How do you get rid of Christians if you're an intolerant Pakistani imam and you no longer want to deal with them?
If you're Imam Khalid Chishti, you allegedly incite mass hysteria over a Koran burning and frightened Christians then flee for their lives as a raging mob gathers in their Islamabad area neighborhood.
That's what police are now saying happened in the Aug. 17 case of 14-year-old Rimsha Masih.
Apparently witnesses now say Imam Chishti tampered with young Rimsha's bag--the bag she used to collect papers to fuel her family's cook stove.
The imam allegedly placed pages of the Koran in the girl's bag so she would unknowingly burn them, and then Muslims would charge her with blasphemy. Koran burning is punishable by a life sentence in prison if convicted.
A witness alleges he heard the imam say he planted the pages as a way to "get rid of Christians."
Now, Imam Khalid Chishti is in police custody. Prosecutors say the accuser is the accused. Chishti will be charged with blasphemy.
This turn of events is a major blow to intolerant extremists who use Pakistan's 295 Blasphemy law to falsely accuse Christians and others of blasphemy. Often the law has been used to evict Christians or to acquire property in land disputes. This time, the false allegation of blasphemy backfired against the accuser.
Christians are encouraged. Perhaps there is a small amount of justice in Pakistan.
Prosecutor should now act as quickly as possible to acquit Rimsha of all charges and free her from jail. Not only must she be freed, but she must also be protected from radicals who still desire to kill her regardless of her innocence.
May God protect Rimsha and her family. Their lives will never be the same.