Girl in blasphemy case finds refuge in Canada
OTTAWA — A Christian family has been spirited out of Pakistan and into Canada after spending months in hiding following false accusations that their daughter had burned Islam’s holy book.
Rimsha Masih’s case attracted international attention on Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws following her arrest in August in Islamabad.
She was accused of burning pages of the Qur’an as fuel for cooking, but a Muslim cleric was later accused of fabricating evidence.
Masih, who had been held in jail, was acquitted but her family was forced into hiding, fearing vigilante justice.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said he’d been following the case and was prompted to act when a Pakistani contact asked him in January whether the family could come to Canada.
“I said absolutely, if they could get her out,” Kenney said in an interview on Sunday.
“So a number of people did some very dangerous, delicate work to extricate her and her family from Pakistan and we provided the necessary visas.”
Kenney issued what’s known as a ministerial permit to facilitate their arrival.
He said he has now instructed immigration officials to process their applications for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
The girl had been facing threats and was moving constantly, said a Muslim cleric who lobbied on her behalf.
“I am sad that this innocent girl had to leave Pakistan. She had been acquitted by the court, and despite that it was not possible for her to live freely,” Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said.
It’s rare for Kenney to comment on individual immigration cases and his department had previously refused to confirm whether the family was in Canada. But he said family members gave their consent to have their story made public.
Kenney said he met with the family in Toronto in April, a few weeks after they arrived.
An official medical report at the time put her age at 14 although some of her supporters said she was as young as 11. The medical report also said her mental state did not correspond with her age.
Kenney said it was clear the girl does have some intellectual disabilities but her siblings are quickly adapting to their new life in Canada.