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June 29, 2006
Pakistan: Muslims Hanged For Gang Rape Of Christian
News from Reuters and syndicated in the New York Times and Yahoo states that at 4.30 am local time, four men were hanged in Faisalabad, Pakistan.
The men had been found guilty of the gang-rape of a Christian teenage girl. She had been held at gunpoint before being raped. The event happened in the city of Faisalabad seven years ago.
The rapists had been convicted in an anti-terrorism court, suggesting that there had been a deliberate sectarian nature to the crime. This verdict had been upheld by higher courts, which included the Federal Sharia Court. The men had appealed to President Musharraf for clemency, but this was not granted.
Reuters states that in 2005, there were 207 recorded cases of gang-rape in the country, according to figures from HCRP (Pakistan Commission of Human Rights).
Dawn writing yesterday, gave details of the history of this case. The rape had happened inside the Christian girl's house, on November 7, 1999. Her father Bashir Masih, of Chak Jumra Town, Faisalabad, had registered the case.
He was asleep in his home on that date when he heard noises. Umer Hayat ( now 32), Mubarik Ali (28), Muhammad Ashraf (34) and Shahzad Ahmed (29) had taken Masih's daughter, "S" to a room within the house, where she was gang-raped. The men took valuables from the home, and threatened Mr Masih with reprisals if he spoke of the incident.
Mr Masih knew the rapists, as they also shared his sport of pigeon-racing. He had initially remained silent in their company, to stop the rapists acting against his daughter. However, the trial took place at a "speedy trial" Anti-Terrorism Court within a month, and on December 18, 1999, the death sentences were handed out.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at June 29, 2006 10:34 AM
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