This article is provoked by the assassination of the Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, on Jan. 4, 2011 in Islamabad. Taseer advocated that the clause in the Constitution declaring the Ahmadi community to be non-Muslims should be revoked. He commented on a TV interview about the country's blasphemy law and also expressed his intention of filing a mercy petition for Asia Bibi who has been sentenced to death by a court under the Blasphemy Law.[1] Taseer was against the amendment made by military dictator, general Ziaul Haq. He clearly said that if anyone does any blasphemous remark against any religion or religious person, he is sure to be a mad person. Yet Pakistan media provoked him in numerous interviews which were against professional ethics. The next day, thousands turned up for his funeral in Lahore in spite of denunciations by some clerics and religious scholars from mourning Taseer.[2] The Jama’at Ahle Sunnat threatened mourners with the same fate as that of Taseer, and warned that 'No Muslim should attend the funeral or even try to pray for Salman Taseer or even express any kind of regret or sympathy over the incident.’ It said anyone who expressed sympathy over the death of a blasphemer was also committing blasphemy."[3] Qadri reportedly said he killed Taseer due to the latter's vocal opposition of the blasphemy law in Pakistan.[4] Supporters of Mumtaz Qadri blocked police attempting to bring him to the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi, and some supporters even showered him with rose petals.[5]
Blasphemy in World Tradition
Blasphemy in some form or another has been an offense punishable by law in almost all world traditions. The Bible seems to consider offensive speech against God serious and actionable both by human courts and by God. Hellenistic Jewish literature described such offensive speech with the Greek term ‘blasphemy’ and understood the concept as including any offense against the sovereignty of God. The Septuagint used the word blasphemy in its translation of a number of biblical passages that have reference to reviling or insulting God (2 Kgs. 19:4, 6, 22; Isa. 52:5; Ez. 35:12; Dn. 3:29). The Mosaic Law decreed death by stoning as the penalty for the blasphemer. Under the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (reigned 527–565) the death penalty was decreed for blasphemy. In the United States many states have legislation aimed at the offense. In Scotland until the 18th century it was punishable by death, and in England it is both a statutory and a common-law offense. The underlying idea apparently was that an attack on religion is necessarily an attack on the state, as religion and state was one entity. This idea probably has been the reason why penalties have been laid down for blasphemy in some secular legal codes.
In Christianity, blasphemy consists of holding a belief contrary to the orthodox one. Thus, it is not blasphemous to deny the existence of God or to question the established tenets of the Christian faith unless this is done in a mocking and derisive spirit. In the Christian religion, blasphemy has been regarded as a sin by moral theologians; St.Thomas Aquinas described it as a sin against faith. For Muslims it is blasphemy to speak contemptuously not only of God but also of their Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH).
In some non-Muslim countries, blasphemy – irreverence toward holy personages, religious artifacts, customs, and beliefs – is not a crime. In the United States of America, for example, a prosecution for blasphemy would violate the Constitution. In Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has recommended that countries enact laws that protect the freedom of expression. In 1977 Massachusetts repealed its three-hundred-year-old act against blasphemy. In the United States no prosecution has occurred since 1968, despite laws against blasphemy. Blasphemy prosecutions, relics of the Anglo-American world, are becoming obsolete even elsewhere in Christendom. Some countries, especially countries which have Islam as the state religion, regard blasphemy as a serious offence. Pakistan, for example, has legislation which makes execution the highest penalty for blasphemy.
Blasphemy in Islam is any irreverent behavior toward God, holy personages, religious artifacts, customs, and beliefs that Muslims revere. The Qur’an and the hadith do speak about blasphemy in early Islam. Islamic Jurists created the offence, making it a part of Sharia.[6] Where Sharia pertains, the penalties for blasphemy can include fines, imprisonment, flogging, amputation, crucifixion, hanging, or beheading.[7] Muslim clerics may call for the killing of an alleged blasphemer by issuing a fatwa, as is the case with Salman Rushdie.
