Christians Hold Demonstration in Support of Asia Bibi in Pakistan
ICC Note
“There are no Christian organizations in Pakistan that can dare to stage a demonstration in support of Asia, so we have decided to begin a movement here.”
By John Malhotra
02/22/2011 India (Christian Today)-Joining the international community in condemning the death sentence of Asia Bibi, hundreds of Christians on Saturday took part in a demonstration at Attari in Punjab.
Organised by the Christian Front Punjab (CFP), the protesters assembled at the Indo-Pak international border demanding the Pakistan government to release Bibi who was sentenced to death for alleged “blasphemy”.
A resident of Ittanwalai village, Bibi, was arrested in June 2009 and charged with blasphemy after she engaged in a religious discussion with co-workers.
Bibi was later prosecuted under Section 295 B and C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries a mandatory death penalty.
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In a memorandum, the Christian Front Punjab appealed to the Pakistan government to repeal the country’s blasphemy laws which they alleged were being used against religious minorities.
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Asia Bibi is the first Christian woman in Pakistan to be handed the death sentence.
An investigation by the National Commission on the Status of Women has however revealed that the case was filed under pressure from influential people and is based on settling personal scores.
Sources say thousands of cases of blasphemy have been reported in Pakistan in the past 15 years.
“There are no Christian organizations in Pakistan that can dare to stage a demonstration in support of Asia, so we have decided to begin a movement here,” said CFP president Lawrence Chaudhary, as reported by the Times of India.
Last month, the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province was killed by his bodyguard for his opposition to blasphemy laws and his support for Asia Bibi.
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