Category: Pakistan

Pakistan: Dutch Pakistani Christians will protest to end blasphemy law

ICC reports:
“International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on September 7, a Pakistani court granted bail to 13 Muslims, including radical clerics who incited mob attacks against Christians, that resulted in 11 Christians being killed and over 40 Christians homes being burned down in Gojra.”
“Chief Justices Khawaja Muhammad Sharif and Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhary of the Lahore High court decided to grant the bail to the following: Bashir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Abid, Kaleem Ullah, Touqir Ahmed, Muhammad Yaqoob, Sajid Farooqi, Qari Majid Farooqi, Saeed Afzal, Rizwan Akram, Amer Hayyat and Muhammad Rehman.”
“On August 1, 2009, a Muslim mob estimated at 3000 assaulted Christians in Gojra after radical Muslim clerics accused the Christians of blasphemy and called for the attacks.
For a detail story on the attacks, please go to:  http://www.persecution.org/suffering/pressdetail.php?presscode=322.
“ICC’s Jonathan Racho said, ‘We condemn in strongest terms the decision by the Lahore High Court to release the individuals responsible for the carnage in Gojra. Pakistan has repeatedly failed to bring perpetrators of violence against Christians to justice, and this latest decision helps to perpetuate a culture of impunity in Pakistan. We urge Pakistan to arrest all individuals responsible for the attacks against Christians. We also ask the government Pakistan to repeal blasphemy laws that are fueling violence against Christians.'”
“ICC urges all concerned parties to sign the petition that calls for repeal of blasphemy laws in Pakistan.”
To read and sign the petition, please go to:  http://tinypetition.com/RepealBlasphemyLaw.

“Pakistani Christians demand repeal of blasphemy law not revision vow of Shahbaz Bhatti”
— Pakistan Christian Post reports:
— “Dr. Nazir S Bhatti, President of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC said that Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minorities have lost confidence of Pakistani Christians and his vows to revise blasphemy laws in a meeting with US Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington is not acceptable to Christians who want repeal of controversial blasphemy law which have caused violence against them.”
— “Nazir Bhatti said ‘Shahbaz Bhatti is not elected representative of Pakistani Christians but selected and imposed on Christians by Pakistan Peoples Party PPP'”
— “‘Shahbaz Bhatti vowed to repeal blasphemy laws when he was awarded by US Commission on International Religious Freedom but now he is speaking their master’s voice in Pakistan government and Pakistan Peoples Party’ added Nazir Bhatti”
— “‘US and EU can not end terrorism in South Asia until Article 2 of Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan is amended and blasphemy law is repealed because its is root cause of religious extremism and protecting terrorist in Pakistan’ said Nazir Bhatti”
— “Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minorities, have failed to protect Christians who have been targeted in Pakistan nor he have brought culprits to justice but distributed cash to Christian victims and protected Muslim attackers who burnt alive Christians, destroyed hundreds of homes and churches.”
— “Nazir Bhatti urged US administration to press upon Pakistan government to repeal blasphemy laws and condition US aid to Pakistan in fight against terrorism with amendment in Article 2 of constitution and repeal of blasphemy.”
— “Nazir Bhatti also appealed to International Forums to voice for protection and security of Pakistani Christian who are attacked by Muslim extremists and targeted on accusations of blasphemy.”
— “Nazir Bhatti said ‘I will present memorandum to US commission on International Religious Freedom to repeal blasphemy law on behalf of Pakistani Christians who demand repeal not revision as Shahbaz Bhatti claimed'”

