Three young Pakistani Christians are facing charges of blasphemy after it was alleged they had burned pages of the Quran.
Azeem Mehmood, Abbas Gulshan, and Irfan Saleem are facing allegations by local Muslims that they burned pages of Quran near the homes of believers with the intent to hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims, Christian Post reports.
The arrests took place on Dec. 25 and Dec. 29, 2020.
Following a Christmas service, policeman arrived at the United Presbyterian Church to investigate a complaint of burned pages of the Quran.
Local Muslims near the church showed police an ash pile near the homes of some local believers. About 40 Christian homes are located near the church.
The Christians were charged by police on Dec. 30, 2020.
Mehmood, a member of the Pakistani Army, is being held in judicial custody. Gulshan and Saleem have been released on bail, according to the UK-based Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS).
Pakistan is ranked fifth on the Open Doors World Watch List for the persecution of Christians, making it one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. The country is known for extreme Islamic oppression.
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