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 2^nd, 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.)