Pakistani Muslim Mob Beats Man to Death over "Blasphemy"

But Muslim organizations in the U.S. continue to assure us that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. Question: Why are Muslim groups like CAIR and ISNA so desperate to convince non-Muslims that Islam is peaceful, when they could be focusing their efforts on showing violent Muslims that Islam is peaceful?

PAKISTAN--A mob in Pakistan has stormed a police station and beaten to death a Muslim man accused of desecrating the Koran.

The victim's body was then set alight, according to witnesses.

The unnamed victim had earlier been handed over to the police after burnt pages of the Koran were found in a mosque in Dadu district, 330km (200 miles) north of Karachi, where he had been staying overnight.

Hours later a mob went to the police station, seized the man and killed him.

The district police chief, Usman Ghani, told the BBC the gruesome incident was filmed on mobile phones. He said the footage was being reviewed to identify culprits.

Thirty people have so far been detained in connection with the attack.

The local police chief and five of his officers have been arrested for failing to protect the man.

The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani says blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan, where scores of people have been killed by mobs or vigilantes.

Our correspondent in Karachi adds that the controversial laws are often misused to persecute minorities or settle scores. (Continue Reading.)