The emancipation of minorities
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/19/religious-emancipation-of-minorities.html
Next Episodes
Our next 2 episodes will be up shortly. The delay is in lieu of some technical difficulties. Look for them by the end of this week.
Convert or go to hell: tablighis tell non-Muslim patients at govt hospitals (From: Citizens for Democracy)
Convert or go to hell: tablighis tell non-Muslim patients at govt hospitals
KARACHI - Twenty-three-year-old Zain*, a Catholic Christian, was admitted to the emergency ward of the Civil Hospital Karachi after he was shot and wounded as a passer-by in a crossfire. While his worried parents and sister stood around waiting for the doctor’s verdict, men in green turbans and high shalwars swooped down on Zain. “Brother, you must denounce your infidel ways. Kalma parhein (recite the Kalma),” they told the young man who was barely conscious and obviously in immense pain. “Become a Muslim, and god will forgive you all your transgressions against him. Die a Muslim!” Zain’s 17-year-old sister pleaded with them once to leave the family alone. “My brother is in pain. Please, let us take care of him,” she said. In response, one of the men turned around and gruffly told her to shut up. “Do not interfere in god’s work,” she was told.
Such scenes are no longer an anomaly at government hospitals in Karachi: men from various religious factions – the Tablighi Jamaat in particular – stalk the hallways of emergency wards, hoping to earn ‘savaab’ by converting non-Muslims on their deathbeds. In their quest for supposed divine rewards, they ignore the pleas of the families to be left alone with their loved one, as well as any pain that the patient might be in. Zain’s parents pulled their aside. “We know the consequences of interfering,” his father, who works as a mechanic, said quietly after the men had left when Zain, who had lost consciousness by then, did not respond.
“These people are like vultures; they do this to everyone. If we try to stop them, they will accuse us of maybe insulting their religion. We don’t want to be charged with blasphemy. It will be our word against theirs. Who will listen to us?” he asked. Zain wasn’t the only victim. The group of green-turbaned men went around to every bed, asking attendants of patients if they were Muslim. If they replied in the affirmative, they were asked to recite the Kalima to ‘prove’ it. It must be noted that these attendants were already harassed – most of the patients in the ward were in critical condition; they were either victims of roadside or household accidents or had gunshot wounds that needed attention.
Nurses in the area, meanwhile, pretended to look the other way. “We’re already understaffed and have too much to deal with. We can’t handle this additional headache. Let them do what they want. The patients’ attendants can deal with them,” they said.
Similar scenes are repeated regularly at every government-run hospital in the city. While security at these organisations is minimal, even the guards that are present don’t try to stop the evangelists. “Who are we to interfere in the work of god,” Saleem, a guard on duty outside the emergency ward at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre claimed, shrugging helplessly. “If someone converts to Islam this way, we will get Savaab too. These men help the patients and their families get spiritual peace.”
“We wish they’d leave us alone,” Zain’s father maintained. “If my son wanted to convert, he would have done so on his own. What’s the point of harassing someone who is obviously already in pain? Whose god would allow that?”
* Name changed to protect privacy
KARACHI - Twenty-three-year-old Zain*, a Catholic Christian, was admitted to the emergency ward of the Civil Hospital Karachi after he was shot and wounded as a passer-by in a crossfire. While his worried parents and sister stood around waiting for the doctor’s verdict, men in green turbans and high shalwars swooped down on Zain. “Brother, you must denounce your infidel ways. Kalma parhein (recite the Kalma),” they told the young man who was barely conscious and obviously in immense pain. “Become a Muslim, and god will forgive you all your transgressions against him. Die a Muslim!” Zain’s 17-year-old sister pleaded with them once to leave the family alone. “My brother is in pain. Please, let us take care of him,” she said. In response, one of the men turned around and gruffly told her to shut up. “Do not interfere in god’s work,” she was told.
Such scenes are no longer an anomaly at government hospitals in Karachi: men from various religious factions – the Tablighi Jamaat in particular – stalk the hallways of emergency wards, hoping to earn ‘savaab’ by converting non-Muslims on their deathbeds. In their quest for supposed divine rewards, they ignore the pleas of the families to be left alone with their loved one, as well as any pain that the patient might be in. Zain’s parents pulled their aside. “We know the consequences of interfering,” his father, who works as a mechanic, said quietly after the men had left when Zain, who had lost consciousness by then, did not respond.
