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Not even children are exempt from possibility of triggering Islamic rage.
ISTANBUL, May 13 (CDN) — Pakistan’s notorious “blasphemy” laws can put even children at risk, and Christians say the days when they could teach their offspring pat answers to protect them from accusations of disparaging Islam or its prophet seem to have passed.

A 30-year-old Pakistani woman who grew up in Lahore said her Christian parents taught her formula answers to keep from falling prey to accusations under the blasphemy statutes, such as “I am a Christian, I can only tell you about Him.” But even then, before radical Islamists began influencing Pakistani society as they have in recent years, schoolchildren were taught not to discuss religion, she said.

“We knew never to get into religious discussions with others,” she said. “We had them at home – our parents would put us through the drill of asking us tough questions to see how we answered. Only now I realize that was practice for school.”

In this way, she was imbued with the fundamentals of the Christian faith and at the same time learned that she should discuss it only with her parents, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Though the Christian faith is inherently evangelistic, the need to remain silent is even more important today, she added.

“Christians constantly face questions like, ‘What do you think of the Quran, do you like it?’ and, ‘What do you think of Muhammad?’” she said. “One answer is, ‘As a Christian I have only read the Bible, I can’t read Arabic.’ These questions used to be easier to answer, we had formulas. But those are not working any more. We just tell children ‘Don’t talk about religion in school.’ This is shaky ground now.”

The blasphemy statutes signal to non-Muslims that they are second-class or “dhimmi” status citizens who must stay within narrow social boundaries, leave or be killed, she said.

“Some parents don’t even tell their children about Jesus, because they are scared they will go to school and say something wrong,” she said. “One street kid did not know anything except about the blasphemy law. When her mother was asked why she did not teach her daughter about Jesus instead of the blasphemy law, she replied, ‘If I tell her too much, she will talk about it on the street, and someone will kill her or charge her with blasphemy.’”

The street child, she said, was afraid to tell her what church she attended.

“She said the mullah in the shop behind us was listening, and as she said that, I saw the man nearly fall off his chair from trying to listen to us,” she said.

An entire generation, Christians fear, is growing up not knowing their faith for fear that it will lead to potentially disastrous schoolyard talk. Moreover, children required to take Islamic studies in school are in danger with a single misstep.

“If they write anything or misspell anything to do with the prophet Muhammad, they can be in serious danger,” the source said. “In fact, the other side of this is that they are made to answer questions saying what a wonderful man he was.”

Christian kids in predominantly Muslim areas don’t have friends to play with, as even a cricket game can be risky, she said. Adults are equally fearful.

“People in offices are silenced into submission,” she said. “The fear is creating aggression.”

Conviction under Section 295-C of the blasphemy law for derogatory comments about Muhammad is punishable by death, though life imprisonment is also possible. Curiously, accusers in blasphemy cases cannot repeat the alleged derogatory comments without risk of being accused of blasphemy themselves. Section 295-B makes willful desecration of the Quran or use of an extract in a derogatory manner punishable with life imprisonment. Section 295-A prohibits injuring or defiling places of worship and “acts intended to outrage religious feelings.” It is punishable by life imprisonment, which in Pakistan is 25 years.

Law Leading to Lawlessness
A district court judge last November stunned the nation and the international community by handing down a death sentence to a Christian mother of five for allegedly speaking ill of Muhammad.

Subsequently three politicians spoke out against the blasphemy law that put Asia Noreen (also called Asia Bibi) in prison. Two of them have been killed for standing up for Noreen and against the blasphemy law. One is in hiding for fear of her life.

Noreen, mother two children and stepmother to three others, has been in prison in solitary confinement since June 2009, accused of having blasphemed against Muhammad, after a verbal disagreement with some women in the village of Ittanwali, near Lahore. If she is released from prison, her life will be at risk. Her husband and children are on the run, receiving constant threats from Muslims who say they will take justice into their own hands.

