LAHORE, Pakistan — Four days before Christmas, a Christian woman was arrested on a charge of blasphemy that carries a life sentence if convicted.
Shazia Younis, 50, was arrested Dec. 21 in Chak No. 180-GB Mongi Bangla village in Pakistan’s Punjab province, report the news outlets Christian Daily International and Morning Star News.
RELATED: Checkout more stories on the persecuted church.
Her arrest came after a Muslim mosque leader filed a complaint against her. The leader said two Muslims told him that she had burned books outside her residence and that one book contained Islamic scripture. The leader further told police that Shazia Younis had admitted doing so.
Police charged her under Section 295-B of Pakistan’s blasphemy law about desecrating the Quran, the news outlets say.
‘Gone underground’
Attorney Haneef Matto says the woman’s husband and sons “have gone underground due to security fears.”
In a Nov. 7, 2024, report, the United Nations Human Rights Committee called attention to the misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and the violence that sometimes results, the news outlets note. The committee urges repeal of the laws.
Pakistan is No. 7 on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of places most difficult to be a Christian.
Share with others: