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Hugh Fitzgerald: Where Can Asia Bibi Go? (Part One)

Nov 21, 2018 10:00 am By Hugh Fitzgerald

Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman who spent eight years on death row in a Pakistani jail, having been convicted of “blasphemy” on the testimony of Muslims, has at last been freed by a decision of the Pakistani Supreme Court. But her latest ordeal has only just begun, for she cannot possibly live safely in Pakistan, where massive crowds have been calling for her to be executed and where, during this past year, two high officials of the government who had criticized her prosecution were, as a consequence, murdered by Muslim fanatics.

The United Kingdom has refused to offer Bibi asylum, prompted by fears of violence by Muslims. The UK high commissioner in Islamabad is reported to have warned he could not protect his staff if asylum were granted by the UK. This led the Foreign Office, in turn, to ask the Home Office not to grant Asia Bibi’s request. And there was another fear as well. That was the concern that if Bibi were granted asylum by Her Majesty’s Government, Muslims could well riot  in the U.K. itself.

In a demonstration of widespread pusillanimity, no country has yet stepped forward to offer this woman asylum.

So where can Asia Bibi go? There are two places where she just might be safe.

The first is the United States, where she could be offered not just asylum, but a place in the Witness Protection Program. Between 1971 and 2013 (the latest year for which figures are available), that Program has successfully protected 8,500 people (“witnesses”), along with  9,900 family members. The American government is unlikely to be worried about possible Muslim unrest should Asia Bibi be given asylum. While Muslims in the UK make up 5% of the population, in the US they make up only 1%, where, likely as a consequence, they are better behaved. The U.S is also 40 times bigger than the U.K. Should Asia Bibi come here, there’s more room to disappear in, with a government that has a ready network of safe houses, new identities, and, if need be, plastic surgery.

The second place where Asia Bibi should consider requesting  asylum is the Vatican. By doing so, Asia Bibi would be putting the islamophilic Pope Francis on the spot. He who has been insisting that “authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence” would be confronted with the reality of a Christian woman who, living in a Muslim land, falsely accused by Muslim coworkers of blasphemy against Muhammad, was sentenced to death. After spending eight years of her life in prison waiting for that sentence to be carried out, she was finally acquitted by the Pakistani Supreme Court. Two high-ranking Pakistani officials who had criticized the prosecution of Asia Bibi, the Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, and the Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, were both assassinated as a result.

But how could Pope Francis, who has been endlessly critical of the West for not admitting all the migrants who want to be admitted, who has even compared those he calls “populists,” who wish ill to nobody, but only want to be able to control the number and kind of migrants admitted to their own countries, to Hitler, now turn down Asia Bibi? How could he who has insisted that Christ would have welcomed with open arms all those who might have asked him for asylum, no matter what their background or views, now turn down Asia Bibi’s request for asylum? Can he, who has claimed that a failure to welcome migrants is “rooted ultimately in self-centeredness and amplified by populist rhetoric,” now reject Asia Bibi, a genuine martyr for her faith who refused to convert to Islam, which might have ended her suffering? If the Pope were to reject her plea for asylum, could he ever again lecture those who want to limit the migration to their own countries, and especially to limit the number of Muslim migrants because of the menacing ideology that they bring with them in their mental baggage?

If the Pope were to decide to give her refuge, as a good Christian should, he would immediately be subject to a barrage of ferocious criticism from Muslims around the world, including many death threats, which might make him start to recognize, as hitherto he has not, the violence that is so essential a part of Islam.

It’s hard to know what it will take to open the Pope’s mind to the meaning, and menace, of Islam. But the case of Asia Bibi just might do it  He should answer her plea by inviting her, and her family, to live in the Vatican, pop. 1000, one of the best-protected places on earth. Contrary to popular belief, the Swiss Guards are not merely ceremonial, but are carefully chosen Swiss army veterans, often in plainclothes, armed with, and highly trained in using, the latest weaponry. There are about 125 of those Guards, and the same number of Vatican Police, who together equal one-fourth of the total population of Vatican City.

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Filed Under: blasphemy, Featured, Hugh Fitzgerald, Pakistan, Vatican City Tagged With: Asia Bibi


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Comments

  1. mortimer says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 10:15 am

    PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THESE PETITIONS …

    PLEASE SIGN PETITIONS TO SAVE ASIA BIBI …

    https://www.citizengo.org/en-ca/pr/166602-lets-get-asia-bibi-out-pakistan

    https://www.change.org/p/united-nations-urgent-save-asia-bibi-from-imminent-execution-for-blasphemy-in-pakistan-sign-share

    https://www.facebook.com/Save-Asia-Bibi-Petition-154908417886823/

    Please forward these links to your list.