“These people are like vultures; they do this to everyone. If we try to stop them, they will accuse us of maybe insulting their religion. We don’t want to be charged with blasphemy. It will be our word against theirs. Who will listen to us?” he asked. Zain wasn’t the only victim. The group of green-turbaned men went around to every bed, asking attendants of patients if they were Muslim. If they replied in the affirmative, they were asked to recite the Kalima to ‘prove’ it. It must be noted that these attendants were already harassed – most of the patients in the ward were in critical condition; they were either victims of roadside or household accidents or had gunshot wounds that needed attention.
Nurses in the area, meanwhile, pretended to look the other way. “We’re already understaffed and have too much to deal with. We can’t handle this additional headache. Let them do what they want. The patients’ attendants can deal with them,” they said.
Similar scenes are repeated regularly at every government-run hospital in the city. While security at these organisations is minimal, even the guards that are present don’t try to stop the evangelists. “Who are we to interfere in the work of god,” Saleem, a guard on duty outside the emergency ward at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre claimed, shrugging helplessly. “If someone converts to Islam this way, we will get Savaab too. These men help the patients and their families get spiritual peace.”
“We wish they’d leave us alone,” Zain’s father maintained. “If my son wanted to convert, he would have done so on his own. What’s the point of harassing someone who is obviously already in pain? Whose god would allow that?”
* Name changed to protect privacy
Over the years various incidences have marred the injustice of this law and has
protected the people who have committed crimes against minorities. Incidents have
ranged from the burning of villages for the refusal of conversion to Islam to property
ownership disputes, to the false accusations of individuals for whatever reason. The
blasphemy law protects the majority of the population of Pakistan by allowing them
to exercise this law’s power over minorities. Here, it is important to acknowledge
that the majority refers to the Muslim population. The law also enables the anti-social
elements of the Muslim society to legally take action against members of minorities
and misuse the law for their own selfish whims. This along with the high level of
corruption in the country prevents justice to be served for the minorities. The pro-
social Muslims that wish to aid the minorities, are hindered to do so because of the
fear of being framed as blasphemers. This law mainly affects lower and mid levels of
society, hence not allowing for minorities to move up to a position of any significant
power.
Now for a much needed history and civics lesson…The blasphemy law was introduced in
the late 1970’s by Gen. Zia-Ul-Haq in order to gain popularity among the pro-Islamic
political parties and pave way for the encouragement of the opening of religion based
primary education facilities. This led to the alienation of the youth and the decline in
the education level of the population. Where children across the world are educated in
the working of the world, students of the “Madrassas” are educated in the teachings of
Islam and are manipulated to abide by the regulations of the blasphemy law.
So how does this really affect you and me?
protected the people who have committed crimes against minorities. Incidents have
ranged from the burning of villages for the refusal of conversion to Islam to property
ownership disputes, to the false accusations of individuals for whatever reason. The
blasphemy law protects the majority of the population of Pakistan by allowing them
to exercise this law’s power over minorities. Here, it is important to acknowledge
that the majority refers to the Muslim population. The law also enables the anti-social
elements of the Muslim society to legally take action against members of minorities
and misuse the law for their own selfish whims. This along with the high level of
corruption in the country prevents justice to be served for the minorities. The pro-
social Muslims that wish to aid the minorities, are hindered to do so because of the
fear of being framed as blasphemers. This law mainly affects lower and mid levels of
society, hence not allowing for minorities to move up to a position of any significant
power.
Now for a much needed history and civics lesson…The blasphemy law was introduced in
the late 1970’s by Gen. Zia-Ul-Haq in order to gain popularity among the pro-Islamic
political parties and pave way for the encouragement of the opening of religion based
primary education facilities. This led to the alienation of the youth and the decline in
the education level of the population. Where children across the world are educated in
the working of the world, students of the “Madrassas” are educated in the teachings of
Islam and are manipulated to abide by the regulations of the blasphemy law.
So how does this really affect you and me?
Some articles relating to the blasphemy law
Another blasphemy accused killed
Imran Latif, 22, was accused of burning pages of the Holy Quran in a case registered at Sherakot Police station and spent five months in jail. He was released on bail on November 3, after the complainant in the case told the court that he was not sure that Latif was guilty.
