Pastor Arrested In Pakistan After His Name Was Found Written Inside A Quran

In Islam, it is forbidden to desecrate or disrespect a Quran, which includes writing inside a Quran, and those who are caught doing so can face imprisonment and death sentences. In countries which operate under the strict implementation of Islamic law, religious tolerance in non-existent as Christians constantly face scrutiny and persecution.

Pastor Babu Shehbaz, a Christian pastor in Lahore, Pakistan was arrested for allegedly writing his name inside a Quran.

Haji Nadeem, the complainant said he found the Quran with the pastor’s name written inside on the street near a Christian locality.

However, nobody witnessed Shehbaz defacing the Quran, and a Christian right’s activist has claimed that Nadeem fabricated his story

“Pastor arrested over desecration charge in Lahore”

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, January 3, 2017

A Christian pastor was arrested on Monday for allegedly disrespecting the Holy Quran in Nishtar Colony.

An FIR was registered against Babu Shehbaz, after his name was found scribbled on the pages of the Holy Quran, allegedly found on the streets close to a Christian locality in Kamahan village.

The complainant, Haji Nadeem, told The Express Tribune that no one saw Shehbaz desecrating the pages and that he was not sure if the pastor committed the crime.

“There is a clash among two groups of Christians over the ownership of a local church and the rival group might have done that to implicate Shehbaz,” he claimed.

However, a Christian rights activist claimed Nadeem had concocted this story and was actually behind this conspiracy.