Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are the occasion for numerous human rights abuses, as Muslims often use them against non-Muslims to settle scores, seize property, etc. But the global “human rights community” remains largely indifferent. After all, it isn’t as if these people were victims of something serious like “Islamophobia”!
“Pakistani Christian gets death in blasphemy case,” from the Associated Press, March 27 (thanks to all who sent this in):
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — The lawyer for a Pakistani Christian man accused of blasphemy says his client has been convicted and sentenced to death in a case that sparked a riot through a Christian neighborhood last year.
Sawan Masih’s lawyer, Naeem Shakir, says a judge in the eastern city of Lahore announced the verdict on Thursday. Shakir said he would appeal.
The incident took place on March 7 last year. A young Muslim man accused Masih of maligning the Prophet Muhammed, a serious accusation in a country where blasphemy can be punished by life in prison or death.
Following the accusation, a mob ransacked the Christian neighborhood.
Crowds have been known to take the law into their own hands over blasphemy accusations. Once an accusation is made it is extremely difficult to reverse.
big mess says
I wish we could (pretend to) put Pakistanis on death row for maligning Jesus or Buddha but they’re just TOO THICK to get it.
Diane Harvey says
Here, again, we are offered YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE of why Islam is wholly incompatible with Western values.
An ominous marker of any totalitarian regime is a set of laws under which a citizen, more accurately a subject, can be charged criminally at any time and/or on no basis. Such laws are intended to keep subjects wary and on guard at all times such that no mischief against the state can be generated.
In other words, “peace.” Stated differently, peace to the leftist means no opposition to the state. This explains why defending First Am guarantees is an essential in preserving liberty.
In any totalitarian regime the state is first and foremost, with individuals allowed to exist only to perpetuate the state. In the case of Muslim countries, to perpetuate Islam.
Obedience-through-fright is the objective of these deliberately vague laws. JW readers may recall Section 301 of Turkey’s penal code which criminalizes behavior which “offends Turkishness.”
Here we deal with Pakistan’s infamous Section 295 which criminalizes various forms of “blasphemy.” [Section 295-A forbids outraging religious feelings; Section 295-B forbids defiling the Quran; Section 295-C forbids defaming Muhammad.]
The “basis” used to strip this man of certain civil rights – it would be a real stretch to consider this stratagem of Pakistan as any sort of “law” within Western understandings – is cut from the same cloth.
In American jurisprudence such laws would be stuck unconstitutional under the due process clauses of either the 5th Am. (for federal behavior) or the 14th Am. (for state behavior) on the basis that these laws are void for vagueness.
The void-for-vagueness doctrine supports accepted American social policies. {ASIDE: Bear in mind that in the American tradition federal and state constitutions are designed so that the people control their governments. That governments are increasingly and deliberately misreading constitutions (as in “war is peace” or “we’re going to strip search you before traveling for your own protection”) in order to assert more and more power over the people is a clear perversion of the original design.}
First, the void-for-vagueness doctrine encourages the government to clearly distinguish conduct that is lawful from that which is unlawful. Under the due process clauses, individuals must be given adequate notice of their legal obligations so they can govern their behavior accordingly. When individuals are left uncertain by the wording of an imprecise statute, criminal law can become a standard-less trap for the unwary.
Stephen Poole says
… You worry too much/stay up too late … Unless you’re writin’ A Book … OX …
Defcon 4 says
@Poole
You need to drink a big glass of STFU.
gravenimage says
Stephen Poole wrote:
… You worry too much/stay up too late … Unless you’re writin’ A Book … OX …
……………………………
How can you sneer at what Diane wrote? She is quite right—this is exactly the basis on which this victim was sentenced to death in Pakistan.
v josh says
Islam is totally incompatible with human values.
mortimer says
Any aid to Pakistan must be linked to progress in human rights, especially to the removal of the blasphemy laws.
Guy Macher says
Since I know Mohamed to be a pervert and criminal; that Islam is the doctrine of evil; that Allah is another name for Satan; that the Koran is tedious stupid historically scientifically and theologically pure bunk; that Muslim barrows are barbarians of the first water; I guess I should never go to the shit hole called Pakiland!
Veracious_one says
The Muslims will still kill him even if he wins his appeal and is released…dead man walking…
surprise Endings says
This has gone too far. What can I do to help this Christian man — aside from praying ? I feel helpless as I watch this demonic death cult destroy lives.
ibn Muslim says
Surely you can pray. But Allah will not help those who defame prophet Muhammad.
