Pakistan: 13-y-o-girl ‘exorcised’ to death

The report of an autopsy performed on Salma, 13, stated that she had died from suffocation. It said the girl’s breathing was hampered by blocking her nostrils with cotton buds and holding her mouth shut.

The autopsy, carried out at Cheechwatni tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital, confirmed that her skin was burnt with a hot iron rod. The report said there were bruises on the girl’s arms, face and chest…

The police later registered a murder case against the pir identified in a complaint signed by girl’s father Manzoor Hussain…

Hussain said he had accepted the death as God’s will and not reported the matter to the police. He and his wife Khursheed Bibi had taken the girl to the pir ‘to evict djinns who had possessed her’.

He said a relative had referred her to the pir. “He told me that the pir was an expert in evicting djinns and did not charge anything for his services,” he said. 

The Express Tribune

Well, that’s a relief. Imagine how cheesed off you would be if you had to pay someone to kill your daughter for you. Especially if it was ‘God’s will’.

Australia: ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ — Christians demonstrate their grasp of ethics

PROPOSED changes to the way parents are notified about the option of ethics classes in NSW schools have been criticised by supporters, who claim they are a deliberate attempt to stymie the classes’ take up.

A government-initiated inquiry into ethics classes was held this year following calls for their abolition by the Christian Democratic Party MP, Fred Nile, whose party shares the balance of power in the upper house.

It found the classes should be retained but recommended that parents should not be advised the classes are available until after they have decided to opt out of special religious education, or scripture.

SMH

Surely ‘found’ is the wrong word here. ‘Fantasised’ would be a better one.