Pak boy charged with blasphemy for calling god "cruel" on social media

The danger of blasphemy laws in Pakistan is that blasphemy is not clearly defined, writes Marco Respinti for Bitter Winter. This latest case which last month is a clear example of this ambiguity.

In yet another case of human rights abuses in Pakistan, a young boy in Sindh province has been charged with blasphemy for calling god "cruel" on social media, Bitter Winter magazine reported. The danger of blasphemy laws in Pakistan is that blasphemy is not clearly defined, wrote Italian journalist Marco Respinti in the Bitter Winter. This latest case which last month is a clear example of this ambiguity.

The young boy, aka "Love Kumar," went missing on November 22 but his family did not know where he was until they were informed on December 27 that he was in jail, according to the Bitter Winter report. The report added that he had been formally charged with blasphemy, a crime that is punished with the death penalty in Pakistan.

The young boy, who reportedly belonged to the minority Hindu community, posted on social media that he "felt sad" having had to suffer deaths in the family and was anguished because "our sisters are taken from home every day." The boy's post was made in an apparent reference to the kidnapping and forced conversion to Islam of Hindu girls in Pakistan. "Oh Lord, you are the cruellest person in your decisions!" the boy said in the post which landed him in jail.

The minority communities in the country, including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Ahmadis, continue to live under clouds of fear and persecution by the majority community, according to Pakistan vernacular media. In 2022, scores of cases emerged where members of minority communities were attacked in cities and towns of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for allegedly committing blasphemy -- an excuse commonly used to settle personal scores relating to business, financial and land issues.

Abduction, forcible conversion and marriage of Hindu girls, mostly minors, continue unabated across Pakistan, particularly in Sindh without invoking much attention from the administration, human rights groups and mainstream media. Rights experts have pointed out that Pakistan's legal system is in need of urgent reform to protect the safety and dignity of minorities. (ANI)

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