Pakistan must protect all citizens regardless of religion – CLAAS
ICC Note
Pakistan is urged to protect equal protection to all of its citizens. In Pakistan , Christians are one of the most persecuted groups.
12/18/2009 Pakistan (Pakistan Christian TV)-The Pakistani government must ensure that its laws give equal protection to all citizens regardless of their religion. Last week, the world united in commemorating 61 years since the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It was a poignant opportunity to remember and pray for Christians killed in Pakistan as a result of the country’s blasphemy laws.
Most recently, the laws were used as a pretext for attacking Christians in Gojra where six were horrifically burnt to death. 2009 has been the worst year for persecution against Christians in the last decade and it has been largely because of the blasphemy laws. In the last 10 years, spurious blasphemy claims have been used as justification for killing more than 120 Christians.
CLAAS continues to call for the repeal of the blasphemy laws on the grounds that they divide Pakistani society and encourage hatred and violence against minorities. International Human Rights Day was an opportunity to remember that human rights are universal. They apply to all people wherever they are. The Pakistani government should remember that human rights belong to people and not to politics.