Inspector Rafique Ahmed, the investigating officer in the murder case, said that Latif’s murder was likely linked to the blasphemy case. “No Muslim tolerates a man who commits blasphemous acts,” he said.
He said police had only just discovered that Latif had been accused of blasphemy, as the family had not mentioned it when they reported the murder for the FIR.
Latif’s mother Sharifan, 60, said two men armed with pistols had knocked at the door of their house near Pir Makki shrine on Thursday and asked Latif to accompany them. “A few yards from the house they suddenly opened fire,” she said, adding that Latif had been hit five times.
She said the attackers then fled on a motorbike. “There were policemen present in the street but no one tried to stop them,” she said.
Haider Ali, Latif’s brother, said Latif was innocent in the blasphemy case. He suspected that a man named Ijaz Ahmed, who had a dispute with his brother over the ownership of a shop, had had Latif killed with the help of Muhammad Masoom and Ahmed Rizwan.
Human rights activists condemned the incident as another example of the havoc caused by the blasphemy laws. “The blasphemy laws are being so widely exploited here. It seems that the life of a person ends when they are accused of committing blasphemy,” said Dr Mehdi Hasan, chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
He said both the judiciary and the government were afraid of the laws. The judges were afraid of getting attacked for acquitting blasphemy accused, while the government was apologetic about the laws. “If any accused is acquitted by the court, society becomes hostile to him and this hostility only ends with his death. Killing a blasphemy accused is considered jihad,” he said.
Dr Hasan said that the blasphemy laws were being used for personal gains. “People raise blasphemy allegations against their rivals to get rid of them,” he said. “Before the imposition of the blasphemy laws in 1979, only three blasphemy cases occurred during 100 years in the subcontinent.”
Justice (r) Nasira Iqbal said many people accused of blasphemy in Pakistan had been killed before their trial had finished. She said sometimes police officials aided in the murder of people accused of blasphemy.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2010.
Family leads outcry at blasphemy death penalty
Anger at Pakistan's 'discriminatory' laws grows as the Christian Asia Bibi appeals against sentence for insulting Mohamed
By Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent
More pictures Campaigners in Pakistan say the case of Asia Bibi – the first woman to be sentenced to death for blasphemy – highlights the need for urgent reform of laws that are routinely used to persecute minorities and settle grudges.
The 45-year-old Christian, who has at least two children, was sentenced to death by a court in Sheikhupura, near Lahore, after prosecutors accused her of insulting the Prophet Mohamed and promoting her own faith. Her family have rejected the allegations and launched an appeal. "We have never ever insulted the Prophet or Islamic scripture, and we will contest the charges," said her husband Ashiq Masih.
While Mrs Bibi may be the first woman to be sentenced to death, Pakistan's blasphemy laws – particularly section 295C of the penal code, introduced by the late dictator Zia ul-Haq – are commonly used against both non-Muslims and Muslim minorities.
Earlier this year, police reinforcements had to be called to Faisalabad when two Christians charged with blasphemy were shot dead outside the court. In 1998, John Joseph, the then Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad, committed suicide to protest against the treatment of Christians.
The campaign to confront the country's blasphemy laws has existed for some years but activists say the movement is hampered by the danger of being accused of undermining Islam. Because of fear of religious conservatives, some of those who would like to see the laws scrapped feel compelled to call for reform rather than repeal.
Human Rights Watch is among the groups that have called for sections 295 and 298 to be scrapped. "Asia Bibi's case should serve as a wake-up call to Pakistan's independent judiciary which urgently needs to address bigotry and incompetence in its ranks and to the government that needs to find the political will to repeal," said the group's Pakistan spokesman, Ali Dayan Hasan.
"The laws are discriminatory and intended as such and are used for precisely that purpose. So, the issue is not of their misuse but of the laws being on the statute books at all. Vague all-encompassing wording allows the laws to be used as an instrument of political and social coercion, legal discrimination and persecution."
Veteran human rights campaigner Asma Jahangir, who was recently elected head of the country's powerful Supreme Court Bar Association, is among those who have defended people accused of blasphemy, most famously in the case of a 14-year-old boy, Salamat Masih, who was accused of writing blasphemous words on the wall of a mosque. After Ms Jahangir successfully defended the teenager on appeal, the judge who acquitted him was murdered.
