A group of Christians and Muslims worked together to get the Pakistani government to drop blasphemy charges brought against a nine-year-old Christian Pakistani boy, it was reported in late October.
Izhan, along with his mother, Shakil, were accused of burning pages of the Qur’an.The police were summoned, and Izhan and Shakil were imprisoned.
Members of the community, both Christians and Muslims, began protests for Izhan and Shakil’s release.
The political party Jamait Ulema Islam took the initiative in working to free the boy and his mother.
Blasphemy charges are common in Pakistan and are sometimes brought against minors, as in Izhan’s case. There have also been cases of Muslims accusing Christians of blasphemy for no valid reason. In one case, a 13-year-old Christian Pakistani girl was accused of blasphemy by her teacher for misspelling.
