A 60-year-old Catholic woman who has been treated for mental illness was jailed on blasphemy charges in Lahore, Pakistan, her son said.
Jameela Khatoon was arrested on 4 June from her house in Lahore’s Cantonment area on a grievance of Muslim shopkeeper Asif Ali, said her son, 41-year-old Sunny Gill.
Ali registered a First Information Report (FIR) with the North Cantt Police Station under Section 295-C of the blasphemy law against blaspheming Muhammad, which carries a compulsory death penalty.
Area shopkeepers are so aware of Khatoon’s mental illness that they permit her to take items without paying, knowing her relatives can pay them later, and Ali also was aware of her condition when she got here into his shop and allegedly began saying derogatory things about Muhammad after noticing a Muslim prayer mounted on a wall, Gill said.
“Ali also knows about her illness, and we’re surprised as to why he filed a case against her,” Gill told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
His mother had noticed the Arabic Durood Shareef Islamic prayer on the wall behind the counter when she allegedly began uttering derogatory remarks about Muhammad, said Christ was greater than the prophet of Islam and commenced screaming and shouting, he said.
“In the FIR, Ali has claimed that when he and another Muslims tried to stop my mother from blaspheming against their prophet, she began walking towards her home but kept insulting Muhammad,” Gill said.
The oldest of Khatoon’s 4 children, Gill said he was not at home when police arrived at their shared living quarters two hours after the incident and arrested her.
“My wife and I had gone to purchase groceries when police got here to our house and told my younger brother’s wife that they were taking my mother on theft charges,” he said. “Till then, nobody in our family knew what had actually happened.”
Gill said his mother’s mental health began deteriorating 4 years ago.
“We have taken her to the Punjab Institute of Mental Health several times for treatment, but she hasn’t improved much,” he said.
Gill, who works as a cleaner on the Lahore Cantonment Board, said the family has tried to maintain Khatoon from harming herself, but they hadn’t anticipated she could be held for blasphemy.
“We have tried our greatest to maintain her in the home, but she refuses to remain confined and becomes violent,” he said.
Gill said he hoped police and courts would take his mother’s mental illness into consideration and dismiss the intense charge.
“My mother didn’t know what she was saying or doing,” he said. “It could be very unfair to maintain her in prison with such a medical condition. We hope that the court will drop the costs against her on compassionate grounds.”
Attorney Liaquat John, who’s defending Khatoon, said he would file an application for a medical board to determine Khatoon’s mental health.
“If the board certifies the mental unsoundness of Khatoon, the court cannot proceed with the trial,” John told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
Pakistani law does afford protections to individuals with mental illness or disabilities.
Section 464 of the Criminal Procedures Code (CrPC) states that folks of “unsound mind” who’re incapable of assisting of their defense can’t be tried.
Similarly, Section 84 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) states, “an accused can’t be held criminally accountable for an act if, on the time of committing it, the person, as a result of unsoundness of mind, was incapable of knowing the character of the act, or that the act was fallacious or illegal.”
John further said that the FIR didn’t state the derogatory words she was alleged to have spoken against Islam’s prophet, which is a robust basis for obtaining bail if charges will not be dropped on health grounds.
“The complainant has not stated the precise words said by Khatoon that quantity to blasphemy, whereas the Supreme Court has clearly said in its judgments that the FIR must contain the words spoken,” John said.
The attorney is awaiting the police investigation report and charge sheet before applying for bail, he said. About 40-45 Christian families lived of their Bael Ahata neighborhood, and most have fled their homes fearing a mob attack.
“Our priority right away is to make sure the security and secure return of the Christian dwellers of the locality who’re afraid of mob violence,” John said. “Though the realm police have assured us that there shall be no protest by Muslims, we have now requested them to deploy personnel within the neighborhood, particularly on Friday when Muslims congregate for his or her weekly mass prayers.”
Gill said the family has not received any threats from area residents.
“Though there have been no protests by Muslims against this incident, yet many Christians have moved to safer places,” he said.
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of probably the most difficult places to be a Christian, because it was the previous yr.
