The boy accused of blasphemy

Perhaps you saw this picture in the news.  I quote:

"Why should I feel any pain or trouble in cutting off the hand that was raised against the Holy Prophet?". Those are the words of 15-year-old Qaiser (not his real name) who chopped off his right hand just a few days ago believing he had committed blasphemy.

On 11 January, Qaiser was attending a celebration of the Prophet's birth at a mosque in his village in north-eastern Punjab. The cleric hosting it worked the crowd into a fervour and, a few hours into the celebration, called out: "Who among you is a follower of Muhammad?" Everyone raised their hands. He followed it with another question: "Who among you doesn't believe in the teachings of the Holy Prophet? Raise your hands!"

Qaiser, mishearing, inadvertently raised his hand. Witnessed by about 100 worshippers, the cleric immediately accused him of blasphemy and the boy returned home to prove his love for the Prophet - by cutting off his own hand.

"I came back home and went to the grass-cutting machine, but found the place dark so I took my uncle's phone to point some light at my hand. I placed it under the machine and chopped it off in a single swirl."  Qaiser picked his severed hand up from under the machine and, bleeding profusely, placed it on a tray and took it back to the mosque.

Villagers in this conservative part of Pakistan have supported and praised Qaiser's action. While Qaiser was having his wounds dressed in a poorly-equipped clinic, his father told us: "I hardly make ends meet."Breaking down, he added: "I don't even have money to pay the nurse. I also want a new hand for my son. My only solace is that he did for the Prophet."

This story makes me cry. We Christians tend to think those of other faiths are deceived. Whereas I laud him for his sincerity even if I am sad for him. I stand ashamed of my mediocrity. Didn't our Lord say "if your hand or thy foot offend you, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire"? A passage which is generally "spiritualised" to avoid embarrassment! And what a lesson to those of us who have any leadership role and thus might influence the young in our care.

But what devotion! Or maybe you say brainwashing...