Since the aftermath of Salman Taseer's assassination has firmly established the wild popularity of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, perhaps it is to be expected that they will see even more use. The blasphemy bandwagon has become a popular place to see and be seen.
"Blasphemy allegations: Another Christian family on the run," from the Express Tribune, January 15:
LAHORE: Two Christian women were beaten and publically humiliated by an angry mob over apparently frivolous blasphemy allegations and they and their family are now in hiding for fear of being killed, The Express Tribune has learnt.
"None of our relatives is ready to let us stay with them. They fear the wrath of the extremists, particularly after the assassination of Salmaan Taseer," a male member of the family said over the phone from an undisclosed location.
The family and a non-governmental organisation that is helping them asked that their identities not be revealed, lest it put them in further danger. The names mentioned here are fictitious.
According to the family, the allegations stem from a dispute between Amina, a Muslim, and her sister-in-law Zahira, a Christian, in an East Lahore locality. The two got into an argument on Tuesday night and though it appeared to have been settled, on Wednesday morning, after her husband Zahid had gone to work, Amina walked out onto the street and started shouting that Zahira had abused the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
A short while later, a group of men led by Muhammad Sameer, a member of a religious organisation keen on raising its sectarian profile, forced their way into the house and started slapping Zahira, said another of her brothers, Sohail. "Other men and women from the neighbourhood started gathering at the house too and they beat up my sister and mother. They were the only people in the house," he said.
"We tried our best to get her to confess her crime," Sameer told The Express Tribune. As a member of the religious organisation, he said he could not tolerate any derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
Sameer added that he was very proud of his wife's performance during the mob beating. "She beat Zahira more than anyone else. Her hand is so swollen that she hasn't been able to make rotis since the day of the incident. I've been getting my meals from a restaurant," he said.
This is the non sence of Islamic way of living, can we creat a christian sharia law and kill everyone who talk bad about christian or the church, what is this, where is the free world, where is Mr. Obama and his goverment, do they know about this, are these people misunderstanding Islam. We should do something, can we take the goverment of Egypt, Pakistan and Iraq to world court of justice? just a question.
""We should do something, can we take the goverment of Egypt, Pakistan and Iraq to world court of justice?""
No, because ...who is the responsable of these actions?... the responsability of these actions can not fell on the pakistani population. In other words you can not bring such a large populations to a world court of justice.
How come that Islam is the only religion which is always "misunderstood" with fatal consequences?
I am sick of this. I say we get India to take in all the hindus and christians in pakistan, then let someone stuxnet their nukes and let China or Russia take that moral shithole of an excuse for a country. China or Russia won't have any qualms at all about what to do with all those jihadi sypathisers and priests.
I have made repeated requests for pakistani observers of these blogs to take time out from pimping out english pre teens to make available one single provably true positive story about pakistan from it's entire history that has appeared in a reliable press outlet and they have not been able to come thru.
Partition was a catastrophy and has brought nothing but suffering to the people of India, Kashmir and Afganistan. As far a the people of pakistan are concearned - if 50,000 of them can so easily come together to support the oppression of non muslims (which is what they know the anti blasphemy laws are really about) then I don't care at all what happens to them any more. If their own government can't do anthing to prevent such displays of intolerance then as far as I am concearned it doesn't exist.
I know I am not the king of the world and my opinions and suggestions don't add up to a hill of beans. I am just an average American who believes in the freedom of speach and equal rights for all. I am just one of millions of westerners who have read about Pakistan for years and I doubt my conclusions are that different from anyone elses.
Nice to see that Sharia is good for the restaurant business...
Please stop insulting shitholes by comparing them to Islamic countries.
Thanks.
No doubt the gerbilteas and defendersofislam of this world will claim that such behavior is nothing to do with Islam. But of course it is.
What other religion in the world today has adherents who beat up their neighbors because they have, allegedly, insulted a prophet or holy figure? Absolutely none. Only islam.
Clowns!
A funny thought: If China or Russia should invade pakistan not one single anti war activist will make so much as a peep in protest. Not one. Those people's morals are only ever offended when America is involved.
And no foreign jihadis will go to Pakistan's defence either as Saudi Arabia doesn't give a crap where Pakistan is concearned and Iran doesn't want to be in conflict with Russia or China. No one will support jihadis as they will be afraid of creating another Taliban/Al Quida. And the fact is is that theres just no provable benifit for anyone to assist them should such a thing happen.
I can't be the only person who's come to that conlcusion. I am sure there have been similar deducitons in Moscow and Beijing...
