The 1951 United Nations Convention Refugee Convention is unfavorable to Christians facing persecution in Islamic countries, if indeed the following statement of the Philippines Supreme Court is true:
The justice secretary also held that the risk of blasphemy allegations is generally not enough to make out a claim under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Refugee Convention) unless there is evidence that the blasphemy charge is actually pursued.
In countries such as Pakistan (and in many others), there is no rule of law when it comes to blasphemy accusations. Providing “evidence that a blasphemy charge is being pursued” is ridiculous in light of the fact that persecution over blasphemy accusations in such countries comes not only from the state, but also from village mobs that threaten the lives of the accused, as well as those of his or her family. Charges of blasphemy are also often trumped-up lies.
It is outrageous that the Western world, which has flung its doors open to unvetted economic migrants, systematically shuts the door to persecuted Christians. The silence about this is deafening.
Let’s hope that the Philippines sets a precedent.
“Supreme Court boosts Pakistani Christian’s case seeking refugee status,” by Neil Jayson Servallos, Philippines Star, December 26, 2022:
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has partially reversed a decision that denied a Pakistani Christian, who faces criminal charges of blasphemy, recognition as a refugee in the Philippines, in a decision that set guidelines for all refugee status determination proceedings.
In a 30-page decision penned by SC Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda, Rehman Sabir’s petition for review on his refugee application denial was partially granted, as he stressed that determining refugee status is a responsibility that not only falls on the applicant, but also the officer or agency tasked to evaluate applications.
Based on court records, Sabir, a Christian who was prompted to flee to the Philippines, sought a reversal before the Court of Appeals (CA) in 2019 after the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit denied his application to be a refugee.
He had fled his home country of Pakistan, where he accidentally dropped a copy of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam, while he was being coaxed to convert.
Dropping the Quran is considered an insult to Islam and could be “a basis for criminal charges under Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law,” according to Sabir.
He also claimed that as a result, he was in danger of being killed by the local Muslim community.
In 2017, the DOJ-RSPPU denied Sabir’s request due to his supposed inability to establish that he was indeed at risk of persecution in Pakistan.
“The justice secretary also held that the risk of blasphemy allegations is generally not enough to make out a claim under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Refugee Convention) unless there is evidence that the blasphemy charge is actually pursued. The Court of Appeals sustained the findings of the DOJ-RSPPU, forcing Sabir to raise the matter to the Supreme Court,” court records read….
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Do the authorities in the Philippines have any doubts about how muslims treat non-muslims, including Christians? They could just look at Mindanao to see what MILF does: no regime in Pakistan since Gen Zia ul Haq has been more benign than MILF when it comes to the treatment of non-muslims
Burnaby Lad says
it’s not a boost
peter11 says
Bravo ! I tip my hat to the court !