Thousands of Pakistanis who think and believe differently than mainstream Muslims are at risk of being slandered under the blasphemy law, and those who live in poverty or are illiterate are particularly vulnerable. Personal vendettas from neighbors, co-workers and rivals are the most common reasons blasphemy law cases are filed, according to Paul Marshall of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom.

“Most victims are Muslims, but non-Muslims or minority Muslims suffer disproportionally,” said Marshall. “Ahmadis [an unorthodox Islamic sect] are probably proportionally the greatest victims. There are more victims from mobs and vigilantes than from the government itself, but the government bears responsibility because it does not protect the victims.”

Suspected Islamic extremists in Faisalabad shot dead two Christians about to be acquitted of blasphemy charges on July 19, 2010. The Rev. Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his 30-year-old brother Sajid Emmanuel were shot days after handwriting experts on July 14 notified police that signatures on papers denigrating Muhammad did not match those of the accused. Expected to be exonerated, the two leaders of United Ministries Pakistan were being led in handcuffs under police custody back to jail when they were shot.

Christian Lawyers’ Foundation President Khalid Gill said the two bodies bore cuts and other signs of having been tortured, including marks on their faces, while the brothers were in police custody.

Most recently, 40-year-old Arif Masih, of a village near Faisalabad, was arrested from his house on April 5 after Muslims accused him of ripping pages of the Quran and writing a threatening letter ordering them to become Christians. His brother claims that a neighbor fabricated the accusations in order to acquire property adjacent to that of Masih’s.

Though the much-abused blasphemy law is punishable by death, at times vigilantes have taken matters into their own hands. At least eight Christians accused of blasphemy are estimated to have been killed since 1986. The number of Muslims accused of blasphemy and killed extra-judicially may be twice that figure.

For secular-educated Pakistanis, the blasphemy law has come to symbolize the measure to which extreme Islam has overtaken society. In the span of three months, radical Islamists murdered two of the nation’s most outspoken leaders against the blasphemy law. On Jan. 4 Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab Province, was murdered, and on March 2 parliamentarian Shabaz Bhatti, who as federal minister for minority affairs was the only Christian cabinet member, was assassinated in Islamabad.

A third official, Sherry Rehman, a parliamentarian from Karachi, led an effort to reform the blasphemy law after Noreen was sentenced to death last year. Taseer, Bhatti and Rehman were the most vocal about injustices Noreen has suffered and their disapproval of the law. Rehman, in hiding since Taseer’s murder, is said to be next on the Islamic terrorists’ hit list.

Noreen’s case drew little attention before she received the death sentence. One advocate said he believes that had her case not drawn so much attention, she would have been quietly acquitted by a higher court without criticism abroad or at home. Now her release would look like a win for the “Christian” West, he said.

“Hence, we are not going to have any concrete benefit out of whatever decision comes on her,” said Asif Aqeel, leader of the Community Development Initiative. “I don’t see any decision having some fruitful result.”

Aqeel concurred with other Christians that the blasphemy law has led to a steep drop in freedom of expression. Mosques in neighborhoods where blasphemy cases are filed become centers for inciting people to the streets, where destruction ensues. Since Noreen’s death sentence in November, sermons against changing the blasphemy law are commonly broadcast from mosques, especially in neighborhoods where there is a Christian presence.

“People do not talk, and it is proving an embargo on thinking,” Aqeel said. “It has caused vigilante justice, and several incidents have taken place. After that, now whenever this issue arises, people become afraid that it might turn into a demolition of the entire place.”

Victims of the blasphemy law cannot hope for justice from local police, who “do not dare to declare innocent anyone accused of blasphemy,” Aqeel said, and often lower court judges and magistrates do little to give them their rights. “Now the slogan is that the one who sympathizes with the blasphemer is also a blasphemer,” he said, pointing to the deaths of Taseer and Bhatti.

Pakistan is moving increasingly towards a state driven by fear of extremists, where even moderate politicians make conservative choices to appease Islamist threats, according to Sara Taseer Shoaib, daughter of the late Taseer.

“Pakistan is definitely becoming more right-wing and extremist when it comes to religion,” she said. “Religious parties are gaining a cult following, and even moderate leaders are trying to gain popularity and votes by taking a right-wing position.”

