Elderly ‘blasphemers’ sentenced to 10 years in jail

FAISALABAD, Pakistan — In a case that has drawn crowds of religious fanatics, a Pakistani court sentenced two Christian men to 10 years in prison Nov. 25 for committing "blasphemy" against the Quran. After postponing the verdict for four consecutive days, Judge Muhammad Islam of Faisalabad’s Anti-Terrorism Court delivered the prison sentence and a 25,000 rupee (US$414) fine in a closed hearing.

James Masih, 65, and his neighbor, Buta Masih, 70, were rumored to have burned pages of the Quran Oct. 8. Stressing that his clients were innocent, defense lawyer Khalil Tahir Sindhu told Compass Direct news service that in any event, the 10-year sentence was illegal, as desecration of Islam’s holy book calls for life imprisonment. "This conviction was not based on law," he said.