Blasphemy in Early Islam
During his own lifetime, the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) encountered strong opposition from the leaders of the Arab clans of Mecca. Most frequently, this opposition took the form of verbal disputes and abuse, by which the pagan leaders rejected and ridiculed the Qur’anic teachings on the unity of God and the resurrection. Muhammad’s opponents, moreover, mocked his claim to be an inspired prophet and accused him variously of being possessed, a soothsayer, a magician, a poet, or an unscrupulous power-seeker. From the beginning, as the Qur’ān attests, the blasphemous language of the Prophet's opponents thus consisted of calling divine revelation a lie (takdhīb). Insult to the Prophet was particularly blasphemous, since he was the chief medium of that revelation. The followers of Muhammad who killed two poets who had written satires on the Prophet evidently considered this kind of mockery to be blasphemy. Within the early Islamic community itself, the "hypocrites" (munāfiqūn) uttered blasphemous jests about God and the Prophet (9:65–66). Such mockery constituted infidelity (kufr) after professing faith (īmān) and invalidated whatever good deeds they might have previously performed (5:5).[8]
The descriptions of blasphemy, building upon the texts of the Qur’ān and the sunnah of the Prophet, the various legal schools have elaborated upon the nature, conditions, and punishments for blasphemy. The legal handbooks of the Ḥanafī school, in particular, offer numerous examples of blasphemous sayings, usually classified under the heading of "words of infidelity" (kalimāt al-kufr; see sūrah 9:74). Most of the classical collections of case-judgments (fatāwā) of this school derive from Iranian and Central Asian jurists of the eleventh and twelfth centuries.[9]
Legal authorities agree that the conditions for blasphemy include adulthood, lack of duress, and being of sound mind, and it is immaterial whether the offender is a Muslim or not. Some jurisdictions do not punish individuals who commit blasphemy accidentally. The Maliki school of jurisprudence permits the exoneration of accused individuals who are new converts to Islam.[10]
Punishment
The punishment for blasphemy differs somewhat from one school to another. The Ḥanafīyah define blasphemous statements as acts of infidelity (kufr) and strip the blasphemer of all legal rights: his marriage is declared invalid, all religious acts worthless, and all claims to property or inheritance void. The death penalty is a last resort that most authorities try to avoid, especially if some element of accident or doubt is present. Repentance, however, restores all previous rights, although it is necessary to renew marriage. The Mālikīyah, treating blasphemy as apostasy, call for immediate execution of the offender; as in cases of apostasy, they do not offer the chance to repent. An exception is made for female blasphemers, who are not to be executed but punished and encouraged to repent. In cases of minor blasphemies, or cases supported by only a single witness, the Mālikīyah prescribe a discretionary punishment in place of the death penalty.[11]
Blasphemy law in Pakistan
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan uses its Penal Code to prohibit and punish blasphemy against Islam. The Criminal Code provides penalties for blasphemy ranging from a fine to death. Among countries with a Muslim-majority, Pakistan has the strictest anti-blasphemy laws. The first purpose of those laws is to protect Islamic authority. By the constitution (Article 2), Islam is the state religion. By the constitution's Article 31, it is the country's duty to foster the Islamic way of life. Article 33, assigns country's duty to discourage parochial, racial, tribal, sectarian, and provincial prejudices among the citizens. Several sections of Pakistan's Criminal Code comprise its blasphemy laws.[12] No judicial execution of a person charged with blasphemy has, however, occurred in Pakistan.[13] Article 45 of the Constitution says, "The President shall have power to grant pardon, reprieve and respite, and to remit, suspend or commute any sentence passed by any court, tribunal or other authority."
The only law that may be useful in countering misuse of the Blasphemy law is PPC 153/A (a), which states whoever “by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations or otherwise, promotes or incites, or attempts to promote or incite, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities” shall be fined and punished with imprisonment for a term that may extend to five years.[14] Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gilani announced on Jan. 12, 2011 that there would be no amendments to the blasphemy law.[15] He repeated the government of Pakistan’s decision recently also.
The Federal Shari’a Court (FSC) is a religious body which rules on whether any particular law is repugnant to the injunctions of Islam. If a law is repugnant to Islam, "the President in the case of a law with respect to a matter in the Federal Legislative List or the Concurrent Legislative List, or the Governor in the case of a law with respect to a matter not enumerated in either of those Lists, shall take steps to amend the law so as to bring such law or provision into conformity with the Injunctions of Islam" (Constitution, Article 203D). The Supreme Court of Pakistan has the power to overrule the FSC judgment.
