The hand that commits blasphemy should be chopped off

In further news from Pakistan

After a Pakistani boy cut off his own hand following a public accusation of blasphemy, BBC Urdu’s Iram Abbasi travelled to his village in Punjab province to find out what happened. She is the first international broadcaster to speak to him. Some readers may find the details that follow disturbing.

“Why should I feel any pain or trouble in cutting off the hand that was raised against the Holy Prophet?”

Those are the words of 15-year-old Qaiser (not his real name) who chopped off his right hand just a few days ago believing he had committed blasphemy.

Why? Because he was at a birthday party for the prophet at his local mosque, and a few hours into the party the cleric called for a show of hands from followers of Mo. The expected result was achieved. Then he asked for a show of hands from scoundrels who don’t believe Mo’s teachings. Qaiser misheard what the cleric said, and raised his hand. The cleric of course accused him of blasphemy. Naturally Qaiser went home and cut his hand off.

The Beeb has a picture of him with his bandaged stump.

He’s happy about it, or at least says he is.

“I didn’t feel any pain when I chopped it off so why would I feel any now? The hand that commits blasphemy should be chopped off,” he said, with a restrained smile.

His entire village is celebrating the act of expiation. The extreme nature of this “devotional” act has made Qaiser into a revered figure.

If he hadn’t done it? The village probably would have killed him.

That Qaiser punished himself so severely after being accused of blasphemy is unprecedented in Pakistan. But some say he may have been spared a worse fate in an increasingly conservative country, where people accused of blasphemy, or those who defend them, can end up victims of mob violence and lynching.

Allahu an evil piece of shit.

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