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Jan 17, 2016 01:58pm
Till all this non sense is stopped in Pakistan there is no hope for the future.
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Jan 17, 2016 03:57pm
How will these Imams and ignorant people handle the atheist and non-religious cultures in developed countries? Over there, nobody cares if you prayed or not, if you have a beard or not, what they care about is, whether you are a good person with knowledge or not.
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Jan 17, 2016 04:37pm
@Najam
Rightly said.
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Jan 17, 2016 06:21pm
Speaker should be punished. the parents may also be held responsible
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Jan 17, 2016 06:35pm
Good Job by State.
Illiterate Imam.
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Jan 17, 2016 07:17pm
I feel the parents may have encouraged him to go to this extreme too as they were celebrating this heinous act.
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Jan 17, 2016 09:01pm
Arresting the imam is not the long term solution. There are millions of such extremist imams and kids. The question is, what plans do we have to change this extremist mindset of more than 70% of pakistan's population?
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Jan 17, 2016 09:58pm
These clerics who motivate and inspire others to fight religious causes are careful not to involve themselves in these acts of sacrifice,Why not they wear the bomb loaded jackets and blow themselves up for a change.that would be truly inspiring and solving many social issues!
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Jan 17, 2016 10:14pm
can't beleive it. there is something wrong with the whole society.
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Jan 17, 2016 11:25pm
The boy only saved his life by sacrifising his hand...
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Jan 17, 2016 11:48pm
Barbarians, disgrace to the civilized world.
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Jan 18, 2016 01:45am
Who made the cleric the judge to say that the boy should be killed.To get rid of this blessphemy thing the legislature assembly should make some laws as already lot of people have been killed including the Governor of Punjab.
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Jan 18, 2016 05:15am
Should those who level false blasphemy accusations be dealt with the same way they treat blasphemy accused?
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Jan 18, 2016 07:40am
@Imran Ahmed This is ignorance to the limit. First of all the imam doesn't ask the boy how he committed blasphemy. He only asked if he did. Secondly, no one stopped him from doing it. Even his parents? They celebrated instead. I can't believe for a moment this young boy acted alone. He had to be pressured not matter what he may say.
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Jan 18, 2016 10:24am
The police and media have lost their minds, I will not be surprised to hear that this whole case is a fake. Because kids of today MaashaaAllah are very sharp and so can not be fooled by Imam.
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