The reasons for this shift to the ultra-right, she said, are many: conservative issues like defense of the blasphemy law serve to deflect attention from the real issues of poverty and lack of hope; there is an increasing trend to blame all woes on the West; and there is a prevailing sense of a need to defend Islam as the perception remains that it is under global attack.

Shoaib said her father spoke about Noreen as a member of Pakistan’s poor, disenfranchised minority. Determined to defend her and the rights of others like her, Taseer had visited Noreen in prison before he died.

“He felt that she was a victim of the ambiguity of this law, and [that] she was unable to defend herself fairly,” she said. “[He felt that] she was the prime candidate where the unfairness of this law could be brought to light. He wanted an amendment to the law which is man-made.”

The source from Lahore said that fear among Christians after Taseer and Bhatti’s death is palpable. Christians feel left alone, not knowing who to trust.

“Everything seems to have snowballed,” she said. “People are really, really scared. Someone who you see as out there defending you and speaking for you has been silenced; someone just goes up to him and shoots him.”

She said Christians feel that the mentality of their Muslim fellows has hardened as the Pakistani Taliban and other extremist elements seem to be holding the government and people’s minds hostage.

“For the extremists, it’s no longer making Pakistan a Muslim country, but how they use Pakistan to promote the cause of Islam across the world,” she said. “It’s not for love of the nation, or national identity, but entirely about religious identity. That completely isolates those who do not subscribe to the same views … you are on the street in terms of identity and your social belonging in the community.”

Growing Issue
Aqeel said blasphemy looms larger in Pakistani minds and anti-Christian sentiment is growing for both socio-economic and global reasons.

In today’s impoverished Pakistan, and after U.S.-led wars in Muslim-majority Iraq and Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, people see even Pakistani Christians as allies of the West threatening their identity, he said. Poverty and a religion that upholds violence as a means to an end only fuel this mob mentality, he said.

“This has helped create a sense of alienating the Muslim world, and that the ‘blasphemous’ West is trying to snatch the values by movies and technology and globalization and trying to capture areas of the Islamic world,” Aqeel said. “Because of this, their sense of insecurity has made them more religious.”

As a result, blasphemy has become a larger issue, he said.

Pakistan’s law against defaming religion was amended in 1982 to include desecrating the Quran and in 1986 to include disparaging Muhammad. Since then, at least 37 blasphemy law suspects have been killed while in police custody, according to Aqeel.

On March 15, Qamar David, 55, died while serving a life sentence in a prison in Karachi for alleged blasphemy. Prison authorities claimed that David died of a heart attack, but his supporters have called for an investigation, as he had received threats and was subject to beatings and mistreatment from prison authorities. (See “Pakistani Christian Sentenced for ‘Blasphemy’ Dies in Prison,” March 15.)

While the murders of Bhatti and Taseer have helped to remove a “Defamation of Religions” resolution from United Nations consideration – for now – the assassinations have also brought any movement toward amending Pakistan’s blasphemy laws to a standstill.

“Although there is a section of media that is highlighting the issue of blasphemy, the situation hardly allows any movement or legislation on this subject,” said a Pakistani lawyer on condition of anonymity. “In my experience in the past 24 years, I have not seen [such a] stalemate condition, mainly due to the violence and terrorist threat that prevails.”