Wayne says
We’d be praying to the true God, not “al’lah”, the lying demon, destined for the lake of fire with his followers. We’ll pray for this Christian martyr, and for the conversion of his Muslim murderers.
GCR says
Of course Allah will not help those who defame Mohammad. After all, Allah, the one that said ‘I will be as the most High’, is the arch enemy of God. And the beloved ‘example for all mankind’ has the sole purpose is to try and help Allah ‘become as the most High’.
But we know how it will end….there is a timeline…
gravenimage says
ibn Muslim wrote:
Surely you can pray. But Allah will not help those who defame prophet Muhammad.
…………………………….
A glimpse into the sickening mind-set of the pious Muslim.
What are the chances that this victim really “defamed the prophet Muhammad”, in any case? Chances are his only ‘insult’ was in remaining a Christian, and not converting to Islam.
Peter Buckley says
It’s in the Quran:
“Verily, those who malign Allah and His Messenger — Allah has cursed them in this world and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them an abasing punishment…….” (33:58-59)
Steffen Larsen says
The Lahore riots occasioned this iconic picture, one of the most telling from recent years.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/-VjgtpVaBEJE/UTvpPjsrFWI/AAAAAAAAXF8/XXhW6ymR27w/s1600-h/Muslims%252520desecrate%252520Church%252520Lahore%25252C%252520Pakistan%2525203-9-13%25255B3%25255D.jpg
tpellow says
Supplementary.
“Blasphemy death sentence for Christian road sweeper in Pakistan”
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/blasphemy.death.sentence.for.christian.road.sweeper.in.pakistan/36416.htm
Salah says
“Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven.” Matthew 5:11
Smart guy says
Martydom is a prelude to war and only after the war does religious freedom come. The “Irish massacre” of 1643 was the prelude to the English
Civil War between the Royalists and the Roundheads. Catholic Spain was
defeated in 1588 by the English Navy. Spain was the world power at the time. This led to the rise of England as the next world power. As the British Empire spead across the world so has the Protestant religion which won the English Civil War. As the British Empire crumples and disappears so will religious freedom. Freemasons hate Christianity, Rothschild is a Freemason. The KKK was the work of the Freemasons and the burning cross symbolized that hatred. Albert Pike was a clansman and a Mason.
Yet stupid Christians elect Freemasons to Congress, ignorance is not bliss,
and stupid so called Christians join churches established by masons, such as the Mormons, or Jehovah’s Witnesses, or seventh Day, the leaders of such churches are possesed by demons or there is a 10 ft pyramid next to their grave site, Pastor Taze Russell, Watchtower, Jehovah’s Witnesses.!!!
Mormons where craft symbols on their underwear !!!
CaoMoo says
Yeah some of that info might be out of date.
At one time Russel had an idea about the pyramids. But that was quickly abandoned as why would a pagan monument have anything to do with biblical prophecy. Witnesses at one time also used the cross and celebrated christmas haloween etc but no longer do due to the origins of said holidays. There’s is not a static doctrine but one that is continually refined. Couldn’t find Mason links to Russel or Current day witnesses or there teachings at all.
I once studied with 7th day adventist don’t recall anything about masonic traditions or teachings there either. I was young but I’ll look into it again.
Certainly neither group has any similiarities to the KKK or ever did.
gravenimage says
Why is “Smart Guy” ranting about the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists?
*These* aren’t the people executing Christians for “blasphemy”.
Walter Sieruk says
As stated before , the only real reason the so many Muslim countries have “blasphemy laws” in the first place is because the foundations and doctrines of Islam are so weak that they can’t stand up to or hold up to criticism.
citycat says
In Islam’s case blasphemy is as a tool weapon against Islam’s war on freedom.
Islam is rigid in it’s purpose to conquer mankind.
Blasphemy hurled at this tyranny can be only for the benefit of the evolution of humanity.
It seems that Islam is dependant on expanding and propagating this rigidity.
Nature may allow expansion, but i think rigidity is challenged.
Blaspheme blaspheme
Blaspheme blaspheme
gravenimage says
Pakistan: Christian sentenced to death for maligning Muhammad
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How can we in good conscience continue to bankroll these bloody savages?