Pakistani authorities charged 647 people with offences under the blasphemy laws between 1986 and 2007. Fifty percent of the people charged were 3% of non-Muslim population. Twenty of those charged were murdered.[16]
Several sections of Pakistan's Criminal Code comprise its blasphemy laws. In 1980, Pakistan, under the leadership of President Zia-ul-Haq, the Federal Shariat Court was created and given jurisdiction to examine any existing law to ensure it was not repugnant to Islam and in its early acts it passed ordinances that included five that explicitly targeted religious minorities: a law against blasphemy; a law punishing the defiling of the Qur'an; a law prohibition against insulting the wives, family, or companions of the Prophet of Islam; and two laws specifically restricting the activities of Ahmadis, who were declared non-Muslims.
Under traditional Islamic law[17] an apostate may be given up to three days while in incarceration to repent and accept Islam again and, if not, the apostate is to be killed without any reservations. Apostasy in Islam is commonly defined as rejection in word or deed of his former religion by a person who was previously a follower of Islam. Islamic scholarship differs on the earthly punishment for apostasy, ranging from death to no punishment at all. Some say the reason for the harsh penalty for apostates is an attempt to silence apostates from speaking ills about Islam.
However, laws prohibiting religious conversion run contrary to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief." Pakistan, along with most of the Muslim countries, is signatory of this Universal Declaration, which negates Blasphemy Law of Pakistan.
Blasphemy Law and Intellectual Freedom in Pakistan
Although there is hardly a state in the world that doesn't restrict political activities considered inimical to the interests of the state. In Pakistan, such considerations have led to very severe restrictions on a variety of intellectual activities and human interactions. For instance, Pakistan's Constitution prohibits the ridicule of Islam, of the armed forces, or of the judiciary, and such provisions have gone a long way in preserving the power of conservative clerical elements, the military and military-appointed judges.[18] Pakistan's blasphemy laws have been variously used not only to stifle political dissent, but also to intimidate intellectuals and social scientists, and non-Sunni minorities. They have also been a convenient tool for personal vendettas in the hands of the politically better-connected.
In November of 1992, Gul Masih, a Christian, was sentenced to death after having remarked innocently about Mohammed’s marriages. His neighbor Mohammad Sajjad, a Muslim, had made a comment stating that the Virgin Mary must have been a prostitute. Masih, in turn, replied he had read "that Mohammed had 11 wives, including a minor." Sajjad decided to file charges against Gul Masih who was then sentenced to death.
“Women Living Under Muslim Laws” a women forum in Pakistan, has described the tragic case of Ayub Masih who was charged with blasphemy in 1996. A neighbor at his Arifabad village had complained that he had made the statement: "If you want to know the truth about Islam, then read Salman Rushdie." But Ayub Masih has always held that he made no such statement. The case was registered with little investigation, and based entirely on a statement made by the complainant, Muhammad Akram. At his 1997 trial in Sahiwal, Ayub Masih was shot, but survived and his attempted killer was never charged with any crime. Ayub Masih's family home was also arbitrarily transferred to Muhammad Akram, who has benefited considerably after the eviction of the entire Christian populace (14 families) of the village.[19]
In another case, on September 8 1996, a Shi'a Muslim, Ghulam Akbar, was convicted of blasphemy in Rahimyar Khan, Punjab, for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed in 1995. Chandigarh's Tribune reported on Sept 10, 1998 that the 25 year old laborer had been subsequently sentenced to death "for taking the Prophet Muhammad's name in vain."
The relevant legal code (Section 295C) states: "Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Mohammed...shall be punished with death and shall be liable to a fine." The law, being utterly vague and liable to common use in dialect, has been subjected to wanton misuse.
Shafiq Masih, a Faisalabad Christian, was charged with blasphemy following a dispute with a neighbor. A crowd of over 1,000 persons soon converged on Shafiq's home and were prepared to lynch him. Although police intervention saved his life, the local police chief charged Shafiq with blasphemy to calm the sentiments of the mob.
In 1997, Lahore High Court justice Arif Iqbal Hussain Bhatti (who in 1995 had ruled to acquit accused Christian blasphemers Salamat and Rehmat Masih) was killed after a spate of death threats.
