A Pakistani Christian couple have been sentenced to death for blasphemy.In a country where blasphemy laws have often targeted religious minorities, the couple, Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar, were found guilty of sending a text message to the imam of their local mosque.
The allegations of blasphemy were made after the imam made a complaint that the message had insulted the Prophet Muhammad.Judge Mian Amir Habib handed the death sentence to the pair in the town of Toba Tek Singh .
The couple, who are in their forties, have three children and live a poor existence in the town of Gojra.The initial arrest came when Maulvi Mohammad Hussain, a mosque prayer leader from Gojra, accused the couple on July 21st last year of sending him a text message from a cellphone.
The couple insisted the cellphone had been lost and was not in their possession when the message was sent.The defence lawyer in the trial argued the text could not have been sent by the couple, but could have originated from other people with ties to the complainant.
INDIA HONEST warns on the rising influence of hardcore Muslim Imams led communalism, being amply supported by and aided by the supply of high wind by the Congress party and the new comer AAP . It will help raise the tendency of such demands among the minorities and make such Taliban forces strong in India soon, if more Masood and even the Bukharis are not stopped from spreading venom that is dividing communities .
Even a journalist cum politicians AAP leader must restrain himself from fuelling community related mutterings on Babri sting that may damage peace and healthy relationship between the communities, specially in Delhi in this election season . A passive anger is rising in majority Hindu community against such political leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Asutosh, who are begging support from Bukhari to vote in their favour.