KORANS tend to get overworked in pious places like Pakistan. So much so that they sometimes fall apart, in which case they must be disposed of in an Islamically correct manner: by casting them in flowing water, burying them in the ground, or by burning, if the first two options aren’t possible.

Well, devout Muslim student Junaid Ahmed, 20, who attended a seminary attached to Imdadia Mosque on Rawalpindi Road in Chakwal, chose the latter, as a well designed to hold discarded bits of the Koran was already full.



Had I known that this act could be considered as a blasphemy I would never have done it.

The student is now languishing in Pakistani prison, following his arrest for blasphemy.He was, according to this report , spotted burning pages of the book by some vile little snitch called Akhtar Nisar. He raised “a hue and cry”, as a result of which Ahmed was tortured by a crowd that had gathered. He kept pleading that he was burning the holy pages to protect them from desecration after getting permission from a teacher, but the crowd refused to listen to him.After his arrest, the student told a court that he was a devout Muslim and could never think of desecrating the “holy” book. Â He was then committed to prison to await formal charges.The student said:

Mufti Rehman is quoted as saying:

Junaid could not even think of blaspheming the holy book, which he used to recite passionately and devotedly. He said sharia permitted burning the torn pages of Quran to save them from desecration. We will fight the case in the court and I hope we will get justice.

When contacted, complainant Akhtar said:

I have heard from Qazi Lateef (a cleric) who received his religious education from India that burning the torn pages of Quran is blasphemy.

There is an interesting opinion piece on the subject of blasphemy in Pakistan here.

Â Hat tip: M A Chohan