  2. mortimer says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 10:17 am

    How can Pope Francis refuse to take in a PRACTICING, DEVOUT WOMAN OF HIS OWN DENOMINATION who is PERSECUTED FOR HER ROMAN CATHOLIC FAITH?

    In any ethical sense, Pope Francis CANNOT REFUSE Asia Bibi and continue to be considered a ‘moral’ leader.

    TO REFUSE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN ASIA BIBI is to ABDICATE HIS MORAL DUTY.

    • smorris says

      Nov 22, 2018 at 7:09 pm

      just watch him

  3. Phil Copson says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 10:41 am

    “….falsely accused by Muslim co-workers of blasphemy against Muhammad….”
    ————————————————————————————————–

    Two points here; one is, of course, that “blasphemy” is an entirely theoretical/philosophical concept and not a “crime” at all, and secondly, even if there were such a thing as blasphemy, then by the very act of destroying what they claim to be God’s creation, the accusers have demonstrated that they too are setting themselves above God.

    Logically, it is the unbelievers who should be executing the believers for blasphemy……discuss.

    • Phil Copson says

      Nov 21, 2018 at 10:48 am

      “…. blasphemy against Muhammad…”
      ————————————————————-
      Point I missed – how can you “blaspheme” against Muhamad/Mohammed anyway ? The concept relates to deities surely, not to humans ? On that basis, we could all claim to have been blasphemed against if anyone can be claimed to have offended our religious views.

      Anyway – for those who haven’t worked it out yet, what all this “blasphemy” rubbish comes down to is this; the offended party believes that they personally have been insulted or belittled and are out for revenge. No deities are involved.

      PS: No Gods were harmed in the making of this message.

    • Elisha says

      Nov 21, 2018 at 4:56 pm

      “then by the very act of destroying what they claim to be God’s creation, the accusers have demonstrated that they too are setting themselves above God.”

      The final word from Jesus Christ about all that:

      Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” – Revelation 22:11

      In other words, “if you don’t believe me, go to Hell”. It’s that simple. We are called to kill no one, judge no one but to repent and believe the Good News. Coming soon …

  4. Dan says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 11:51 am

    There is no reason in H, countries can’t “Officially Deny” Bibi, but secretly smuggle her out, getting her and her family into some kind of new identity/protection program.

    I live in a very, very small Canadian city and just last week found out an imam and mosque here has hounded a Coptic Christian into hiding, threatening not only his life, and the lives of several Muslims wanting to leave Islam.

    The world has OFFICIALLY started “Turning away the Jews.”

  5. Cathryn Paradise says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    I have been thinking about where she would go and if she is allowed asylum here in the US and enter the WPP. Hopefully it would be secure enough. I do not believe Francis would grant her asylum as a Jesuit he will be two faced about any offers even if she is a devote Catholic. The Vatican was on both sides of WWII and has had a history of sacrificing their followers for its own agenda.

  6. BRUNO EMILIO DORE says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 2:32 pm

    I may have lost some news
    But I do not remember any statement by Pope Francis regarding the Asia Bibi case.
    Can anyone deny me?

    thank you…

  7. R Russell says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    Latest news from British Pakistani Christians

    https://www.britishpakistanichristians.org/blog/asia-bibi-lord-alton-asks-questions-that-cannot-be-answered-but-we-must-answer-them

  8. Angemon says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    I’d suggest a space program to Mars, but seeing how Obama shifted NASA from space exploration to catering to muslims, the rocket ship might have a “unexpected” accident…

  9. Peter Clemerson says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 4:52 pm

    From https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46185390

    Mr Trudeau confirmed to the AFP news agency that his government was looking into bringing her to Canada.

    “There is a delicate domestic context that we respect which is why I don’t want to say any more about that, but I will remind people Canada is a welcoming country,” he told AFP in an interview on Monday while in Paris for a conference.

  10. Bernard says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    THE USA would be the safest place for them…i would like to see them in Canada though…

  11. aingel strong says

    Nov 21, 2018 at 11:02 pm

    She is welcome in my house any time.

  12. ann says

    Nov 22, 2018 at 11:19 am

    I read that Salvini had offered her asylum in Italy. I hope that Pope Francis and Salvini work together to bring her there. I also read that Bibi’s husband had requested asylum of the UK, US, and Canada. The UK has refused from fear of its own Muslims and I doubt Canada will offer. I would love for them to come here to the US, although they’d have to adopt another identity. It would be better than the alternatives.

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