Pakistan: Teenager Cuts Off His Own Hand Out of Fear of Afterlife Punishment
A 15-year-old Pakistani teenager, who considered himself guilty due to insulting Islamic sanctities and failing to perform religious duties, cut off his own hand. Pakistani police confirmed on Friday, December 25, that this incident occurred several days earlier in a village located 125 kilometers from Lahore in the northeastern part of the country.
According to Nasher Ahmad, the head of local police, the Pakistani teenager had recently attended a lecture ceremony at his local mosque. During this ceremony, the imam had emphasized to those present the importance of performing religious duties. The imam had also asked the attendees who among them were neglecting their religious duties and prayers.
According to the same source, the Pakistani teenager, who had not properly understood the question, raised his hand as a positive response, only to be immediately confronted with accusations from those around him regarding his failure to perform religious duties and committing sins. Nasher Ahmad said: After returning home, the Pakistani teenager cut off the same hand he had raised during the ceremony, placed it on a plate, and took it to the imam.
Nasher Ahmad, referring to a video circulated on the internet of the Pakistani teenager’s severed hand, said: In these images, the villagers praise the teenager, and his parents also say they are proud of their son.
According to this source, Pakistani police stated that no complaints or investigations have been filed with police regarding the teenager’s actions so far.
Insulting Islamic sanctities and failure to perform religious duties are among sensitive topics in this country. In Pakistan, a country with a population of 200 million, the simplest accusations regarding religious and ethnic matters can turn into national tragedies.
