22-year-old Imran Masih, a young Christian shopkeeper from the Faisalabad suburb of Hajvairy, was sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of over $5,300 on 11.01.10 after a dubious conviction for desecrating the Quran and insulting religious sentiments. According to Pakistan's National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), Imran was convicted under sections 295-B and 295-A of the Penal Code.
The verdict was based on an accusation from a competing store owner. He was a member of an Islamic extremist missionary group. Through a mosque loudspeaker, the group allegedly called on people to beat Masih and loot his shop. Another nearby shopkeeper, Hajji Ghafoor, accused Masih of burning part of the Quran on 01.07.09. Masih denied this. He told investigators that the papers were old stock lists from the shop. Nearby shop owners reported seeing the two men arguing a few days before the incident. When Masih burned the paper, Ghafoor shouted that he had dishonored the Quran and mocked Islam. "Ghafoor spread misconceptions about Imran Masih," said a shop owner. Masih plans to appeal the case to a higher court.
