Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan ‘for blasphemy’
The court heard she had been working as a farmhand in fields with other women, when she was asked to fetch drinking water.
Some of the other women – all Muslims – refused to drink the water as it had been brought by a Christian and was therefore “unclean”, according to Mrs Bibi’s evidence, sparking a row.
The incident was forgotten until a few days later when Mrs Bibi said she was set upon by a mob.
The police were called and took her to a police station for her own safety.
Shahzad Kamran, of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, said: “The police were under pressure from this Muslim mob, including clerics, asking for Asia to be killed because she had spoken ill of the Prophet Mohammed.
“So after the police saved her life they then registered a blasphemy case against her.” He added that she had been held in isolation for more than a year before being sentenced to death on Monday.
Tolerant, innit?
Boadicea's Chariot 
No it isn’t tolerant – but no country that has blasphemy laws can claim to be tolerant. I don’t known enough about Pakistan’s constitution, but the article states that there are groups within Pakistan who claim that such laws are against its Constitution.
It is obviously not tolerant but it is indeed unlawful. Doesn’t stop it happening but as we are all aware, it is not that simple when dealing with fundamentalists.
One hopes that international pressure may mitigate this sort of horror.
The problem is that it not unlawful. As long as there are blasphemy laws they will be used. I’m not hopeful that international pressure will do anything at all – it’s failed abysmally in most cases. Most countries, with some justification, get quite annoyed when foreigners try to dictate how they should deal with what are perceived as internal matters.
Yes, there are blasphemy laws, but there are instances where appeals against these are upheld. Some are found to be personal feuds with regard to matters other than religion. UN pressure has been applied in some cases successfully.
Some are upheld. The judiciary is predominantly Muslim. Sharia is the law of the land.
You are right, Boadicea, this is an internal matter, but the West regard Pakistan as a “friend” in the fight against terrorism; rightly or wrongly, but subtle pressure can change things, hopefully.
I’m reminded somewhat of the witchcraft and heresy laws, which were often used to settle grievances. While the West can exert pressure in individual cases the basic problem is that while the laws stay on the Statute Books there is always the probability that others will be persecuted.
Yes, indeed, but how does one change this?
Nuke the buggers! 😀
Seriously, Islam must be outlawed, world-wide. It is offensive to all civilised people.
Oddly it brings to mind anti-terrorist legislation in the UK. Suspension of habeas corpus, inappropriate use of said legislation; removing old men from political meeting and etc.
Now I know this is not the same but maybe the thin end of the wedge. No, it couldn’t happen here could it?
Yes, Bearsy, bit of a blooming overkill; rubbish!
We are having a serious discussion here, Bad Bear; well trying to anyway.
Your contribution is well a bit nuclear, but hey, luckily you don’t have your paw on the trigger. 🙂
It is also offensive to hear educated Westerners defending the indefensible. Political correctness has addled your brains – you cannot separate reality from doctrine. Very sad. Islam is evil.
Of course I’m not serious about nuking, but I am deadly serious about the evil that is Islam.
Whoops! Boadicea calls, we have to go shopping.
Catch you later. 😎
Well, anyone who decides to make an enemy of over a billion Muslims who are not in the slightest bit interested in destroying your good self or anyone remotely related to you, unless you are very unlucky, is a bit daft, in my opinion.
I don’t find your views offensive in the slightest; misguided, but not offensive.
Well done, Boadicea. 🙂
Happy shopping!
This smacks more of superstition, very primitive superstition, than “religion”. One wonders why on earth the stupid women sent their Christian colleague to fetch the water when they probably knew most of the rest of the simple-minded would refuse to drink it. The whole incident just shows Islam up for what it is.
Araminta – Wrong! I have not expressed a desire or even an intention to make an enemy of billions of Muslims; I have declared my aversion to Islam, which is a very different kettle of fish. The fact that billions of people follow an evil cult called Islam is no different to the fact that billions(?) are equally deluded and follow the other evil cult called Roman Catholicism.
Neither of these cults have anything to do with the creator of the universe (should there be such a being), or with the individual paying his/her respects to that creator. They have everything to do with nasty old men gaining power and fortunes by terrorising the naive with fear of the unknown (and unknowable).
Sheona – Absolutely. But then show me an organised religion which is not, in fact, a primitive superstition. 😕
IMHO, generalisations usually lead to disagreements. 😦
A nice distinction, Bearsy. 😉
Throughout most of the world religion underpins the moral codes, political and legals systems which have evolved. I would not describe any of them as inherently “evil”, although I believe a separation of matters temporal and spiritual is my preferred option.
And now Christians in Baghdad are being targeted and murdered, why did we bother?
I am closer to saying let’s pull out from that neck of the woods and let them get on with it than I have ever been
We are told we fought and lost lives in that region to free the people, it seems we have freed one section of the poulation to freely kill of another lot. That is a very warped definition of Freedom.
I would argue that it hasn’t been religion that’s formed moral codes but rather that it has been used to enforce them. Look at the antics of the Greek Gods, one can hardly call them a ‘moral’ bunch, yet the Greeks managed to formulate a pretty good set of moral laws. I don’t know enough about the Hindu Gods – but I suspect they weren’t much better. Even Yahweh was not the sort of moral character that I would consider to be worthy of emulating.
However, the fear of divine retribution in the hereafter seems to have kept many on the straight and narrow.
The ‘evil’ of religion, in my view, lies in the use of ‘divine retribution’ to control for non-moral matters. Perhaps it is not so ‘evil’ to forbid people, on religious grounds, to eat foods that may harm them, pork and certain sea foods are notoriously liable to induce food-poisoning, nor perhaps to make the cleansing of cooking utensils compulsory… However, to use religion to dominate and subjugate women, people of other colour or creed is ‘evil’. And most certainly to claim that one’s God gives one the right to murder and main is also evil.
In my view, no religion should be allowed to claim the right to set aside the basic right of any human – whether they want that right or not.
Boa, you’re spot on there. The Greek gods were invoked by the great and good of Athens to past judgement on my Guru, old Snub-nose himself. To be fair however they also got the credit for a lot of good stuff too. ‘Nemesis’ of course is still the modern interpretation of divine retribution. Strange however that RC priests are immune. Are Imams too?
I had to post this and run. Interesting discussion.
We are often exhorted to consider that there is some difference between ‘normal’ muslims and those who kill and maim other muslims, and non-muslims, in the name of religion. Well, here is an insight into the behaviour of normal muslims. It is these attitudes that we have imported along with the masses of poor, ill-educated immigrants from South Asia and that we are forced to refrain from criticising by the PC-niks in the name of ‘tolerance’ of other cultures.
Janus – I hoped you’d come back with some support for my statement. All those who are in control of religion are, of course, immune from following the rules that others must follow.
Bravo – I have no problem with ‘tolerating’ other cultures – in their own countries. I have a massive problem with tolerating them in mine.
Boa. Me too. I have lived in many foreign* countries and am quite content to follow the local mores. I too demand that people coming to my country should show the same respect.
*Yes, I know, but you know what I mean.