Daily Times

Asia bibi, a Christian woman has suffered in prisons of Pakistan since 2010 when she was allegedly involved in the blasphemy case over a small incident of drinking water from the same pot as her Muslim lady co-workers while working in a field. After an argument with Asia bibi, those women claimed that she denigrated the Prophet of Islam (PBUH). A case was registered against her by a Muslim cleric who was not present when the altercation happened between Asia bibi and those women. However, the issue being so sensitive, without much ado, the cleric believed the Muslim complainants to be truthful. Muslims fundamentalists’ pressure compelled the police to register the blasphemy case against Asia bibi under the article 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code. She was arrested, convicted and awarded death sentence by the sessions court, which was afterward upheld by the Lahore High Court.

However, Asia bibi’s lawyers submitted a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) in 2014, and the apex court admitted her appeal ordering the suspension of her death sentence, and advising the two sides to bring the complete record pertaining to the case to the court. Since 2014, there is no development in the case, and the SC has not issued any notice for any new hearing.

Blasphemy laws in Pakistan and the case of Asia bibi are tied together, as on national and International level talking about Asia and blasphemy laws are a common feature. This is the only law in the constitution of Pakistan that is known to the world because of Asia and several others allegedly involved in blasphemy cases. Time and again, some brave forces try to speak to bring amendments in the law but it is considered a ‘sacred manuscript’, not to be touched or talked about. Whosoever talked against this law had to pay the price. Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian, and a federal minister, who struggled to bring some amendments in the law, was brutally murdered in Islamabad. Salmaan Taseer, the then governor of Punjab, tried to help Asia, and demanded changes in the law. He was assassinated by his own fanatic guard, who afterward was given death sentence, and hanged on the 29th of February 2016.

The damage done by the misuse of the blasphemy laws is beyond understanding. The truth of the matter is that blasphemy laws are considered dangerous not only in Pakistan but around the world. One may easily understand that in the name of the sanctity of religions, the very law was frequently misused, many a time in an organised way, leaving an adverse effect on the masses. The ethnic minorities remain under the worst societal pressures, under which they have been crippled socially, morally, economically and religiously. The massive pressure of this law has crossed all limits of social atrocities. Not only minorities, many times the majority community is the victim of this law. Laws are made for the protection of citizens; laws are not a licence to persecute and kill the marginalised sections of society. Beyond doubt, the misuse of blasphemy laws has had debilitating effects on the Pakistani society. Before the inclusion of these constitutional provisions in the constitution of Pakistan, there were few examples of individuals involved in desecrating any religion, but after 1986, around 1,400 cases have been registered under this law. Interestingly, there is not a single example where courts convicted someone as a blasphemer and the person was hanged.

It is certainly appalling to listen to many people who claim that the majority of the cases were registered against the majority community. The truth is bitter but cannot be denied. The overall calculation of blasphemy convictions shows that about 50 percent of cases were registered against ethnic minorities, who make only three percent of the total population. There are several examples of the misuse of this law.

In 1996, a Christian man, Ayub Masih, was jailed for the violation of 295C when the complainant, Muhammad Akram, claimed that Masih ‘blasphemed’ by recommending him to read Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses. All lower courts and the High Court convicted Mashih but the SC found the case to be a fabricated one. The only reason was to grab the property of Ayub Masih. Dr Muhammad Younas Sheikh was charged under the blasphemy law in 2000; he was acquitted, and afterward he fled to Switzerland, never to return to his homeland. Younas Sheikh was arrested for writing a book Shaitan Maulvi and was given life imprisonment. Hector Aleem, a Christian human rights activist, was charged under this law in 2009. In July 2009, two Christian brothers were charged under the law in Faisalabad. A Christian woman, Asia bibi, was arrested in 2010 on blasphemy charges levelled against her by the neighbourhood Muslim women. In 2011, Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian minister of minority affairs was murdered. Eralier that year, Salmaan Taseer, the then governor of Punjab was brutally killed by his own guard. In 2014, a Christian man Sawan Masih was awarded death sentence by a sessions court; Masih was involved in a case during the Joseph Colony incident where 300 dwellings of poor Christians were destroyed by a frenzied Muslim mob.

There are several incidents that remain unnoticed by the world. This is unfortunate that after such a long list of brutalities in the name of blasphemy laws, no government is ready to take steps for re-visiting these laws. Indeed, there is pressure from certain religious groups but is it not the duty of Muslim scholars to preach the real doctrines of Islam? The teachings of peace, forbearance, tolerance, equality and love for humanity. Does Islam preach hate? No. Is there any scope of terrorism and killings of ethnic minorities in the name of Islam? No. Does the Holy Quran preach hostility against non-Muslims? No. Then from where these de-shaped ‘Islamic’ doctrines are emerging, which even millions of peace-loving Muslims fear. Is it not the reality that the peaceful religion of more than one billion people is being depicted as a hostile religion?

Who has done all this? The culprits are part of our society; they must be challenged, and they must be brought to the track. Religions safeguard the rights of its followers and non-believers, and suddenly, some sections of society assume that their religion is under threat. But what is that threat? Are we ourselves are not becoming the threat to religion by adopting practices that are forbidden by holy books. Forgiveness is the best tool to promote religion. The Holy Quran does not support such laws that are contradictory to the true Islamic doctrines. By awarding of punishments in such cases, the real picture of the humility of the religion is dimmed. Religion is forgiveness; ethnic minorities in Pakistan are well aware of the consequences of the blasphemy laws. They never ever dare to do anything that may ruin the lives of not only involved individuals but also destroy whole communities.

There is a need to revise the blasphemy laws at the earliest. Along with the damage being done to the downtrodden minorities, these laws are tarnishing the good name of Islam. Setting Asia bibi free will send a positive message. Isn’t it true that since the arrest of this lady, blasphemy laws have been widely criticised and debated? Justice is needed. God sees that justice is done, and He watches over everyone who is faithful.

The writer can be reached at Kaleem.dean@mail.com