Selected cases of Blasphemy
In November 2010, Asia Bibi was sentenced to death by hanging on a charge of blasphemy; the case that has yet to be upheld by the Lahore High Court has sparked international reactions. Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was shot dead by his security guard on supporting Asia Bibi. Mass protests in Pakistan were held in Pakistan against his support to Asia Bibi. Many religious scholars said that Salman Taseer has defiled Mohammad and he should also be sentenced to death.[20]
In July 2010, while police were escorting Pastor Rashid Emmanuel, 30 and his brother Sajid, 27,who were Christians and accused of blasphemy in a district court of Faislabad, unidentified gunmen shot and killed both inside courthouse in Faisalabad. Pakistan Federal Minister of Minorities, Mr. Bhatti had spoken out about the murder that the brothers had been accused of blaspheming Muhammad earlier this month, a charge that they had both denied.[21]
On 4 August 2009, a Muslim mob attacked a factory-owner by the name of Najeebullah and others at Sheikhupura in the Punjab. The mob killed Najeebullah and two others, and set fire to the factory. The mob complained that Najeebullah had placed an outdated calendar, which contained verses from the Quran, on a table. For that offense, a worker accused Najeebullah of blasphemy. The workers may have been in a dispute with Najeebullah over wages.[22]
On 30 July 2009, hundreds of members of Sipah-e-Sahaba, a banned Muslim organization, torched Christian homes and killed Christians in the Punjabi city of Gojra and in the nearby village of Korian. The professed reason for the violence was that a Christian had defiled a Qur’an. Christian mobs retaliated. Fighting between Muslim and Christian groups went on through 1 August 2009.[23]
On 28 January 2009, the police in Punjab arrested a laborer and four students for blasphemy. All those arrested were Ahmadi. The accusation against them was that they wrote "Prophet Muhammad" on the wall of a toilet in a Sunni mosque. The senior superintendent of police investigated and reported to the Ministry of the Interior at the end of March 2009 that the accusation was baseless.[24]
In May 2008, Punjabi police jailed Robin Sardar, a Christian physician, upon an accusation of blasphemy from a Muslim street-vendor who wanted to install himself in front of Sardar's clinic.[25]
In April 2007, upon a charge of blasphemy, the police in Toba Tek Singh jailed five Christians: Salamat Masih, his son Rashid, and their relatives Ishfaq, Saba, and Dao Masih. The allegation against the Christians was that they desecrated pieces of paper that bore Muhammad's name. On 25 January 2009, the authorities released the Christians, and Muslim clerics agreed to issue a fatwa which declared that the accusation of blasphemy was unsound.[26]
Two Christians, both elderly men from Faisalabad, Punjab, were acquitted by the Lahore High Court in April 2009. In November 2006, the two had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly burning pages from the Quran. The allegation arose apparently out of a dispute over land.[27]
On 9 May 2007, Raja Riaz, a servant, accused his master, Walter Fazal Khan Khan, 84, a Christian, of burning a Quran at his house. The police arrested Khan under § 295-B. Kahn's family and others said Riaz's accusation was part of a plot to take Khan's valuable house and land from him.[28]
On 20 November 2003, the police arrested Anwar Masih, a day labourer, a Christian, a married father of four (at that time), a resident of Shahdara, a town next to Lahore. The police charged Masih under § 295-B. The charge arose out of an encounter that Masih had with a neighbour who had grown a beard. The neighbor disclosed that he had converted from Christianity to Islam. Masih and the neighbour exchanged harsh words. The neighbour reported to the police that Masih had insulted Muhammad. The Lahore High Court acquitted Masih on 24 December 2004.