“The British Government should speak up for persecuted Christians”
says Canon Yaqub Masih who was speaking to Christians in the Government on the subject of Persecuted Christians around the World at the Foreign Office. His audience included the Under Secretary of State. He claimed that worldwide anti-Christian persecution is not only increasing but also becoming more violent and deadly. “I think it is fair to say that today Christians are the single most heavily and extensively persecuted group in the world,” Canon Masih said. “The British government ought to speak out more firmly, clearly and frequently, but the major obstacle to speaking out more forcefully is political correctness and a misplaced reticence on the part of the Foreign Office and the rest of the British government regarding Britain’s deep historical and cultural connection with Christianity, and a misguided desire not to be seen to be defending the human rights of Christians.”  He was highlighting the situation in Iraq Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan – especially its Blasphemy Law which he described as being ‘like a sword hanging over the Christians’.
“Those who are accused of blasphemy are subject to harassment, threats and attacks,” Canon Masih continued. “They are subject to immediate incarceration, most are denied bail, and those who are acquitted of blasphemy usually go into hiding or leave Pakistan. Recently two high profile individuals have been killed, because they raised their voice against the blasphemy law. As Christians we should feel the pain of those who are suffering, because we are all part of the body of Christ. We should also be concerned for this nation, as some people are becoming intolerant in our own society, and are too fearful to express their views, in case they are accused of racism. God has put us where we are for a purpose, so show let us show our concern and raise our voice for the voiceless.”
 
I am convinced that neither death nor life will be able to separate us from of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Canon Yaqub Masih
pakistanchristianconcern@blogspot.com

Administrator Heather Ahmed

Heatherahmedpcc@gmail.com

Church Leaders and Government officials pay Tributes to
Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan Federal Minister for Minorities
at a Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving

CANDLES were lit in S. Margaret’s Church, next to Westminster Abbey, in London on Thursday 17th March 2011 at 6.30pm in memory of murdered Federal Minister for Minorities in Pakistan, Mr Shahbaz Bhatti. Church Leaders Including the Archbishop of Canterbury and a Catholic Bishop representing the Archbishop of Westminster, the High Commissioner For Pakistan, a Government Minister, MP’s and Lords attended the Service.

In his sermon the Bishop of Pontefract said: “Our tribute to Shahbaz and our resolve will be to follow his love of truth and justice. Not limited by fear in the face of adversity and persecution. And having the courage to continue his work to fight against discrimination, intolerance and religious disharmony, and to cherish the idea of a multifaith society in which all persons would live together in harmony with equal opportunities.”

Canon Yaqub Masih who met with Mr Bhatti when he went with a delegation in December 2009 on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury said in his tribute: ,

“Shahbaz lived his life fighting for the rights of minorities in Pakistan saying he had decided to give his life to serve others, as he believed Christ had done for him. He is a martyr for his faith. Sadly his Christian principles were the very thing that caused his death. Those who killed him used the gun to silence him rather than enter into open debate and discussion. He is not with us today but his memories will always remain with us. His principles ,his Values and his fight for the rights of the minorities in Pakistan. I pray to God that he will raise other leaders like Shahbaz Bhatti who will stand for every citizen of Pakistan and make Pakistan a better and more peaceful Country to live in. ”

Mr. Masih also read tribute on behalf of the retired Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry, who could not attend the service due to personal reasons wrote in his tribute: “Shahbaz Bhatti has left us shattered, shocked, heartbroken and angry. The religious minorities in Pakistan have lost a bold and courageous leader. who despite all threats and warnings continued to fearlessly raise a voice against discrimination and religious intolerance. As for me, my loss goes beyond all the above – i have lost a son.”

Tributes were also given by Mr. Alistair Burt Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Bishop Alexander Malik, Bishop of Lahore who had flown to England for the service.

The candle lit service was organised by the Bishop of Pontefract, the Rt Rev. Tony Robinson and Lay Canon Yaqub Masih (Chairman of Pakistan Christian Concern).

CANDLES will be lit in Huddersfield on Friday night in memory of murdered Pakistani Minorities Minister, Mr Shahbaz Bhatti.

The Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Rev Stephen Platten and the Bishop of Pontefract, the Rt Rev Tony Robinson last night condemned the assassination of Mr Bhatti who visited this Diocese just last September to talk about the plight of minorities in his country and to meet with Asian Christian groups here.

Bishop Tony, who chairs the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Pakistan Focus Group said the local Asian Christian community were deeply saddened by his death and wanted to mark this terrible tragedy.

“It was a great shock to wake up this morning to hear he had been murdered in cold blood by extremists just days after being sworn in the new Government of Pakistan, “ said Bishop Tony.

