"Let he who is without sin kill the heretic Quran burner," Pakistan edition

[Stavroforos]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20823531

A mob in Pakistan has stormed a police station and beaten to death a Muslim man accused of desecrating the Koran.

The victim's body was then set alight, according to witnesses.

The unnamed victim had earlier been handed over to the police after burnt pages of the Koran were found in a mosque in Dadu district, 330km (200 miles) north of Karachi, where he had been staying overnight.

Hours later a mob went to the police station, seized the man and killed him.

The district police chief, Usman Ghani, told the BBC the gruesome incident was filmed on mobile phones. He said the footage was being reviewed to identify culprits.


The case of Rimsha Masih, a young Christian, caused an outcry
Thirty people have so far been detained in connection with the attack.

The local police chief and five of his officers have been arrested for failing to protect the man.

The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani says blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan, where scores of people have been killed by mobs or vigilantes.

Our correspondent in Karachi adds that the controversial laws are often misused to persecute minorities or settle scores.

Most recently, international attention focused on the case of Christian teenager Rimsha Masih, who was held over blasphemy allegations.

The case was dismissed last month after a neighbour gave evidence that she had been framed, possibly to chase Christians out of her neighbourhood outside Islamabad.

In 2011, two leading politicians - the Governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, and the Religious Minorities Minister, Shahbaz Bhatti - were assassinated after speaking out against the existing blasphemy legislation.

Another sickening case of popular violence, once again involving Muslims and Pakistan. What will it take to stop this violence? Why is it so endemic amongst Muslims? There are plenty of bakcwards undeveloped countries in the world with various religions being practiced, why is it always the case when they are backwards and Muslim that these things happen?

Also, why can't we, as the democratic and free West (meaning the US, Australia, Canada, mainly) do something about these "friendly" nations of backwards idiots like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, etc.? What will happen when we let more countries go this way?

[GrnEyedDvl]

Another sickening case of popular violence, once again involving Muslims and Pakistan. What will it take to stop this violence?

More violence. These kinds of people will never listen to reason, never listen to any opinion that doesnt match up with their own. The only real solution is to shoot them like dogs in the street.

I have been saying it for years, trying to make peace with people who think and act like this is a complete waste of time, money, and more importantly lives. They will mouth a bunch of useless platitudes and not much later start killing more people. This is what fanatics do, and religious fanatics (of any religion) are the worst kind.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

More violence. These kinds of people will never listen to reason, never listen to any opinion that doesnt match up with their own. The only real solution is to shoot them like dogs in the street.

I have been saying it for years, trying to make peace with people who think and act like this is a complete waste of time, money, and more importantly lives. They will mouth a bunch of useless platitudes and not much later start killing more people. This is what fanatics do, and religious fanatics (of any religion) are the worst kind.

The developed world in 1800 was no different.

[GrnEyedDvl]

The developed world in 1800 was no different.

Absolutely. The difference is that most of the world has moved on and no longer behaves like this.

[Captain Arrrgh!]

The developed world in 1800 was no different.

Yes it bloody well was.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

Yes it bloody well was.

In 1800 states no longer went to war over religon but people certainly did. I'm sure you could find thousands of accounts of religiously motivated crime in 1800s Europe or America. I only know about my local Parish here in the west of Ireland, where we were in a state of constant religious infighting from time immemorial until we get independence in 1922. There were literally troops of mercenaries hired by rich people of various Christian denominations going around murdering each other. You didn't stand much of a chance as an atheist. This was pretty much standard throughout Europe in the 19th century.

[MathiasOfAthens]

More violence. These kinds of people will never listen to reason, never listen to any opinion that doesnt match up with their own. The only real solution is to shoot them like dogs in the street.

I have been saying it for years, trying to make peace with people who think and act like this is a complete waste of time, money, and more importantly lives. They will mouth a bunch of useless platitudes and not much later start killing more people. This is what fanatics do, and religious fanatics (of any religion) are the worst kind.

Yeah I kinda have to agree. But this wont happen in a Democracy... so pakistan has to become a dictatorship again.

[ivan_the_terrible]

More violence. These kinds of people will never listen to reason, never listen to any opinion that doesnt match up with their own. The only real solution is to shoot them like dogs in the street.

I have been saying it for years, trying to make peace with people who think and act like this is a complete waste of time, money, and more importantly lives. They will mouth a bunch of useless platitudes and not much later start killing more people. This is what fanatics do, and religious fanatics (of any religion) are the worst kind.

I think you'll find that only a handful of people are the way you describe all the time. Trouble is that in Pakistan it is too easy for these people to rile up crowds to do violent things, due to poverty, a lack of education, indoctrination in a specific ideology (by these same handful of people), and probably a host of other factors.

By adopting your 'shoot them like dogs' approach, anyone trying to change Pakistani society for the better would be lowering themselves to the same level as the 'dogs' -- it would be contradictory and self-defeating.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Pakistan. Move along people, nothing to see here. Just another day in the dark heart of the subcontinent.

[motiv-8]

Pakistan. Move along people, nothing to see here. Just another day in the dark heart of the subcontinent.

Surely you'll allow us to make as many empty generalizations and useless contrasts to our own countries as we possibly can first, won't you?

Vigilantism is among the craziest phenomenons in society, and Pakistan's police is woefully incapable. Too many competing centers of power. Same problem in Brazil, though the nature of the violence is different.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Surely you'll allow us to make as many empty generalizations and useless contrasts to our own countries as we possibly can first, won't you? .

Hey, it's Christmas; go for it.

[Aanker]

The Heart of Darkness, even?

They don't really correlate, but hey, references.

[LWT]

I think the best way is to support progressive movements within the countries.

[Prosaic Visitant]

I blame America.

[Gertrudius]

I blame Lenin's corps.

But seriously, as long as instability and corruption remains the norm in Pakistan, progress past these large scale lynchings won't come any time soon.

[Dr Zoidberg]

I blame Lenin's corps.

You meant Lenin's corpse there, right?

[Prosaic Visitant]

You meant Lenin's corpse there, right?

That would imply that he's dead... um, which he is... officially... we totally didn't revive him, nor are we planning to reconstruct the Soviet Union with a corp of revolutionaries and agents.

[Gertrudius]

You meant Lenin's corpse there, right?

I stand by what I said.

[Blaze86420]

They're arresting something like 200 people responsible for the attack, thought I'd mention that.

[frozenprince]

They're arresting something like 200 people responsible for the attack, thought I'd mention that.

This part tends to be important.