11/21/2018 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has demanded that the U.S. Government cut off all aid to Pakistan until Asia Bibi, a Christian woman recently acquitted of blasphemy, is allowed to leave the country. Writing for Breitbart on Tuesday, Senator Paul said, “I’ve made it a personal mission of mine in office to stop the United States from funding or being allied with places that persecute Christians.”
The senator went on to call on President Trump “to personally intervene and to urge the Pakistani government to release Asia Bibi to the United States,” and has “introduced legislation to directly go after Pakistan’s foreign aid and turn up the pressure on them.”
On October 31, Pakistan’s Supreme Court announced that Bibi was acquitted of the blasphemy conviction that had placed her on death row since 2010. This announcement was met with three days of protest by Pakistan’s hardliners who demanded Bibi be killed and were able to bring the country to a standstill.
Bibi, and the blasphemy charges against her, remains one of the most charged religious issues in the country. Human rights advocates claim the Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws are often abused to settle personal scores and incite religious hatred. These advocates claim that Bibi is just one of thousands of innocent victims who have suffered false accusations under the blasphemy laws.
Since her acquittal, Bibi has reportedly remained in Pakistan. Earlier this month, Bibi was moved from prison to a secure government facility near Islamabad. While many countries continue to offer Bibi and her family asylum, Pakistan has kept the family in the country. Many fear the longer Bibi remains in Pakistan the higher the chances are that she will be murdered.
For interviews with William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org.
