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August 19, 2012

11 year-old mentally challenged girl jailed for ‘blasphemy’ in Pakistan

An 11-year-old Christian girl was accused of blasphemy and sent to juvenile jail on a 14-day judicial remand on Saturday.
According to a police official, a mentally challenged Christian girl, Rimsha, a resident of Umara Jaffar, had been accused of burning 10 pages of an Islamic book, Noorani Qaida. The official said Rimsha was arrested on Saturday by policewomen after an FIR was lodged against her. “The girl has been sent to a juvenile jail on 14-day judicial remand,” the official added.

The complainant, Muhammad Ummad, registered an FIR in the Ramna Police Station on August 16, stating that the 11-year-girl burnt 10 pages of the religious book and threw them in garbage.
Following the incident, hundreds of Muslims gathered outside the village in protest, however, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Minorities Affairs Dr Paul Bhatti has urged clerics not to attack the village.

Bhatti, also an All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) representative, said Rimsha had been falsely accused of burning the religious pages because everyone in the village knew of her mental disorder. He said that at least 2,300 Christians had left their homes and had gone into hiding as a mob had threatened them that it would attack the village. The Christian community has always respected all religions, the official added.

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