Have you noticed that Gerbil sounds a lot like Goebbels (often pronounced "gerbils")? I suspect that is why that guy chose that screename - and added "tea" to be all tricksy. It is funny but not very. It's right in line with the sort of "almost smart" we see all the time from jihadi propogandists.
A few posters have talked about leaving Pakistan to China or Russia to deal with it as they see fit. Actually, Russia will have nothing to do with Pakistan, embroiled as Russia is with its own problems with Islamic terrorism.
China, on the other hand, is Pakistan's trump card, as they have strong political, economic and defense ties and form an axis against India. China has built a modern port at Gwadar that allows its ships and Navy, a strategic presence in the Arabian sea. China already owns the Saindak copper mines in Balochistan and is now eying the giant new Reko Diq gold and copper mine in the same province. To ensure logistics, China is not only extending, upgrading and modernising the Karakorum Highway, to connect Gwadar to Tibet, but also constructing the Gwadar-Dalbandi Railway. China is so important, that Musharraf risked the wrath of the mullahs and Al-Qaeda by launching the Lal Masjid operation in 2007, after 7 Chinese citizens had been kidnapped and held in that Masjid.
So, China, working closely with the Pakistani establishment, especially the army, is already, albeit quietly, in the driver's seat in Pakistan and has a clear stake in Pakistan's security and stability. When some of us wonder why the ISAF doesn't simply over-run Pakistan, its Chinese connection is as much a factor as its nukes.
This kind of behavior 'is' Islam...Islam continuously subjects us to ugly...The exact opposite of the song lyrics below...
'Lovely to look at, delightful to know
And heaven to kiss
A combination like this
Is quite my most impossible scheme come true
Imagine finding a dream like you
You're lovely to look at
It's thrilling to hold you terribly tight
For we're together, the moon is new
And, oh, it's lovely to look at you tonight'
There is nothing lovely about it...
A Christian Zion. South Sudan.
If you like the idea, leave a message here:
http://www.nodhimmitude.blogspot.com/
How convenient..
Have a dispute with someone, over anything, and all you have to do to exact revenge is to tell a few people that your opponent " Blasphemed Islam ", or " Abused the Prophet ".
And whether or not you confess to those awful " crimes ", you get beaten to a bloody pulp, or you can lose your life.
Some justice...
Only a savage so-called religion like Islam could think that beating an innocent peasant to a pulp would protect the spiritual sanctity of their prophet.
I = insane
S = savage
L = lunatic
A = anachronistic
M = malevolent
Before 9/11, if any one had told me that in 2010 Islam will be taken seriously by our politicians I would have lost everything on that bet. Soon after 9/11, I thought some Islamists had committed suicide and their native countries will have to pay the price big time. I trusted Bush to clean-up the swamps in Afghanstan and Pakistan. I thought our guys and gals did a great job. We threw Talibans out of Afganstan within three weeks. We were on the role.
How did we come from there to here. We are negotiating peace with the rag-toes which were eliminated a decade ago from Afgansatn. Pakies, the most despicable nation in the World, had lied to us year after year for at least forty plus years. We didn't believe them, but followed what they said. In addition we gave them money and keep on giving them more by the truck load. They hate us nevertheless. Why should we care if they hate us? I don't want a nickel to be given to Pakies. They are the pits.
If we want a better world and a safer future for us and our children, lets STOP all immigration from Islamic countries. They are terrorists and we know they hate us and our way of life. They want to impose their backward traditions onto the modern world by threats. I don't want that. I don't want my hard earned $ to spent on Afganstan and Pakistan.
The political correctness in the west is essentially the same. The only difference in punishment? The beatings
Try telling an ugly truth about some "minority" group and if they retaliate, then it's your fault because you're the "majority" and you are the only one who's racist.
Majority? Minority? In most cities - larger cities - it's the classified minority who is actually the majority in numbers. In either case, whats RACE got to do with Religion anyway. I don't think middle easterners are bad. I think that ISLAM is evil. Although, I really classify Islam as a theocracy. It's a POLITIC, a LAW, a Culture, and LASTLY a Religion. One can't separate any part of that, so it's Religious in one fifth of it's WAY of LIFE and so if one accepts ISLAM, one MUST accept the WORLD of ISLAM. Our politicians have told us to Embrace Islam. Are they telling us that they want us to embrace a new LAW? Culture? Politics? and Religion? One can't accept Islam in part.