In August 2005, Masih took a job in a factory. In November 2007, he lost the job when his employer was threatened for employing a "blasphemer." Masih went into hiding.[29]
In October 2000, Pakistani authorities charged Dr.Younus Shaikh, a physician, with blasphemy on account of remarks that students claimed he made during a lecture. The students alleged that, inter alia, Dr. Shaikh had said Muhammad's parents were non-Muslims because they died before Islam existed. A judge ordered that Dr.Shaikh pay a fine of 100,000 rupees, and that he be hanged. On 20 November 2003, a court retried the matter and acquitted Shaikh, who fled Pakistan for Europe soon thereafter.[30] That a mere statement of fact, even of one that contradicts no aspect of Quranic teachings or the Hadith could lead to a death sentence is not only amazing, it indicates how Pakistan's cultural and intellectual environment has so degraded since it's bloody inauguration in 1947.[31]
Judge Arif Iqbal Hussain Bhatti was assassinated on 19 October 1997 in his Lahore office after acquitting two people who were accused of blasphemy.[32]
Riaz Ahmad, his son, and two nephews (Basharat Ahmad, Qamar Ahmad and Mushtaq Ahmad), all Ahmadis, were arrested and jailed on 21 November 1993. They were detained for having "said something derogatory." Local people in Piplan, Mianwali District, said that rivalry over Ahmad's position as village headman was the real motivation for the complaint against him. The Sessions Court rejected the bail applications of the accused. The Supreme Court granted bail in December 1997.[33]
In November 1992, Gul Masih, a Christian, was sentenced to death after having remarked to his Muslim neighbor Mohammad Sajjad. He had said "that Mohammed had 11 wives, including a minor."[34]
A person can be charged with blasphemy on testimony alone, and be immediately and arbitrarily detained without opportunity for bail. Under this law, the only evidence needed is one 'reliable' man's word. The political and societal clout of Islamic extremists and clerics makes it unsafe for lawyers to represent the accused and for courts to acquit them. It also puts great pressure on local police officers to file phony blasphemy charges. For instance, Shafiq Masih, a Faisalabad Christian, was charged with blasphemy following a dispute with a neighbor. A crowd of over 1,000 persons soon converged on Shafiq's home and were prepared to lynch him. Although police intervention saved his life, the local police chief charged Shafiq with blasphemy to calm the sentiments of the mob. In 1997, Lahore High Court justice Arif Iqbal Hussain Bhatti (who in 1995 had ruled to acquit accused Christian blasphemers Salamat and Rehmat Masih) was killed after a spate of death threats.[35]
In addition, the blasphemy laws are used fairly routinely to harass those considered "improper Muslims such as the Ahmadis who are subject to onerous restrictions under law. Although Ahmadis regard themselves as Muslims and observe Islamic practices, a 1974 Constitutional amendment during the time of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto declared Ahmadis to be a non-Muslim minority because, according to the Government, they do not accept Mohammed as the last prophet of Islam. In 1984 the Government passed an amendment prohibiting Ahmadis from calling themselves Muslim and banning them from using Islamic words, phrases, and greetings. The punishment for violation of this section is imprisonment for up to 3 years and a fine.[36]
Ahmadis in Pakistan suffer from a variety of restrictions of religious freedom and widespread societal discrimination, including violations of their places of worship, being barred from burial in Muslim graveyards, denial of freedom of speech and assembly, and restrictions on their press. Several Ahmadi mosques remain closed. Hundreds of Ahmadis await trial or sentencing on blasphemy charges. Sunni converts are especially targeted. According to Pakistan's Human Rigths Commission, Muhammad Akram was threatened with death by an influential local religious organization after he joined the Ahmadiyya community. The threat was published on the organization's own letterhead, but no legal action was taken against the group.[37]
Not only is religious and intellectual persecution sanctioned by Pakistani law, the situation is aggravated by a generally despotic administration. For instance, Pakistan has one of the largest death cell populations in the world: in mid-1997, 2,855 people were facing the death sentence. Amongst those reportedly executed in 1997, was a young man who was only fourteen years old at the time of his alleged offence. The 1998 annual report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan stated that of the 3,480 children currently in prison, 49 children faced the sentence of death.[38]
Those are the few examples of facts and fictions of Blasphemy Law in Pakistan. The scope of this article does not permit mentioning all the cases since introduction of the Law. In addition to it, an exhaustive list of violations in Pakistan, apart from Blasphemy, relates to Universal Human Rights, child abuses, intolerance and persecution of minorities, woman’s persecution under Hudood Ordinance, and ethnic, sectarian, civil and religious blood-lettings and killings throughout Pakistan.
Freedom of religion in Pakistan has come into conflict with Sharia Law. The original Constitution of Pakistan did not discriminate between Muslims and non-Muslims. The amendments made during Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization led to the controversial Hudood Ordinance and Shariat Court. Later, Nawaz Sharif's government tried to enforce a Shariat Bill, passed in May 1991. After the incident of 9/11, Pervez Musharraf government took steps to curtail the religious intolerance among different factions of Muslim communities and non-Muslims.
