50 Arrested In Death of Christian Couple Accused Of Burning Quran

oge okonkwo

November 12, 2014 5:34 PM

Reports say 28-year-old Shama Bibi suspected that her father-in-law had been involved in the practice of black magic, so she decided to burn some of his belongings to rid them of the curse

After the torturous deaths of 32-year-old man Shahzad Masih and his wife, 28-year-old Shama Bibi, in the hands of almost 1,000 Muslim mob who had reportedly been angered by the news from their clerics, it now appears that the couple were innocent.

An unidentified member of Bibi’s family said that the confusion which led to Islamic clerics declaring that the couple were guilty of burning pages of the Quran, and their consequent executions, had started when the father of Masih died the previous week before the incident.

According to Morning Star News, Bibi suspected that her father-in-law had been involved in the practice of black magic, so she decided to burn some of his belongings to rid them of the curse.

It was gathered that after burning some amulets and other related material, Bibi then emptied the ashes outside in their garbage, but a passerby thought that she had burnt some pages of the Islamic religious and moral law.

Upon reporting their suspicions to local clerics, without evidence to back them up, an announcement was made that the Christian couple were guilty of blasphemy against Islam over mosque loudspeakers.

The couple, who worked in a nearby brick factory in Kot Radha Kisha, Islamabad, Pakistan, were dragged from their home and taken to their place of work where they were set upon by angry Muslims with fists, feet and batons.

Reportedly, the enraged mob chanted “Allahu Akbar,” (Allah is great) while they beat Bibi to death and almost killed her husband.

Although police tried to stop the extremists from continuing their punishment, even though Masih was still remarkably alive, they could do nothing to prevent the mob throwing the parents of three young children into the kiln and incinerating their bodies.

When the local militia had calmed down after exacting their vengeance brought on by the local mullah, police moved in and recovered the remains of Bibi and Masih which were no more than ashes. The local government has since offered to pay the family the equivalent of $49,000 for their loss and 50 Muslims who are believed to have been responsible for their deaths have been arrested, according to reports.

In 2012, a man who was in police custody after being accused of burning the Koran was dragged from the police station in Karachi by a mob of around 200 Muslims. While police officers looked on powerless, or unwilling to help, he was then set on fire.

oge okonkwo