Are our politicians asking us to EMBRACE this savagery? The west evolved in to a place of higher caliber of living while the EAST -- well, look at the dust ball that it is and you will see your answer. The West has it's deserts to, but the people of the WEST are civilized and value life. They come together and make oasis' out of deserts: California, Nevada, Arizona, Israel, Canada (cold desert), Alaska, and I could go on. YET the middle east remains hollow and dark, dusty. Just like her tyrannical "RELIGION"
Savages - Barbarians (Islam provided that term too.)
"Other men and women from the neighbourhood started gathering at the house too and they beat up my sister and mother."
The Porkies never fail to spotlight the islamic family values. These values are so admired by Dinesh oSouza. This is a moderate islamic block party. No need to have a potluck lunch, silly games, and music you just need to kick and punch out the local kaffur for any alleged slights to their pedophile prophet.
Russia and china would be out of their minds to invade and occupy Porkiestan, who wants to rule a bunch of bloodthirsty islamic savages? don't they have their own islamic bloodthirsty savages to contend with?
"If we want a better world and a safer future for us and our children, lets STOP all immigration from Islamic countries. "
BlueRaven,
The problem with preventing immigration from all Muslim countries is that these countries often have industrious, educated, peaceful, non-Muslim minorities who need to get out. Are we going to shut down immigration from Iraqi Christians who are coming under increasing terrorist threat in their own country?
Furthermore, India is composed of largely peaceful, tolerant, and productive Hindus, but has a substantial Muslim minority. Would we be better off blocking immigration of Pakistani Christians, but allowing immigration of Indian Muslims?
There is no shortcut to explicitly recognizing the connection between Islam and terrorism, and explicitly blocking the immigration of most Muslims. If a Muslim wants to come to the US, they can always convert or renounce Islam. Of course, US immigration laws already contain the provision that anyone who lied on his application can be stripped of his citizenship and deported.
All naturalized citizens must swear to protect and defend the constitution. Some Muslims interpret that to mean that they can advocate Sharia law, as long as they bring it peacefully, through constitutional means.
In my opinion, advocating a religious government is totally opposed to the constitution. An advocate of even peaceful Sharia is not supporting the constitution in any way, shape, or means. The application for citizenship must contain a provision that the applicant does not advocate a change of government, and that if he does so anytime in the future, he will be deemed to have lied on his original application.
Slamdunk,
I appreciate the information you included in your post. I love posts that give me information.
Are you saying that the US should stop trying to influence Pakistan and leave it to China? If so, I tend to agree. Our real interests are with India. It is also obvious to all that the real refuge for the Taliban and Al-Qaeda is Pakistan.
Perhaps China can keep a lid on the Islamists in Pakistan. China, of course, has its own problems with its Muslim minority. I would much prefer for Chinese soldiers to be embroiled in the Afghanistan-Pakistan meat grinder than US soldiers. I doubt very much that the US has any abiding interest in either Pakistan or Afghanistan, other than to prevent Pakistan from exporting or using nuclear weapons.
We should recall that although the 9-11 attack was authorized from Afghanistan, it's operation actually centered in Germany. Also, most of the attackers entered the US and remained in the US illegally, through criminally lax enforcement of the immigration laws. My point is that our real protection from Islamic attacks comes from internal security, rather than foreign adventures.
Pakistan has gone batshit crazy ! It would be funny were it not for the plight of the minorities trapped in that hell hole and the fact that these bums have nukes ..
Any fraction of Islam is not a religion but a 'cult'. If it was defined as a cult, we have protection against that. Islam is like a viral-cult. That means it penetrated our politicians brain-cells. It will try to destroy what we built over hundreds of years and claim it to be its achievements. I am not joking.
Obama said that in Egypt during his visit about two year ago. Obama has deliberately forced some of our institutions to accept Islam, for instance before he took the Office, he called the head of NASA (Charles Bolden) and told him he want MoSlums in the key areas to run the show and make them feel they have contributed to science and technology. Obama also wanted much more engagement with dominantly Muslim nations.
The NASA were really concerned about his dictates. The main problem with the Islamic world is they have produced nothing of a value that is needed in the West - oil is not a product thought by the MoSlums, it is God sent. It is the western world who put the oil to a very good use. Some of the best scientists and engineers around the world come from non-Islamic countries, such as Russia, Israel, China, India, Germany, UK......
The stealth Jihad is active- it is proceeding with the viral-cult.
Pakistan is the big brother bully of the global jihad because it (openly) has the nukes. They know it can flex it's muscle, giving the world a taste of what is to come, and no other countries will be quick to truly condemn Pakistan or take any action for fear of nuclear distributions. U.S. leaders throw millions of dollars at Pakistan thinking we are buying political alliance. In reality, that money is helping fund global jihad and is simply jizya (non-Muslim tax/plunder). All the money and troops we send to Sharia-submitted countries should instead be used to fortify the U.S. as a Sharia-free zone.
