Pray for Rimsha Masih

I would be over the moon if the Democrats, including the president, would quit harping on the non-existent "War on Women" and start bringing up the all too real War on Christians in the Middle East:

From The Catholic Register (in Canada) (with my emphases and comments):

Work under way to free Pakistani girl [falsely] accused of blasphemy 

Written by Catholic News Service Friday, 24 August 2012 10:14

VATICAN CITY - Pakistani institutions and religious leaders are working together for the release of a Christian girl accused of blasphemy and to reduce the risk of Muslim-Christian violence over the incident, said the Pakistani prime minister's special advisor on minorities.

Paul Bhatti, the Catholic advisor, told the Vatican's Fides news agency Aug. 23 that those working to secure the girl's release included Muslim leaders.

Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, has reported that the girl, Rimsha Masih, is an 11-year-old with Down syndrome.  She was taken into custody Aug. 18 after allegedly being found with burned pages of the Quran, the Muslim holy book. When the police took her away, hundreds of angry Muslims were reportedly gathering in the mainly poor Christian neighbourhood of Islamabad where she lived.[I have had the privilege of working with people with Down's Syndrome, some of whom were very "high-functioning" and some of whom needed assistance with every aspect of daily life. It makes me sick to think of one of those innocent souls being arrested, locked up, and interrogated.]

Hundreds of families have fled the neighbourhood, and the police presence has increased.

"The situation is under control," Bhatti told Fides. [And the check is in the mail, the innocent have nothing to fear, etc., etc.]

Catholic leaders in Pakistan and human rights activists have said the country's anti-blasphemy law, which includes offenses against the Quran, has been misused to persecute Christians and other minorities in the country. [You think?]

Daughter of St. Paul Sister Daniela Baronchelli, who works in Pakistan, told Vatican Radio Aug. 20: "We have been told that the girl cannot respond to the interrogation. They found her with a bag that had parts of a burned Quran inside. They don't know, however, who gave it to her or where she got it; they don't know anything." [I wonder if the same person who gave it to her was the one who reported her.]

Sr. Daniela said the angry crowd "wanted to burn her alive because they say it was a great offense against the Quran." [May God have mercy on their souls for even considering it.]

The unjust use of the anti-blasphemy law "unfortunately is becoming all too common. The fact is that the extremists don't want the Christians here any more, so any little thing — true or not — is enough to incite a revolt," she said.

In related news (in case you're not yet horrified enough at the so-called "religion of peace") is this story from The International Business Times:

11-Year-Old Christian Boy Mutilated in Pakistan

By Vasudevan Sridharan

August 24, 2012 11:33 AM GMT

Less than a week after an 11-year old Christian girl was arrested for blasphemy in Pakistan, the mutilated body of an 11-year-old Christian boy has been found in the Punjab province.

The body, identified as that of Samuel Yaqoob, was found with its nose and lips cut off. Samuel's legs had been chopped off and the stomach organs removed. [Monsters. Kyrie eleison.]

It is reported that police officials who found the body had difficulty identifying it. With the help of Samuel's relatives, the police eventually identified the body because of a unique mark on the boy's forehead.

The boy, who lived in the Faisalabad area, was reported missing four days before his body was found during the religious holiday of Eid. [I'm tempted to make some snarky comment about how Christians celebrate their holidays, but I'll refrain...]

Although police officials are investigating the issue of blasphemy [How about investigating the butchery of an innocent child instead?], it remains unclear whether Samuel's words or actions contributed to the murder. [ He. Was. 11. Years. Old. He was butchered. Repeat as freaking necessary until you get those facts through your skull. In no realm of reason could anyone ever make the claim that his "words or actions contributed" to what those monsters did to him. What kind of world do we live in that a reporter would write it, an editor approve it and a newspaper publish it? God have mercy.]

 The boy's background is subject to conflicting reports. While some suggest he was an orphan, others quote his mother as saying: "We neither received any phone call for ransom nor were we told that Samuel had committed blasphemy."

Samuel's murder follows the detention of an 11-year-old girl, widely reported to have Downs syndrome, for allegedly burning the Koran.

The incident has ignited a debate on religious tolerance in the country and the strict laws against blasphemy. Under current law, the authorities can impose the death penalty for desecrating the Koran.

Still want to claim that Islam is a "religion that reaffirms peace, fairness, tolerance", Mr. President?