“He worked tirelessly as a Christian for minorities and spoke out in favour of the repeal and reform of the blasphemy laws which were used so arbitrarily against Christians.

“His death will not stop the calls for justice and freedom of speech which is the right of every human being,” he added.

On Friday evening a memorial service to remember his life and work will be held at St Cuthbert’s, Birkby, Huddersfield for the local Asian Christian community and later this month, a service of remembrance is expected to be held in London.

Mr Yaqub Masih, President of the UK Pakistan Christian Concern said: “It is a very black day for the freedom of minorities in Pakistan when a Christian is martyred for standing up for human rights and freedom of speech.

“We pray for Mr Bhatti and his family and supporters at this difficult time,” he added.

Pakistani Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who opposed the country’s controversial “blasphemy law“, has been shot dead in Islamabad.

He died after gunmen opened fire on his car as he was travelling to work this morning (2 March). The Pakistani Taliban told BBC Urdu they carried out the attack, and pamphlets attributed to them and al-Qaeda were found at the scene. They warned that anyone who criticised the blasphemy law would be shot.

Mr Bhatti (42) had received death threats for urging reform of the blasphemy law and because of his support for Christian mother-of-five Aasia Bibi, who was sentenced to death under it last November. But he remained defiant, saying last month, “I have been told by pro-Taliban religious extremists that if I will continue to speak against the blasphemy law, I will be beheaded.” But he said his faith gave him strength:

As a Christian, I believe Jesus is my strength. He has given me a power and wisdom and motivation to serve suffering humanity. I follow the principles of my conscience, and I am ready to die and sacrifice my life for the principles I believe.

Mr Bhatti’s death comes just three weeks after he retained his ministerial position in a major government reshuffle – a decision that Pakistani Christians hailed as “astounding”. It also follows the assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, a Muslim, who was gunned down by one of his own bodyguards in January because he also had spoken out against the blasphemy law and supported Aasia Bibi.

MP Sherry Rehman, a Muslim, who put forward an amendment in parliament that sought to abolish the death penalty for defiling the name of Muhammad, has also received multiple death threats. She was forced to withdraw the private member’s bill last month.

In the wake of a hostile Islamist backlash to proposed amendments, the government has repeatedly stated that it has no plans to change the law.

LAHORE, Pakistan, January 19 (CDN) — A mother of five sentenced to death on “blasphemy” charges has lived in constant fear since the killing of Punjab Gov. Salman Taseer, her husband told Compass as he came out of Sheikhupura District Jail after meeting with her last week.

Ashiq Masih said his wife, Asia Noreen (alternatively spelled Aaysa, and also called Asia Bibi), is “very afraid.” Her conviction triggered a violent chain of events in Pakistan, including the Jan. 4 murder of Taseer by his bodyguard after the governor voiced support for her.

“She knows the Muslims have announced a prize on her head and would go to any lengths to kill her,” a visibly nervous Masih told Compass. “The governor’s murder in broad daylight has put her in a state of paranoia.”

He added that threats by Islamist extremists have dampened Noreen’s hope of getting justice from the Lahore High Court, where her appeal against the conviction has been filed but yet to be taken up.

Wearing a dark cloak to hide his identity, Masih was visibly nervous after meeting with her on Jan. 11.

“She was asking me about the situation outside,” he said. “I tried to console her, but she knows it’s really bad. She’s also worried about the children.”

The mother of two children and stepmother to three others, Noreen asked him to appeal for more prayers for her, he said.

“Please tell everyone to pray for her,” he said.

Masih said prison authorities had improved Noreen’s security considerably after Taseer’s killing.

“She’s being kept in a separate cell with a warden deployed 24 hours for her security,” he said. “Only I am allowed to meet her, but even I am searched completely before they bring her out for the meeting. I just hope and pray she keeps safe inside the prison.”

Still, prison officials have reportedly said she will be transferred to another prison soon because of security concerns.

The female warden tasked with Noreen’s security the day Taseer was killed told Compass of the Christian woman’s reaction to the news.

