Uncertain Case of Rimsha Masih in Pakistan

November 15, 2012: In Pakistan, The fate of Rimsha Masih, the young Christian girl accused of blasphemy in August this year, remains uncertain after the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on whether or not to dismiss the case against her. Her actual trial was put on hold at the end of September, when the High Court prevented the lower court from moving forward while it considered an application from her lawyers for the original charge to be annulled.
Rimsha Masih, is accused of desecrating the Qur’an, a charge her lawyers say has been fabricated.
Vatican Radio spoke to a representative of the South Asia Team at Christian Solidarity Worldwide about the case, who said “The case does need to be dismissed, she does need to be exonerated of these charges for there to be real evidence so that the kinds of claims Pakistan is making internationally are actually a reality on the ground.” Rimsha Masih’s case has attracted support from senior Islamic clerics in Pakistan, as well as international attention. It is not known when the Islamabad High Court will reach a decision on the case.