ASIA/PAKISTAN – Spiritual minorities underneath assault: it’s pressing to repeal the blasphemy legislation
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – Christian Washaal Masih and his colleague Bhola Ram of Hindu faith, two humble employees, employed within the city of Behawalnagar, within the South of Pakistani Punjab, had been arrested for blasphemy, with alleged costs of burning pages of the Koran. As Authorized Evangelical Affiliation Growth (Lead), which gives free authorized help to non secular minorities in Pakistan, confirms to Fides, the 2 labored as cleaners within the Civil Hospital in Behawalnagar, the place apparently the blasphemy was dedicated. The complainant is a policeman who claims to have obtained a telephone name from an area journalist: he knowledgeable them that the 2, in burning some paperwork, additionally burnt some pages containing Coranic verses. The incident occurred on September 27, 2017. The policeman reached the scene and noticed a big crowd who offered particulars of the episode. The policeman arrested the 2 and filed an official criticism.
“The blasphemy legislation is a really delicate matter: as on this case, two alleged witnesses blamed the 2 and had been accused of blasphemy. However there is no such thing as a different documentable proof.
Spiritual minorities stay in fixed concern and sometimes disguise their religion with a view to keep away from allegations of blasphemy”, famous Christian Lawyer Sardar Mushtaq Gill, head of the group “Lead”.
Lead has issued a public enchantment calling for the repeal of the legislation: “The abuse of this legislation has grow to be widespread observe in resolving private disputes. In a current case, Christian Nadeem James was concerned in a case of blasphemy as revenge for marrying a Muslim lady and was sentenced to loss of life. It’s time to do one thing about this iniquitous legislation”, says a be aware by Lead, despatched to Fides.
Previously 12 years, notes the group, “the state of affairs has deteriorated for spiritual minorities in Pakistan”. Lead lists the principle the explanation why it requires the abolition of the blasphemy legislation in Pakistan: it’s incompatible with elementary human rights; endangers the safety of residents of each spiritual religion; steps on the essential civil warfare with regard to arrest and detention, in addition to the precise to a good trial; violates the precise to freedom of faith, faith and expression; destroys the rule of legislation and the precept of equality; instigates Muslims to assault spiritual minorities and their settlements, undermining interreligious coexistence in Pakistani society; it’s primarily used to resolve private disputes.
“As well as, in lots of instances a citizen, even when solely accused of blasphemy, is a simple sufferer of extrajudicial execution by the hands of radical Islamists”, famous “Lead”, recalling many episodes within the current historical past of Pakistan, the place complete Christian areas had been attacked (in a form of “mass punishment”) just for alleged blasphemy costs to a single Christian. These assaults, it notes, have remained unpunished. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, three/10/2017)