Blasphemy of religion and the United Nations
Defamation of religion is an issue that has been repeatedly addressed by the United Nations (UN) since 1999. Several non-binding resolutions have been voted on and accepted by the UN condemning "defamation of religion." The motions, sponsored on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, aim to prohibit expression that would, "fuel discrimination, extremism and misperception leading to polarization and fragmentation with dangerous unintended and unforeseen consequences." Islamic states have expressed concerns that Islam is sometimes associated with terrorism and human rights violations, especially after the attack on the twin towers, and argue that the resolutions are necessary to combat Islamophobia.[39] Religious groups, human rights activists, free-speech activists, and several countries in the West have condemned the resolutions arguing it amounts to an ‘international blasphemy law’.[40] Critics of the resolutions including human rights groups argue that they are used to politically strengthen domestic anti-blasphemy and religious defamation laws, which are used to imprison journalists, students and other peaceful political dissidents.[41] Since 2001 there has been a clear split, with the Islamic bloc and much of the developing world supporting the resolutions, and mostly Western democracies opposing. Support has been waning in recent years, due to increased opposition from the West. The most recent resolution in 2010, condemning the Swiss ban on minarets as well as defamation of religions in general, passed with only 20 supporting, 17 opposing, and 8 abstaining.[42]
Freedom of speech versus blasphemy
Tension often exists between freedom of speech, and expression in art, literature, and other media considered by some to be sacrilegious or blasphemous. The extent to which this tension has not been resolved is manifested in numerous instances of controversy and conflict around the world. Although many laws prohibiting blasphemy have long been repealed, particularly in the West, they remain in place in many Muslim countries. The issue of freedom of speech versus blasphemy cannot be seen in isolation from the role of religion as a source of political power in some societies. In such a society, to blaspheme is to threaten not only a religion, but also the entire political power and order of the society, and hence, the official punishments tend to be more severe and violent. There is no dearth of such list of modern incidents which have led to public outcries, persecution, calls for murder, or other forms of repression in the autocratic and theocratic states of Africa, Asia and Middle East.
Conclusion
Blasphemy has been socially unacceptable in almost every tradition in the past. Mockery, jesting and making a laughing stock of personages, religious or not, of honorable artifacts, books and writings are abhorred and don’t liked even today. Like Judaism and Christianity, blasphemy in Islam is considered an attack on God, His Messengers, and spiritual persons followed by their respective religious leaders. In Islam it is a legacy coming from the time of the Prophet and his companions. But with the decline of political and economic supremacy of Muslim rules and with the consequent dominance of colonial powers throughout Muslim lands, blasphemy of religions and pious personages began to surface in the Muslim world. Decolonization of Muslim countries has given rise to the proxy rulers, an unrestricted opportunity to use the charges of blasphemy on their opponents. What is going on in Pakistan today is more a conflict for political dominance by the sunni orthodoxy in the name of religion and Islam. The confusing scenario in Pakistan cannot be seen in isolation while Pakistan military is fighting an American proxy war not only against al-Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban, but against its own countrymen spread throughout the border line of Afghanistan. The fact that Pakistan is largely populated by Muslim and will remain Muslim does not mean that every fight for civil rights and liberties, for rule of law, for peace and security should be fought by the hardcore fundamentalists in the name of religion of Islam. The way the sacred legacies of our forefathers have been and are being misused and abused by the extremist elements of Pakistan for their nefarious vested interests is itself a blasphemy against Islam and damaging the name and respect of Islam. This is not a fight for God, but against God. The naming of the militants, like Sipah Sahaba, Jaish-i-Muhammadi, is itself a blasphemous act.
[1] Wright, Tom (JANUARY 5, 2011). "Leading Pakistani Politician Killed". The Wall Street Journal.
[2] The Guardian, 5 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
[4] "Governor assassinated in Islamabad, Pakistan". IndiaVoice. 2011-1-4.
[5] "Demonstrators Prevent Court Appearance of Alleged Pakistani Assassin". Voice of American, 6th January 2011.
[6] Ibid.