"At first these laws were used against minorities but now a number of Muslims have also been victimised. Once someone is accused of blasphemy you have to be very strong to defend yourself," she said. "Every time something like this [case] happens, there is a loud noise about reform. There is a draft reformed law that is with the government but the government is sitting on it. It's such a tricky issue because of the noise made by the extreme right."
The precise details of Mrs Bibi's case are unclear. Reports say the woman, who lives with her family in the village of Ittanwali, west of Lahore, had been working in the fields in June last year when she was sent to fetch water. When she returned, some Muslim women refused to drink it, saying it was unclean because it had been carried by a Christian. The women then fought.
At that point the other women went to a local cleric, Qari Salim, and several days later he filed a legal complaint with the police. When the case was eventually concluded last week, in addition to being sentenced to death, Mrs Bibi was also ordered to pay a fine of 300,000 Pakistani rupees (£2,180).
Last night, Mrs Bibi's husband told The Independent: "My wife was picking phalsa in the fields when she had a fight with her other workers over some triviality. The other three got together and accused my wife of desecrating the Holy Koran It was not even a men's fight in the village, but a trivial tussle between women."
Campaigners say many of the blasphemy cases that come to court are the result of personal grudges or disputes that have ended with one side or the other resorting to the powerful legislation to settle the issue.
While no one has yet been executed for blasphemy, the laws carry severe punishments. Earlier this year Pakistan's Supreme Court released a woman who had been held in jail for 14 years for blasphemy.
The court said the woman, Zaibunnisa, 60, from Rawat, near Islamabad, had been held even though "no evidence" had been found against her.
The 45-year-old Christian, who has at least two children, was sentenced to death by a court in Sheikhupura, near Lahore, after prosecutors accused her of insulting the Prophet Mohamed and promoting her own faith. Her family have rejected the allegations and launched an appeal. "We have never ever insulted the Prophet or Islamic scripture, and we will contest the charges," said her husband Ashiq Masih.
While Mrs Bibi may be the first woman to be sentenced to death, Pakistan's blasphemy laws – particularly section 295C of the penal code, introduced by the late dictator Zia ul-Haq – are commonly used against both non-Muslims and Muslim minorities.
Earlier this year, police reinforcements had to be called to Faisalabad when two Christians charged with blasphemy were shot dead outside the court. In 1998, John Joseph, the then Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad, committed suicide to protest against the treatment of Christians.
The campaign to confront the country's blasphemy laws has existed for some years but activists say the movement is hampered by the danger of being accused of undermining Islam. Because of fear of religious conservatives, some of those who would like to see the laws scrapped feel compelled to call for reform rather than repeal.
Human Rights Watch is among the groups that have called for sections 295 and 298 to be scrapped. "Asia Bibi's case should serve as a wake-up call to Pakistan's independent judiciary which urgently needs to address bigotry and incompetence in its ranks and to the government that needs to find the political will to repeal," said the group's Pakistan spokesman, Ali Dayan Hasan.
"The laws are discriminatory and intended as such and are used for precisely that purpose. So, the issue is not of their misuse but of the laws being on the statute books at all. Vague all-encompassing wording allows the laws to be used as an instrument of political and social coercion, legal discrimination and persecution."
Veteran human rights campaigner Asma Jahangir, who was recently elected head of the country's powerful Supreme Court Bar Association, is among those who have defended people accused of blasphemy, most famously in the case of a 14-year-old boy, Salamat Masih, who was accused of writing blasphemous words on the wall of a mosque. After Ms Jahangir successfully defended the teenager on appeal, the judge who acquitted him was murdered.
"At first these laws were used against minorities but now a number of Muslims have also been victimised. Once someone is accused of blasphemy you have to be very strong to defend yourself," she said. "Every time something like this [case] happens, there is a loud noise about reform. There is a draft reformed law that is with the government but the government is sitting on it. It's such a tricky issue because of the noise made by the extreme right."
The precise details of Mrs Bibi's case are unclear. Reports say the woman, who lives with her family in the village of Ittanwali, west of Lahore, had been working in the fields in June last year when she was sent to fetch water. When she returned, some Muslim women refused to drink it, saying it was unclean because it had been carried by a Christian. The women then fought.
At that point the other women went to a local cleric, Qari Salim, and several days later he filed a legal complaint with the police. When the case was eventually concluded last week, in addition to being sentenced to death, Mrs Bibi was also ordered to pay a fine of 300,000 Pakistani rupees (£2,180).
