Pakistan Tightens Its Already Far-Reaching Blasphemy Laws

Michie

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Feb 5, 2002
165,483
55,182
Woods
✟4,582,836.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
As of 2020, at least 40 people were serving a life sentence or facing execution for blasphemy in the country.

The parliament of Pakistan moved this week to tighten its already far-reaching blasphemy laws, under which numerous Christians and other minorities have been prosecuted and subjected to mob violence, often for dubious charges of blasphemy against beliefs or figures associated with Islam.

Insulting the Prophet Muhammad is already, at least on paper, a capital offense in Pakistan. Under the newest legal changes, those convicted of insulting the Prophet Muhammad’s wives, companions or close relatives will now face 10 years in prison, a sentence that can be extended to life, along with a fine of 1 million rupees, or roughly $4,500, reported The New York Times. It also makes the charge of blasphemy an offense for which bail is not possible.

Continued below.
 

Ave Maria

Ave Maria Gratia Plena
May 31, 2004
41,082
1,968
41
Diocese of Evansville, IN
✟106,997.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
This is so incredibly sad. All this is going to do is make it far more difficult for Pakistani Christians to live their lives in peace. It's a known fact that people misuse the blasphemy law all the time for reasons that have nothing to do with blasphemy. Plus, this would also be a hindrance to the religious freedom of Christians since now they have to watch every word they say when they criticize Islam, Muhammad, or Islamic teachings. This could make evangelizing very difficult for Christians. If a Pakistani Christian is evangelizing a Muslim and the subject just so happens to be Muhammad, they're going to have to be very careful about what they say because if they say anything negative, it could be misconstrued as blasphemy. In addition, if someone overhears the conversation between the Christian and the Muslim they could potentially accuse them of blasphemy simply out of pure malice or anti-Christian bigotry.
 
Upvote 0

WarriorAngel

I close my eyes and see you smile
Supporter
Apr 11, 2005
72,739
9,305
United States Pennsylvania
Visit site
✟428,486.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Private
As of 2020, at least 40 people were serving a life sentence or facing execution for blasphemy in the country.

The parliament of Pakistan moved this week to tighten its already far-reaching blasphemy laws, under which numerous Christians and other minorities have been prosecuted and subjected to mob violence, often for dubious charges of blasphemy against beliefs or figures associated with Islam.

Insulting the Prophet Muhammad is already, at least on paper, a capital offense in Pakistan. Under the newest legal changes, those convicted of insulting the Prophet Muhammad’s wives, companions or close relatives will now face 10 years in prison, a sentence that can be extended to life, along with a fine of 1 million rupees, or roughly $4,500, reported The New York Times. It also makes the charge of blasphemy an offense for which bail is not possible.

Continued below.
They seem thirsty.
As any criminal with hatred running through their veins can be.

Teaching them that Jesus said to love... ?
Quite a task, quite a task.
 
Upvote 0

Bob Crowley

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Dec 27, 2015
2,998
1,858
69
Logan City
✟747,013.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Way back when I was still in the Presbyterian Church, there was a young bloke who attended a few times. I don't think he was a member of the church, but knew others in the Church. If I remember rightly he wanted to be a missionary to Pakistan, and was learning the language (Urdu I presume). He was pretty keen on it.

I occasionally wonder how he got on, and whether he actually got there. It would just about be impossible for foreign Christian missionaries to get there now. To be honest I think I had a negative sense at the time.

I've long said the night my father died he appeared in my room in January 1979. He made some dire predictions. One of them concerned India and Pakistan, and nuclear weapons. When he died India probably had a handful of atomic bombs and Pakistan didn't have any.

But now they've got about 150 each or more. I just hope I was being deceived, but I don't think I was.

I wonder what will happen if an ultrafundamentalist clique gets hold of power in Pakistan eg. ISIS, Al Qaeda or similar?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0