[7] See the articles about Islamic jurisdictions under Blasphemy law in www.islamicvoice.com.
[8] Ernst, Carl W. "Blasphemy: Islamic Concept." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. Pp. 974-977. www.Gale Virtual Reference Library. Retrieved 17 Jan. 2011.
[9] Blasphemy: Islamic Concept; Enc. Of Religion, Ed. Lindsay Jones, vol. 2, pp.974-977; retrieved 01-17-2011.
[10] "Blasphemy: Islamic Concept". Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol 2; Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale. 2005. pp. 974–976.
[11] Ibid.
[12]Section 295C Pakistan Criminal Code. Report on the Situation of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan. 4 November 1994. http://www.thepersecution.org/archive/10_c.html. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
[13] South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre. 15 February 2002. www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/htm. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
[14] En.wikipedia.org/BlasphemyLawinPakistan; retrieved 01-17-2011.
[15] "Prime Minister of Pakistan rejects Pope's call on Islamic blasphemy laws." Continental News. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
[16] ”Christian victims under Pakistan’s blasphemy law”; www.evangelizationstation.com/Pakistan/christians; Retrieved 2009-06-22.
[17] according to Abdurrahmani'l-Djaziri's Kitabul'l-fiqh 'ala'l-madhahibi'l-'arba'a i.e. Apostasy in Islam according to the Four Schools of Islamic Law (Vol. 5, pp. 422-440)
[18] South Asian Voice, Aug.2002 edition.
[19] www.wluml.org/english/alerts/2001/pakistan/younis-shaikh.htm, retrieved 1-18-2011
[20] Enc.wikipedia.org/BlasphemyLawinPakistan; retrieved 01-18-2011.
[21] BBC. 20 July 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10696762.
[22] "Blasphemy claims three more victims". Daily Times. 5 August 2009.
[23] The Associated Press (1 August 2009). "6 Pakistani Christians die in riots with Muslims". Toronto Star; Retrieved 1 August 2009. AND Maqbool, Aleem (12 August 2009). "Sectarian violence hits Pakistani town". BBC Retrieved 12 August 2009.
[24] "Filing of blasphemy charges against 5 Ahmadis in Layyah district". 1–2 February 2009. http://www.thepersecution.org/hrcp/layyahfact.html. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
[25] Compass Direct News (20 May 2008). "PAKISTAN: DOCTOR JAILED ON 'BLASPHEMY' CHARGES :Police rescue Christian from angry mob". http://mychristianblood.blogspirit.com/archive/2008/05/20/pakistan-doctor-jailed-on-%E2%80%98blasphemy-charges-police-rescue-c.html. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
[26]Internation Religious Freedom News (IRFN). http://becketinternational.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/pakistan-christians-cleared-of.. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
[27] "Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom May 2009". Pakistan.
[28] "International Religious Freedom Report 2007: Pakistan". U.S. Department of State. 2007.
[29] International Christian Concern. 22 February 2008. http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newsdetail.php?newscode=7202. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
[30] "Blasphemy doctor faces death". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/html. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
[31] (See http://iheu.org/Shaikh/liberalmuslumns.htm
[32] "Petition To: United Nations Working Group On Arbitrary Detention — in the Matter of Ayub Masih, Citizen of Pakistan v. Government of Pakistan". Freedom Now. 8 October 2001. http://www.freedom-now.org/masih_pet.php. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
[33] Ahmed, Akbar S. (19 May 2002). "Pakistan's Blasphemy Law: Words Fail Me". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A36108-2002May17¬Found=true. Retrieved 2009-06-28
[34] “Blasphemy Law and Intellectual Freedom in Pakistan.” South Asian Voice. August 2002. http://members.tripod.com/~INDIA_RESOURCE/ifpakistan.html. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
[35] South Asian Voice, August 2002.
[36] Ibid.
[37] Ibid.
[38] Ibid.
[39] En.wikipedia.org/Defamation of religion and the United Nations.
[40] Ibid. Mackey, Obert (04-01-2010) “Attempt to Break New Irish Blasphemy Law.”
[41] New York Times. www.thelede.blogs.nytimes.com; No to an international blasphemy law.
[42] En.wikipedia.org/UN rights body narrowly passes Islamophobia resolution” 25 March 2010.
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