Last night, Mrs Bibi's husband told The Independent: "My wife was picking phalsa in the fields when she had a fight with her other workers over some triviality. The other three got together and accused my wife of desecrating the Holy Koran It was not even a men's fight in the village, but a trivial tussle between women."
Campaigners say many of the blasphemy cases that come to court are the result of personal grudges or disputes that have ended with one side or the other resorting to the powerful legislation to settle the issue.
While no one has yet been executed for blasphemy, the laws carry severe punishments. Earlier this year Pakistan's Supreme Court released a woman who had been held in jail for 14 years for blasphemy.
The court said the woman, Zaibunnisa, 60, from Rawat, near Islamabad, had been held even though "no evidence" had been found against her.
What to expect in episode two
In our first episode, we explained the history of the blasphemy law, and the controversy behind it. We discussed the measures people have undertaken to avoid persecution, and interviewed Shawn Mark, a Pakistan-born immigration lawyer, who, due to his Christian heritage, was forced to leave his home country and move to Canada. But what about the people who do not have this option? We only briefly touched upon the fate of those accused of blasphemy, and the violence this law has caused. This is where things get interesting.
For the second episode of our podcast, we will be discussing some of the more notable people who have been directly affected by the blasphemy law. We will first discuss Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti. Bhatti, a Christian, vocally opposed the blasphemy law. Some saw him as a hero. Others saw him as a threat. He was murdered on March 2nd, 2011. In many ways, this was to be expected—Salmaan Taseer, another politician who opposed the law, was killed in January under similar circumstances. We will discuss Asia Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy who has spent over a year in prison, awaiting execution. Although it seems likely that she will be pardoned (her execution would almost certainly cause an international incident), various vigilante groups have already pledged to kill her and her family, should she be released. Unfortunately, this is almost certain to happen—it would not be the first time such threats were actually carried out.
We will also be discussing a number of recent vigilante attacks directed towards suspected blasphemers, and the possible role of Pakistan’s government and police in these attacks and assassinations. (Bhatti, for instance, was alone at the time of his death; his bodyguards and police escort had apparently been called off, though the government has denied this.)
Episode 1 is live
We are proud to present the first episode of our podcast! You can download it through this link.
Intro to the blog and podcast
Many countries have some sort of law designed to protect against religious intolerance. While these laws go by many names, they are most commonly referred to as “blasphemy laws.” In some countries, these laws protect a specific set of religious groups (typically representing the dominant religions in that particular country.) In other countries, like Canada, these laws do not focus on certain religions; they are intended to protect everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs. Other countries have very strict blasphemy laws, which regard following any religion not covered under the law as a blasphemous crime. Unfortunately, in cases such as these, the punishments are often quite harsh.
Our podcast will focus on the issues surrounding Pakistan’s blasphemy law. Considered to be the country with the strictest set of blasphemy laws, punishments for blasphemous crimes in Pakistan range from a small fine to life in prison to death. Many people have been forced to flee to other countries—like Canada—to escape punishment. Although the laws have been in place for decades, recent events, including a high profile assassination, have brought this issue into the limelight. Even so, many people still do not know the full story. We will be discussing the laws and their implications, and will be interviewing people who know these laws all too well.
This blog will serve as a companion piece to the podcast. We will be posting links to any news articles we mention in each episode, and providing additional detail on the issues and concepts we discuss. As well, we have an account on Formspring, where you can ask us anything you like about blasphemy laws... http://www.formspring.me/blpc
Our podcast will focus on the issues surrounding Pakistan’s blasphemy law. Considered to be the country with the strictest set of blasphemy laws, punishments for blasphemous crimes in Pakistan range from a small fine to life in prison to death. Many people have been forced to flee to other countries—like Canada—to escape punishment. Although the laws have been in place for decades, recent events, including a high profile assassination, have brought this issue into the limelight. Even so, many people still do not know the full story. We will be discussing the laws and their implications, and will be interviewing people who know these laws all too well.
This blog will serve as a companion piece to the podcast. We will be posting links to any news articles we mention in each episode, and providing additional detail on the issues and concepts we discuss. As well, we have an account on Formspring, where you can ask us anything you like about blasphemy laws... http://www.formspring.me/blpc
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)