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http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07060127.htm
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net — E-mail: assistnews@aol.com
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Pakistan’s abuse of blasphemy laws decried
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
WASHINGTON, DC (ANS) — Incessant persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan, a country perpetually recognized for its poor track record in upholding religious autonomy, is generating increased concern from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
This was stated by Jennifer Thurman in a story posted on the Baptist Press website (www.bpnews.net).
She wrote, “A recent news release from the USCIRF expressed outrage over the Islamic country’s abuse of its blasphemy laws, which implement punishments, including death, to any person who defiles the name of Muhammad.”
Felice D. Gaer
Thurman quoted Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer as saying in the written statement, “Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are inherently arbitrary, and they de facto restrict freedom of speech and other freedoms guaranteed by international human rights norms. These insidious laws lend themselves to misuse and abuse, resulting frequently in severe violations of freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan.”
Thurman continued, “Younis Masih, a 29-year-old Christian Pakistani, was a victim of his country’s manipulation of the blasphemy laws. According to the USCIRF news release, Masih asked that a noisy group of Muslims remain quiet around his home in September 2005 after his nephew had died and his family was in mourning.
“Angered by Masih’s request, the group of Muslims accused him of insulting the Islamic religion, which signifies blasphemy under Pakistani law, the news release stated. The situation sparked repeated attacks on other homes in the area that belonged to Christians, and Masih and his wife were beaten during the attacks. Masih has been imprisoned for nearly two years and was sentenced to death May 30.
“The USCIRF cited Masih’s case as one of many in which due process is ignored. Pakistani laws passed in October 2004 declare that only a senior police official can bring an indictment against a Pakistani accused of blasphemy. However, the USCIRF news release said this requirement is not consistently followed.”
She quoted Gaer as saying, “In fact, the case against Younis Masih demonstrates that the officially required new procedures are not even heeded.”
As a result, a blasphemy indictment can be placed on an individual without any evidence or proof of intent, USCIRF says. There is no penalty for bringing a false allegation, meaning that extremists often use the blasphemy laws to threaten religious minorities such as Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus.
“In addition,” her story continued, “trials for Pakistanis accused of violating the blasphemy laws are often chaotic. Records show the accused are attacked and sometimes killed by vigilantes while waiting for trial. Pakistanis who receive an acquittal at trial often are forced to flee the country because of persistent threats from vigilantes.
“Pakistan received international backing for its blasphemy laws in March by successfully presenting a resolution at the United Nation’s Human Rights Council in Geneva that supports drastic measures to ‘halt the defamation of religions.’”
Thurman stated that the USCIRF news release indicated that although these measures are implemented in the name of religious tolerance, they “routinely criminalize and prosecute what is deemed —- often capriciously by local officials in countries where such laws exist —- to be ‘offensive’ or ‘unacceptable’ speech about a particular religion.”
She said, “Concern about religious persecution in Pakistan does not end with the blasphemy laws. A current draft bill before Pakistan’s National Assembly would enforce the death penalty for individuals accused of apostasy — that is, converting from Islam to any other religion. The bill states that testimony from two or more adults is sufficient evidence to impose the death sentence.”
“This proposed bill would violate human rights standards because it would criminalize an internationally protected right,” Gaer said. “Every effort should be made by the government of Pakistan to ensure that such repressive legislation is not passed.”
The USCIRF, she stated, has requested that the U.S. government urge Pakistan to instigate policy changes to the blasphemy laws, such as requiring an investigation of death threats and full due process during trial. Such measures by the Pakistani government would eliminate current loopholes and place the country on a path to ultimately dismantling the blasphemy laws.
In addition, the USCIRF is encouraging the U.S. government to press Pakistan to withdraw the draft bill on apostasy and implement more stringent efforts to eliminate Islamic extremism in the country.
“The commission calls on the U.S. government forcefully to raise all of these serious religious freedom concerns promptly with the government of Pakistan,” Gaer said. “These repressive measures exacerbate religious tensions rather than advance freedom of religion, and have no place in a country that claims to respect rights.”
Note: Jennifer Thurman, a senior at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA., is a Baptist Press intern in Washington, D.C.
Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. danjuma1@aol.com.
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http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07060124.htm
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net — E-mail: assistnews@aol.com
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Alcoholic prohibition and Christian prayer team worker murdered in Kerala
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
KERALA, INDIA (ANS) — A worker involved in the alcoholic prohibition movement, who was also a Christian prayer team member, was murdered on June 15 at Konny in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala State in India.
The dead body of Joy Anthariyeth, 52, was found at Kavil junction near a bridge over a rivulet at Thannithodu.
Joy was a member of the action council seeking to shut down the alcoholic toddy shop of Thannithodu. He was also one of the active members of the SVM Prayer Fellowship.
Joy was brutally murdered as he was going back home on Friday night after attending a prayer meeting, according to Salem Voice Ministries News Service.
“Joy was threatened several times by the toddy shop authorities for leading the agitation against the toddy shop for shutting it down,” Police officials told Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries and SVM News Service.
Police said Joy was walking through the south side of the Kavil bridge on Friday, June 15. An eight-member group of men drove by and pulled him through the bridge and beat him. Joy tried to escape through the narrow path which is between the Marthoma Church and the Federal Bank, but the attackers together beat him severely death and threw the dead body from the bridge into the rivulet.
N.Rajesh, the Circle Inspector of Konny, investigated the case and arrested five of the suspected murderers on Wednesday, June 20. Another three suspects are in hiding.
According to SVM, Somarajan, who is also known as Karatte Madhu (37), Mohanan (47), Shibu (27), Sahadevan (36) and S. Animon (28) were the suspects arrested by the police. P.T. Biju (31), Santhosh (32) and Sunil (24), who are also suspects, are still at large.
The suspected murderers were believed to be Hindu extremists.
** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Lake Forest, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.
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