Pakistani Girl Charged With Blasphemy Released On Bail

In Pakistan today, Rimsha Masih, a Christian girl being held on controversial blasphemy charges, was released on 1 million rupees ($10,500 US) bail. The New York Times reports that Masih was driven away in secrecy from a Rawalpindi prison to a waiting helicopter. The court found that she is 14 years old, with a mental capacity lower than that.  Masih, who works as a sweeper, was charged with burning pages from a holy book, while a Muslim cleric was charged with planting pages from the Qur’an to make her actions appear worse. (See prior posting.) The case has been widely publicized internationally as an example of abuses in the use of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.