“I was escorting her for her routine walk on the evening Governor Taseer was gunned down,” said the warden, who requested anonymity. “We were passing by a barrack when the news broke out on TV that the governor was dead … She stood there in shock for some time, and then she started screaming and crying.”

The warden added that she helped Noreen back to her cell, “as she could barely walk and kept weeping.”

“She cried all evening and also refused to have supper,” the warden said. “The governor’s killing shattered her. The governor’s visit had boosted her morale – she was very happy and every time I spoke to her, I could feel the joy in her heart. She shared with me how she had lost hope, and how God had sent Taseer to help her. A particular verse that she often repeats is from John 14:1, which says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me.”

The warden said she was assigned Noreen’s security following reports that attempts would be made to kill her inside the jail. Since Taseer’s killing, she said, Noreen has grown suspicious of everyone around her.

“She’s only taken out of her cell for an hour, but even then she is fearful of her surroundings, even though all the other inmates are locked up before she’s taken out for exercise,” she said. “One can imagine how insecure she must be feeling after Taseer was killed by one of his own guards.”

Sheikhupura District Jail Superintendent Sheikh Khalid, who recently assumed charge, told Compass that Noreen was the most “high value” inmate of the prison and that he was not going to take any chances regarding her security.

“She is on the hit list of several extremist organizations,” he said, “and there are reports that she might be targeted inside the jail – moreover, she has a 30 million rupee [US$350,000] prize on her head. This is enough incentive for anyone to kill her.”

He said the prison had enhanced its security measures, and additional forces have been employed to guard the premises at night.

“No one except her husband can meet her,” Khalid said. “I have also directed her not to eat anything given to her by any person other than the wardens deployed for her security. We are trying our best to keep her safe, but life and death are in the hands of Allah.”

Noreen’s lawyer, S.K. Chaudhry, declined to discuss the future course of legal action because of the sensitive nature of the case.

Noreen has been condemned to death for insulting Islam’s prophet, Muhammad, a charge she denies. A week after her conviction, the governor of Punjab province visited her in jail. Taseer, a liberal Muslim, did not mince words as he assured Noreen of his support. He told her he believed that the charges against her were fabricated and that there had been a miscarriage of justice. He promised that he would recommend a presidential pardon for her.

During that visit, he called Pakistan’s blasphemy statutes “a black law” and called for their repeal – a demand that ultimately resulted in his brutal killing, as one of his own police bodyguards believed that Taseer had blasphemed by criticizing the law.

Masih, Noreen’s husband, said he was about to have lunch when he first heard the news of the killing of Taseer on TV.

“I had taken the first bite when the news flashed that Governor Taseer had been killed,” he said. “I was stunned, couldn’t swallow the food either … no words can explain that moment.”

He denied government reports that it was providing his family security, saying they were living in a safe-house arranged by “some friends” and surviving on money provided by Christian organizations. Taseer’s murder, he added, had shaken the little confidence the family had after the governor’s assurance of support to them.

“They killed the governor for supporting her,” he said. “He died for us, but it seems his sacrifice has gone in vain.”

Pakistan: Murder of governor darkens ‘blasphemy’ case
The case of Asia Bibi, the first Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan on blasphemy charges, suffered a major setback on 4 January when her most vocal supporter, the governor of Punjab Province, was gunned down by one of his police bodyguards in Islamabad.

The bodyguard, Malik Mumtaz Hussein Qadri, told police that he killed Governor Salman Taseer because of the governor’s opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

Asia’s life has been at risk ever since the governor highlighted her case following a visit to her in Sheikhupura District Jail on 22 November, according to Sohail Johnson of Sharing Life Ministries Pakistan, which has pursued Asia’s case from the onset. Taseer had openly criticised the blasphemy statutes and vowed to try to repeal them in parliament. He also promised Asia that he would recommend a presidential pardon for her.

“The local Islamist forces believed that President Zardari would pardon Asia on Taseer’s recommendation, and this was unacceptable to them,” said Johnson, confirming that intelligence agencies had determined that Islamists had plotted to kill Asia inside jail to make an example of her.

