Death is the traditional penalty for blasphemy, as well as the current penalty in Pakistani law. Such laws are frequently used against Christians and other religious minorities there -- which is why State ought to make their repeal the price of friendship with the United States. From AP, "Militants threaten Christian man in Pakistan after his acquittal in blasphemy case," with thanks to Susan:
Anwar Masih, 28, received the threats from Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, in the eastern city of Lahore, said Joseph Francis, coordinator with the Center for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, a Christian rights group.Last month a court exonerated Masih of the charge that he had insulted Islam and ordered the man to be freed, Francis said.
Masih had been arrested in July after a Christian convert to Islam allegedly reported to police that Masih insulted his Islamic beard.
On Thursday, Francis said Masih was in hiding and his life was in danger.
"The people from the militant organization frequently visit his family and demand that he (Masih) be handed over to them," he said.
Under Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws, insulting Islam or its prophet Muhammad is an offense and the offender can be punished by death.
Local and international human right groups and Christian right activists in Pakistan have demanded that the country's blasphemy laws be scrapped. They say the laws have been abused to prosecute Christians, who are a minority in Pakistan.
Hundreds of people are believed to be in jail in Pakistan under the blasphemy laws, most of them Christians.
Must be a barrel of laughs living in a pseudo Islamic nation such as Pakistan.
What do you expect from a authoritarian state coddled by the only superpower, and probably holding onto Osama not bin Laiden awhile.
Pakistan is nuclear bootlegger. Puke-istani nukes and tech have found their way into hellholes like N Korea and Iran and puke-istan's received funding from other hellholes like Saudi.
O No! Its not over yet! Not by a long shot. puke-istan's impressive cv continues to amaze....
Puke-istan's also served long as America's prostitute in a volatile region bordering Afghanistan and central asia. But given president Bush's latest 'resolve' to champion democracy throughout the world, maybe pakistan can be a good starting point. I read somewhere that the 15th Marine expeditionary force is on alert in some Indian ocean base waiting to move in and 'secure' paki nukes in case Washington's man in islamabad is overthrown. May that day come soon!
This would be a great thing to promote for the Pakistani tourist industry. After all Pakistan wan't to develope doesn't it?
"Come to friendly Pakistan, the ultimate extreme sport destination. For the ultimate thrill insult our beards and you die, and if you don't insult our beards then you must run for your life. After a hurried run through the markets to the hotel you can get to watch the mob screaming for your head from the comfort of you own room. Then next you will be taken on a exotic secret mystery tour to meet the locals where you can be shown exotic religious customs while you detox and loose all the kilo's. Then after mixing with the locals you can beg for even more generous islamist hospitality. If you die imagine the money you will save for the return trip. Why go to the decadent west when you can have all this!!!!!"
Isn't there something that they say? Like, "The friend of my enemy is my--" ah--never mind, we don't want to step on any toes, do we?
They seek him here, they seek him there, those Pakis seek him everywhere, is he in the tribal lands or in Afghanistan, that demned elusive Osama-man.
More from Pakistan, the land of the "pure"
Christian Family Abducted, Humiliated and Beaten In Revenge for Wife's Integrity
http://www.barnabasfund.org/News/Archive/Pakistan/Pakistan-20050128.htm
Pakistan's Christians, along with those in Indonesia, are the most oppressed people in the world.
I have always taken it as understood, that when people protest about their oppression, there is a modicum of freedom for them to do that. In the case of Christians in Pakistan and Indonesia, there is just silence. The oppression is so severe that they are too afraid to protest. It is only in the last two years that Barnabus Fund has started to highlight the sheer brutality of that oppression. Look at the pictures and what you see is an abject defeated people, a people whose spirit has been broken. There is a reason for this persecution. It is to make the Christians turn to islam as a way out of their misery.
And what have we done? We in the West have donated $10b for aid, mostly marked for Indonesia. And as expected, corruption has started to take its cut. Moreover the Indonesian government stands accused of exaggerating the number of victims, to attract aid.
OK, fine. But what really galls me is that Indonesians, 90% of whom are muslims, will discriminate against Christians when giving out any leftovers of the aid money. And another - why do we take in muslims into the West, who are quite likely to take up the jihad, when we can do far greater good, by offering shelter and safety to a far more persecuted group.
If you donate, please consider giving to organisations such as the Barnabus Fund. This organisation helps Christians in muslim nations- a needy group, if ever there was one.
I would endorse the comments by DP111 about the Barnabus Fund. Their monthly, downloadable news sheet is balanced and prayerful and (I hope) effective.
The comment by Obl r us about the Pakistani Tourist industry caught my interest. About 20 years ago a Pakistani colleague went to visit his family and sent me a postcard of St Patrick's Cathedral in Karachi. Wondering whether it was still standing I did a google search. PIA (Pakistan Airlines) show a photo as one of the places of interest, above a camel ride on Clifton Beach, a mausoleum and some tombs.
I'm not tempted.
It is interesting that Pakistanis in England object to pubs being opened near mosques.
It says in the bible:
"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be heavy of hearts. Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more."
Proverbs 31, verses 6 & 7. King James Version
So, we are commanded by the bible to allow the depressed and terminally ill to have solace in alcohol, therefore publicans are in fact providing a Christian service. ("Proverbs" also says: ...it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to drink. Lest they drink and forget the law..." however as British princes wear Nazi uniforms these days they probably would not get served anyway.)
So, when the Muslims close pubs they are in fact attacking our religious beliefs. But what do they do in the UK? The authorities play the dhimmi! To hell with British culture and religion - as long as they don't upset the Pakis!
Meanwhile some poor bastard in Pakistan makes some (alleged) comment about a beard, and the next thing you know he's on Karachi’s Death Row.
…………………………..
"The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands. The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in Kings palaces."
Proverbs 30 27-28