Man sentenced to death for blasphemy
A court in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore today sentenced a young Muslim to death for making derogatory statements about the Prophet Mohammed and Islam as a whole, police and court officials said.
Wajihul Hassan, 27, was also sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. Adding imprisonment terms to death sentences is frequent in Pakistan’s courts.
Hassan was arrested last on the complaint of Ismail Quereshi, a lawyer, who told the police that Hassan had sent him letters, criticizing the prophet’s actions and the teachings of Islam.
According to court officials, Hassan said during the trial that the some of Mohammed’s actions did not match the teachings of Islam, including that Mohammed gave dowry to his daughter although it is prohibited by Islam and he married scores of wives although Islam limits the number to four.
Hassan also noted that Islam prohibits using alcohol but in the Quran, God promises wine in the afterlife to those who do not commit sin while mortals.
Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws, under which scores of people are arrested every year, have been widely criticised by minorities in the overwhelmingly Muslim country.
Last week, a Pakistani Christian who claimed he was Jesus Christ and called Islam a fake religion was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death by hanging despite arguments that he is mentally ill.
