A 26-year-old Christian who was beaten by Muslims for allegedly burning verses from the Qur'an and another Arabic book in July 2009 (click here for more information) has been sentenced to life in prison. On January 11, the judge handed down the sentence to Imran Masih under Article 295-B, commonly known as the blasphemy law, claiming he burned the materials to deliberately "stir up religious hatred and offend the feelings of Muslims." Imran has also been sentenced to an additional 10 years in detention and fined 100,000 rupees (approximately $1,200 CAD) under section 295-A of the Penal Code. (Source: AsiaNews)

Pray that this ruling will be overturned. Pray that God will encourage Imran and his family during this time. Pray that the blasphemy law in Pakistan will be abolished.

To find out more about the persecution Christians face in Pakistan, click here.