Cruel blasphemy law
OP - September 28, 2016, 09:29 PM
Atheists, non-muslims and freethinkers living in 13 countries risk being condemned to death, just for their beliefs (or non-belief) according to a new, comprehensive report from the International Humanist and Ethical Union. All these are Muslim majority countries.
The countries that impose these penalties are Afghanistan, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Those countries all allow for capital punishment against apostasy, i.e., the renunciation of a particular religion. Pakistan, meanwhile, imposes the death penalty for blasphemy, which can obviously include disbelief in God.
MISUSE OF BLASPHEMY LAW IN PAKISTAN
Ever since the Blasphemy Law was amended twice by the military rule headed by Gen. Zia ul Haq as the President of Pakistan, there has been serious controversy during lasting more than three decades. The Pakistan Penal Code (previously known as Indian Penal Code) was framed and enforced by the British during their colonial rule. Chapter XV of the Code contained sections 295 to 298 that related to offences against religion. After the amendments in 1982 and 1986, sections 295-B, 295-C, 298-A, 298-B and 298-C were introduced. The Section 295-B introduced punishment for life for ‘wilfully defiling, damaging or desecrating holy Quran’. The Section 295-C introduced death punishment for using derogatory remarks against the Prophet. The wordings of this new provision are worth mentioning. It says, “Whosoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or life imprisonment and shall also be liable to fine”. It may be mentioned here that the Federal Sharia Court was introduced through constitutional amendment in 1980 vie Presidential Order 1 of 1980. This Court declared punishment of life imprisonment as un-Islamic and retained only death punishment for committing blasphemy against the Prophet. Therefore, the law stands amended carrying capital punishment for blasphemy against the Prophet. The rest of the amendments are Ahmadis specific who were declared ‘Not Muslims’ by the constitutional amendment through Act no. XLIX of 1974 introduced during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto government. These amendments were introduced by un elected hand-picked members of the ‘Majlis e Shoora’ (Parliament) during the Gen. Zia period. There was no debate at all in the parliament or outside the parliament. The blasphemy law as it stands today in Pakistan is a flawed and has vague legislation. Many innocent persons have been charged under false allegations for settling personal scores, professional rivalry, land grabbing and of course for religious persecution. It is reported that till 1953 there had been only seven cases of blasphemy but soon the law was amended then there was a series of cases that were reported. This actually demonstrates the influence of the religious bogey that emerged as a force in the political arena of national politics in Pakistan. These Islamist promoted socio-religious intolerance which has now grown beyond proportions. The Jihadi elements (religious militants) are now established along with their terror centers. The whole society is now a hostage in their hands. They have challenged the writ of the State and are against state organs including the judiciary. They are against a democratic order. They are against women and religious minorities. They declare to impose Islamic Shariah in the society and state affairs. They take the law in their own hands and assert to punish the alleged blasphemer themselves as a mandate of Shariah. They have extra-judicially killed at least 52 persons; among them were 25 Muslims, 15 Christians, 5 Ahmadis, one Buddhist and one Hindu. The reported cases of blasphemy exceed the number of one thousand who were charged under the law. In some cases the accused, who were acquitted by superior courts, were sentenced to death. Many are languishing in jails. In the resultant situation, anyone who is alleged against for blasphemy is doomed. The process of law and court stands influenced by them. These religious zealots pose a threat to courts and the lawyers who defend cases of victims under the blasphemy law. The conservative Islamist and ‘jihadi’ forces rely on ‘Ahadiths’ relating to ‘Sunnah’ (the acts and omissions of Prophet Muhammad). They argue that Sunnah is equally an important source of Islamic jury prudence. The religious militants have committed mob attacks and killed people and lynched houses. Christian colonies were ransacked by mobs of Islamist and lynched persons and property.
Recent two blasphemy law victims are one Pakistani Nabeel Masih a 16 year old Christian boy has been arrested and charged under section 295/295A for the crime of liking a picture of the Kaaba. And other victim is 56 years old Nahed Hattar a Jordanian writer and Christian-turned-atheist was assassinated in the capital city of Amman, apparently in response to posting a cartoon on facebook. Rather than letting him have a trial, a muslim shot him dead on the courthouse stairs. Don’t forget how peaceful Islam is.
The blasphemy law and its punishments are based on Islamic Shariah. The Shariah belongs to Muslims and therefore must not be imposed on those who do not follow to it. This blasphemy law attacks the fundamental right to profess and practice religion by non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan. Therefore, it needs to be seriously examined from this angle. This law on blasphemy has, instead of delivering justice, promoted injustice. Cultural relativism is the principle that an individual person’s beliefs and activities should be understood by others but unfortunately it is not like this among Muslims. They are not ready to give us our rights. They want to tie us with their so-called religious values & they want to impose it on us. We don’t encourage it because every person has their own choice to spend their life in their own way. It’s his basic right weather he spend his life with religion or without religion. If he spend his life with religion then he has right to choose the specific religion. But sadly Muslims consider only Islam is the true religion, Islam is the prior one. They don’t allow others to cross the edge of Islam. We are against this attitude.
.
Topic: Cruel blasphemy law