Pakistani Christian boy’s mutilated body found — RT

With the hysteria over the arrest of a Christian girl with Down’s syndrome on a charge of blasphemy yet to blow over, the brutally tortured body of an 11-year-old Christian boy has been found in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The body of Samuel Yaqoob, was discovered with his lips and nose cut off, his stomach removed and his legs mutilated. According to police the body was later burned and could hardly be recognized. Relatives identified the corpse from a distinctive mark on the boy’s forehead.

Yaqoob, a resident of the Christian Colony of Faisalabad, had been missing since August 20, last seen on his way to a local market. His mutilated remains were found on Eid-Ul-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the month-long Muslim fast of Ramadan. Detectives are investigating whether accusations of blasphemy had previously been filed against the minor. Yaquub was believed to be an orphan, but The Telegraph reports that his mother was quoted in the local press denying any allegations were made. "We neither received any phone call for ransom nor were we told that Samuel had committed blasphemy," she said.

When a Christian group is suspected of transgressing the blasphemy laws, the consequences can be brutal, reports the World Public Forum NGO. The death of the 11-year-old comes a week after a young Christian girl with Down’s syndrome was charged with blasphemy after reportedly burning pages of a Koran.

Muslim extremists crucifying opponents of Egyptian president, Coptic Christians warned to leave Egypt

There are disturbing reports coming out of Egypt that hardline Muslim Brotherhood supporters are crucifying opponents of President Mohammed Morsi, creating a panic within religious minority communities.

Several Middle East news agencies are confirming reports that some of the Muslim Brotherhood operatives have "crucified those opposing Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi naked on trees in front of the presidential palace while abusing others."
"It's anyone who is resisting the new government … In this particular case, the people attacked and crucified were secular protesters upset because of Morsi's hostile campaign against the media," said Raymond Ibrahim, a fellow with the Middle East Forum and the Investigative Project on Terrorism, according to Al Khabar News. Egyptian Christians and other religious minorities are subjected to this archaic form of execution because radical Muslims are following Islamic doctrine, which allows for enemies of Allah to be crucified.

"Crucifixion is a hadd punishment, stipulated in the Quran, Sura 5:33, and therefore an obligatory part of Shariah … It's been a traditional punishment within Islam since the beginning, even though it's not exclusively Islamic. The Romans used it too," Clare Lopez, a Center for Security Policy Senior Fellow, said, according to Sky News. "So, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood haven't the option to not include crucifixion within their legal code. It's obligatory to comply with Shariah. And yes, it's for shock value also to be sure," she added. Lopez also issued a warning to for Coptic Christians to leave the country, as she's worried that the situation will continue to deteriorate and that more blood will be shed.

"The Copts must get out of Egypt as soon as possible, for the many millions who will not be able to get out, I expect things will continue to deteriorate, just as they did for Germany's and Europe's Jews from the 1930s onward," Lopez said.