A Pakistani court upheld the life sentences of two Christian men who allegedly set fire to the Quran, Islam's holy book. Amjad Masih and Asif Masih, who are not related, were charged under Pakistan's notorious blasphemy law, which forbids desecrating the Quran and "defiling" the name of Islam's prophet, Muhammad.
The Lahore High Court's Aug. 7 decision affirmed a lower-court ruling, said Washington, D.C.-based International Christian Concern, a human rights and humanitarian group.
Opponents of the blasphemy law claim it is vulnerable to abuse because only the testimony of an accuser is needed to prosecute a suspect. International human rights groups assert many Islamic radicals are using this law as a weapon to persecute Christians and other religious minorities of Pakistan. ...