What a refreshing story of islamic devotion. Hubby is so proud that wifey beat the shit out of their Christian neighbor-lady (her sister-in-law, no less). He's even giving her a pass on meals, what with her injured hand from all that pummeling. What a guy! And all the neighbors joined the fun and they even slapped mom around, just for good measure. And the raw courage: "OK, the man has left, now we can break-in and get the women!" Your islamic "Neighborhood Watch" in action. Yes, another heartwarming exercise in islamic humanity--coming soon to a neighborhood near you...
Ronald, my comments are aimed at MoSlums and Islam. I think either we amend our laws so we have the possibility to slam anyone in jail who is proven to be scheming to rid the Constitution by any means. I agree with you on that. I know there are plenty xtreme-left and right wing nut jobs want to do that, however they get slammed. They do not have several millions of followers all over the world.
Islam is different and currently difficult. It has lots of support from the very top, Obama. It is seen by the Obama admin as a benign culture and religion. I don't believe Obama is dumb that he dosn't know what Islam is all about. He lived as a MoSlum for several years. I think being black, he somehow finds an affinity with the Islamic world therefore it is in some sense racism. Islamic world preaches not much different to some black people preaches in the 60s about us. The black people had a real reason - there was racism against them back then. We got rid of that. The constitution protects them.
Unfortunately, it also protects the viral-cults such as Islam. We need to implement laws to make the constitution robust and so it could not be infected by Islam or any other similar ideologies.
MoSlums ALWAYS play the victim card, in the same breath, they victimize the others in a heart beat. They are racists, fascists and the rest. There are abundant of evidence about that all over the World in any majority Islamic country. That aint going to change unless we fight against it.
Good point about China and Pakistan, Slamdunk. It all goes to show that politics makes strange bedfellows, given Communist China's own treatment of its Muslim minorities over the years. Perhaps the Chinese talent for being low-key (and America's talent for taking the high profile was probably one of its fatal weaknesses throughout the Cold War) will keep it out of trouble with the volatile Pakistani street for a while.
However, I believe that as information becomes easier to get for all and sundry, including information that authorities don't want the masses to get, the Pakistani street is going to discover an instinctive sympathy for Eastern Turkistan, and a very "problematic" relationship between Beijing and Islamabad will evolve.
Perfect.
Reference is constantly made to 'moderate' Muslims living in the West. When are these so-called 'moderates' going to demonstrate outside of the embassies of Islamic countries where followers of religions other than Islam are oppressed and subjected abuse and violence and even killed. Perhaps, for a start, those friendly moderate Muslims who want to build the ground zero mosque could be persuaded to demonstrate outside the embassies of Egypt, Sudan, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Come on moderates, show us Islam really is a religion of peace.
RonaldB, China is too smart to meddle in Pakistan's Islamic anarchy, or to raise its profile unnecessarily, when it can get all it wants by quietly working behind the scenes. This arrangement also allows China to encircle India, with the help of a country that is congenitally hostile to India. So it's a cozy twosome.
While it is tempting to suggest that the West get out of AfPak and let the Islamists stew in their hellholes, it is really a short term perspective, because, like the ghetto, you can get out of Islamic lands, but the Islamists are not going to let go of you, because of their doctrine of Jihad. We can continue to expect attacks on the West, on some pretext or the other, regardless of what the West does as a matter of perceived appeasement. Strengthening internal security is essential, but, as the adage goes, offense is the best form of defense. This Jihadic super-cluster in Pakistan has to be engaged in its lair and all efforts made to weaken and neutralise it. The two big mistakes in the war against terror were not chasing the Al Qaeda and Taliban into Pakistan in November 2001, when the going was good and opening a completely unnecessary, unpopular and hugely expensive new front in Iraq.
I for one believe that the ISAF has, of late, been doing a great job in Afghanistan, now that the focus is back on fighting the enemy rather on reconstructing Afghanistan. Islam respects power and the Jihadis will be subdued, at least for some time, if the West can demonstrate the ability to punish them decisively for what they did on 9/11.
Hi Kepha, no question about it - it's only a matter of time, before full fledged Jihad reaches China from within (Uighurs) and without. But the Chinese handle these things, or at least control the information, better. I think China is making a strategic mistake by its support to and involvement with Pakistan against India, which currently serves as the only bulwark against the spread of Islam in Asia and China. But they seem to be taking a short-term view, probably because, as Keynes said, in the long term we are all dead!