(September 07, 2012) A Pakistani judge granted bail on Friday to a young, mentally
challenged Christian girl accused of insulting Islam for burning pages of the religion's
holy book, the Quran. Rights activists welcomed the decision after calling for the
release of Rimsha Masih since she was arrested three weeks ago. The case has focused
attention on Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws, which activists claim are used to persecute
minorities and settle personal vendettas. Judge Mohammed Azam Khan set bail at 1
million Pakistani rupees, or about $10,500, a significant sum in a country where many
families live on only a few dollars a day. The young girl, who is reported to
be 14 years old and suffering from some form of mental impairment, was arrested after
an angry mob showed up at a police station in her neighbourhood in Islamabad and accused
her of burning pages from the Quran, an act punishable by life in prison under the
country's harsh blasphemy laws. Her lawyer has denied the allegation. In an unusual
twist, police arrested a Muslim cleric from her neighbourhood a week ago after a follower
from his mosque accused him of stashing pages of a Quran in her bag to make it seem
as if she burned them. He allegedly planted the evidence to push Christians out of
the neighbourhood and is now being investigated for blasphemy himself. He has denied
the allegation. The head of Human Rights Watch in Pakistan, Ali Dayan Hasan, praised
the judge's decision to grant the young girl bail. “The fact is that this child should
not have been behind bars at all,”' Hasan said. “All charges against her should be
dropped, and Pakistan's criminal justice system should instead concentrate on holding
her accuser accountable for inciting violence against the child and members of the
local Christian community,” Hassan demanded. ``Human Rights Watch hopes that the
blatant abuse that has come to light in this case will lead to a considered re-examination
of the law, and all stake-holders in Pakistan will actively seek to end frequent abuses
perpetrated under cover of blasphemy allegations,'' Hasan added.