Taseer and Asia were declared “Wajibul Qatil” (liable to be killed) by radical Islamic clerics. A cleric in Peshawar and a local politician in Multan offered a combined sum of 50 million rupees (US$579,300) for anyone who killed Taseer and Asia.

Taseer, however, continued to publicly vent his opposition – even using Twitter – to the blasphemy laws, which effectively mandate death for anyone convicted of insulting Muhammad. On 31 December, Taseer had tweeted: “I was under huge pressure 2 cow down b4 rightest pressure on blasphemy. Refused. Even if I’m the last man standing.”

Hopes diminished
Taseer’s support for Asia had given new hope to the impoverished mother of five – and drew violent condemnation from Islamist forces, sparking countrywide protests. “The governor’s visit gave us hope that all was not lost,” said Johnson. “We believed that God had sent the governor to help us… his words of support boosted Asia’s morale, and she was actually quite optimistic about the outcome of her appeal in the high court.”

Johnson said that the murder of Taseer in broad daylight had shocked all those opposing the blasphemy laws, and that ‘there is little hope of these laws ever being repealed’.

He added that Asia’s appeal of her conviction had yet to be taken up for hearing by the Lahore High Court, but the murder would definitely affect the course of justice. “The governor’s brutal murder has diminished our hopes for justice for Asia.”

Her family has been in hiding since Islamist parties started protests in favour of the blasphemy laws.

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A Christian woman in Pakistan has been sentenced to death by hanging after she was convicted of allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed.  Asia, who is from Ittanwali in Punjab province, laboured in the fields for a Muslim landlord. She was arrested after a heated discussion about religion with her fellow farm workers. Hers was one of only three Christian families in the village.

Asia Bibi, who is 45 years of age and has five children, has denied blaspheming and informed investigators that she is being persecuted for her Christian faith in a country where followers of Christianity often face harassment and discrimination.

It is believed she will now put in a appeal against the sentence, which was handed down by a local court in Sheikhupura near Lahore.

Her husband, Mr Ashiq Masih, told the media he didn’t have the heart to inform two of the couple’s youngest children about the ruling and that they had asked him many times when they would be able to see their mother again.

In the court it was heard how Bibi had been employed as a farmhand in the countryside with other women that were all Muslims. After bringing them water, her colleagues refused to drink it while deeming it unclean as it was brought by a Christian – a claim that sparked a row.

It is also alleged that some of the women workers had been putting her under pressure to renounce her Christian faith and accept Islam. On June 19, 2009, the women pressed Asia about Islam. She responded by sharing with them about her faith in Christ.  She spoke of how Jesus Christ had died on the cross for their sins and then asked them what Mohammed had done for them.

On hearing this response the Muslim women became very angry and began to beat her. Some men took Asia by force and locked her in a room. They used the PA system of a local mosque to broadcast plans to punish Asia by blackening her face and parading her through the village on a donkey.

Asia and her children were set upon by an angry mob later on, and then taken to a police station after some Christians informed the local Police and had her put into protective custody. Later that evening a Blasphemy Case was registered against her after pressure was placed on the Police by local Muslim Leaders. Asia was also fined £728 – the equivalent of two-and-a half years’ salary for an unskilled worker.

This miscarriage of justice and violent social condition illustrates the severe and intense persecution that people of a minority faith experience in Pakistan.  The British Pakistani Christan Association condemns the awful attack and the maladministration of Justice exhibited.  We have formed a petition and intend to submit this to 10 Downing Street and the Pakistani Embassy on the 17th November 2010.  Please sign the petition below and share this with other colleagues:

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/justice4asia

We ask all readers to pray for justice and succour for Asia Bibi and her family.

For the first time in history Pakistan has sentenced to death a Christian woman for blasphemy. Asia Bibi, who is 45 years of age and has five children, has denied blaspheming and believes that she is being persecuted for her Christian faith in a country where followers of Christianity often face harassment and discrimination.

For further details and to sign a petition that will be presented to 10 Downing Street, please follow the link here