Pakistan to Execute Christian Mother of Four for ‘Blasphemy’
ICC Note
“It’s deeply disturbing to hear that someone will be executed for allegedly making ‘blasphemous’ remarks against Muhammad.”
Washington, D.C. (November 9, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on November 7, a court in Pakistan sentenced a Christian mother of four to death for ‘blasphemy’ in Punjab province.
Asia Bibi has been imprisoned since June 19, 2009 for allegedly making derogatory statements about the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
On June 14, 2009, Asia Bibi was working on a farm with her Muslim colleagues when a discussion about Christianity and Islam arose. During the conversation, the Muslims accused Asia of insulting the prophet Muhammad and beat her.
On June 19, other Muslim villagers ruthlessly assaulted Asia. When the police arrived, they arrested Asia and registered a blasphemy case against her.
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws stipulate that defaming the Islamic prophet Muhammad punishable by death or life imprisonment. Muslim radicals have used the law to repeatedly incite violence against Christians, other religious minorities and even Muslims. In August 2009, a Muslim mob killed 11 Christians following a false allegation of the desecration of the Qur’an in Gorja, Pakistan. According to the State Department’s report on International Religious Freedom, 25 Ahmadis and 17 Muslims were arrested in 2008 alone, for allegedly violating the blasphemy laws.
ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said “It’s deeply disturbing to hear that someone will be executed for allegedly making ‘blasphemous’ remarks against Muhammad. We are very concerned for Asia and her family. By sentencing her to death, Pakistan has once again demonstrated that it’s intolerance of religious minorities.”
Please contact the Pakistani embassy in your countries and politely ask the Pakistani officials to release Asia Bibi.
Pakistani Embassies:
USA: (202) 243-3254 (Phone), (202) 686-1534(Fax)
Canada: (613) 238-7881 (Phone), (613) 238-7298 (Fax)
UK: 0870-005-6967 (Phone)
