Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1812884/posts
Accused of blasphemy, an 11 year old boy risks the death penalty[Pakistan-Christians]
AsiaNews.it ^ | 04 April 2007 | Qaiser Felix
Posted on 04/05/2007 7:37:23 PM PDT by Dacb
Toba Tek Singh police open an investigation into blasphemy claims against five local Christians, including 11 year old Daniel. Local activists and priests say the case has been fabricated to target innocent people who have nothing. Christian families barricade themselves in their homes, fear could affect Holy Week celebrations
Among those “guilty of blasphemy” is 11 year old Daniel and the Punjab police are searching the entire province for him. The group of five is accused of disrespecting Mohammad and of having desecrated pieces of paper bearing the prophets name.
One of the five, Salamat Masih, has been arrested while other four are at large. The will all be tried under article 295 C of Pakistan’s Penal Code, the infamous blasphemy law, which provide life imprisonment and death sentence respectively for situations such as these.
Fr Bonnie Mendes a priest of Toba Tek Singh told AsiaNews that “the Christians had done nothing. It is a totally fabricated case against innocent Christians”. Fr bonnie further added that “the situation in the area is tense and people are scared although local police claim the situation is under control”.
Shahbaz Bhatti, chairman All Pakistan Minorities Alliance had strongly condemned the blasphemy charges against five Christians. He urged the government to provide full protection to Christians in TTS and demanded for a judicial inquiry of the incident. Talking to AsiaNews he said “there is only one solution to stop the misuse of this law and that is total repeal of the law. Procedural changes are just paper work and bring no relief to poor people who are still being trapped by extremists just because of this law”.
Fr Mendes explained that it all boils down to a quarrel between families. Local Muslims were offended by the behaviour of the five Christians and during a procession agreed to report them. Not content, they also tried to attack the five during a march. The five saved themselves by running away, but one of the Christians present– Ratan Masih, disabled – did not succeed in fleeing far and was savagely beaten. He is now in hospital.
The day after Salamat Masih’s arrest, local Christians began a campaign asking the authorities to intervene. Moreover, they explain there have been substantial procedural errors made during the, course of investigations: the police has not even investigated the accusations made against the Christians; they simply arrested them on the hearsay of the Muslim’s report.
The government has promised full collaboration and has sent some police to patron the Christian schools and Churches in the area, to avoid extremist reprisals. The delegation then met with some influential Muslim leaders, explaining their situation to them.
Currently, however, the Christian community of Toba Tek Singh is living in fear. Salamat’s family fears for his life, for he risks being attacked by yellow inmates while in prison. Family members avoid leaving their homes, given that the accusations of blasphemy could also be used against them. Despite this the local community is preparing for Easter celebrations which they hope they will be able to conduct without further violence.
IN THE U.S.A.:
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/April/07_crt_219.html
Oregon White Supremacist Sentenced to
11 Years in Prison for Attack on Synagogue
WASHINGTON – Jacob Albert Laskey, of Springfield, Ore., was sentenced today to serve 11 years and three months in federal prison for his role in the Oct. 25, 2002, racially-motivated attack on Temple Beth Israel, in Eugene, Ore. The defendant is a self-avowed white supremacist who admitted that he sought to commit acts of violence and destruction against Jews, African-Americans, and members of other ethnic and racial groups, when such opportunities arose. In August 2006, Laskey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deprive individuals of their civil rights, intentionally damaging religious property, solicitation to murder witnesses, soliciting a bomb threat against the federal courthouse in Eugene, two counts of obstruction of justice, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“Today’s sentence should provide some measure of solace to the victims, as well as a strong message to those who would commit such heinous crimes born of hatred,” stated Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to enforcing the federal laws that prohibit crimes of hate and intolerance, which have no place in our welcoming society.”
“Prosecuting individuals who seek to harm others because of their religion, race or national origin is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the Department of Justice,” stated United States Attorney Karin Immergut. “We will also aggressively investigate and prosecute those who try to intimidate witnesses from reporting such reprehensible acts to law enforcement.”
According to the plea agreements and statements in court, the defendant conspired with co-defendants Gabriel Doyle Laskey, Gerald Anthony Poundstone, Jesse Lee Baker, and another individual, subsequently determined to be Jereomy Allan Baker, to intimidate Jewish persons at the Temple Beth Israel. The five men traveled to Temple Beth Israel at night in a vehicle driven by Jacob Laskey. They then threw swastika-etched rocks, breaking stained glass windows at the temple, while 80 members of the temple were inside attending a Jewish religious service. After throwing the rocks, the men fled the scene. The defendants acknowledged in court, that their actions violated the victims’ rights to use, hold and occupy religious property free from discrimination. All other co-defendants had previously entered guilty pleas.
Jacob Laskey admitted that following the attack on the synagogue, he obstructed justice by attempting to persuade a witness not to testify against him regarding Laskey’s involvement in the attack. Laskey also admitted soliciting co-conspirator Jesse Baker to kill potential witnesses and to call in a bomb threat to the federal courthouse in Eugene, where the grand jury convened to investigate his case. To prevent Baker from relating information regarding the solicitation to federal investigators, Laskey also admitted to intimidating or attempting to intimidate Baker, between the latter part of 2004 and the early part of 2005.
Regarding the gun charge, Laskey admitted that he had possessed a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun and ammunition after having been convicted of two felony crimes, assault in the third degree and racially-motivated battery.
The government’s case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. (Bud) Fitzgerald and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Roy Conn III. The case was investigated by Special Agents from the Eugene Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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07-219