Additional reports on the burial of Robert Danish aka Falish Masih, questions being asked about his death in prison while being arrested for “blasphemy,” and clashes ending protests against Pakistan blasphemy law.
— Pakistan Christian Post: “Robert Danish, a Pakistani Christian youth killed in Sialkot Central Jail was laid to rest in Christian Town graveyard under tear gas shelling and baton charge of police here today.”
— “The dead body was brought to CTI ground where administration have deployed contingents of security agencies from dawn of September 16, 2009.”
— “According to PCP sources, police had blocked all roads leading to CTI ground, which led to this century old Christian Technical Institute in Sialkot.”
— “Only relatives and dozens of Christians were allowed to gather for funeral of Robert Danish alias Falish Masih who was arrested on September 11, 2009, under blasphemy charges and mysteriously killed in jail on September 15, 2009.”
— “The father of Robert Danish and his family insisted to bury him in their native village Jhethe Key but administration not allowed and pressured Riasat Masih his father to bury him in Sialkot.”
— “The native village of Robert Danish is 20 kilometer from Sialkot city but due to anger among Christians in towns and villages of Sialkot district Punjab government not permitted procession of funeral to Jhethe Key.”
— “The Civil Lines Sialkot Police Station registered FIR against jail official on killing of Robert Danish on complaint of Riasat Masih and mourners sitting with dead body of Robert were shown copy of FIR to compel protestors to bury him who were demanding arrest of killers.”
— “Albert Masih, one protestor told PCP ‘We not trust on their FIR and arrests because government will get their bail from courts and Enquiry Committee formed by Inspector General Police Punjab will declare killers to be innocents after few weeks and they will be reinstated'”
— “The protestors were demanding repeal of blasphemy law and formation of Commission to investigate killing of Robert Masih.”
— “The police followed protestors in streets and used hundreds of tear gas shells to disperse them. The Muslim parliamentarians from Sialkot also attended funeral while Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister not bothered to travel to Sialkot. Kamran Michal, a Christian minister in Punjab government was present during last rituals of Pakistani Christian youth who was victim of controversial blasphemy law in Pakistan.”
— “The increasing incident of violence against Christian on accusation of blasphemy and recent killing of Robert Danish have created fear among 20 million Christians in Pakistan.”

— Pakistan Christian Post: “Robert Danish (alias or also known as Falish Masih) was mysteriously found dead in special security zone of Sialkot Central Jail at 8:30 AM to day.”
— “Robert Danish was arrested under section 295 B PPC on September 11, 2009, vide FIR number 1176/207/09 of Sambarial Police Station on complaint of Mohammad Asghar Ali resident of village Jhethey Key. He was produced before local magistrate and sent to judicial custody in Sialkot Central Jail where he was killed according to his family.”
— “‘Muslim jail officers are involved in his killing’ one of Robert Danish relative told PCP”
— “There is widespread anger among Christians in Pakistan after news of killing of Robert Danish in jail custody.”
— “According to PCP, Christians of Sialkot have announced to observe two days strike and mourning on killing of Christian youth.”
— “The incident was conspired by local Muslim clerics who hoisted banners with slogans ‘Kill the blasphemers’ on Wazirabad-Sialkot road in Sambarial after incident of Gojra where Muslim burnt alive Christians on August 1, 2009.”
— “On September 11, 2009, a village barber named Mohammad Asghar Ali accused Robert Danish to push her daughter Hina Ali who was coming home after Quran recitation.”

— Pakistan Rights Groups Seek Answers on Christian’s Death
— New York Times reports:
—- “A Christian man detained on blasphemy charges was found dead in his jail cell on Tuesday in eastern Pakistan. Human rights groups here said he appeared to have been killed, perhaps in collusion with the authorities.”
—- “The death of the Christian, Robert Fanish, 20, is part of a rising trend of violence against minorities in Pakistan, a panel of Pakistani human rights groups said in a news conference on Wednesday. It follows the burning deaths of six Christians in July, and mob attacks against Christian houses and a church in March and June.”
—-  “‘This is a pattern,’ said Asma Jahangir, the chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a prominent watchdog group that is independent of the government.”

Pakistan: Christian’s death in jail sparks protests
— Pakistan Daily Times reports: “Minority and human rights activists staged protests in Lahore on Tuesday after word of Masih’s death got out, with some carrying posters calling it a murder.”

— Pak Christians Clash With Cops at Funeral of ‘Murdered’ Youth
— Christian Post reports:
— “Violence broke out in certain parts of Pakistan even as Christians buried Robert Masih, 21, who was mysteriously found dead at his jail cell a day earlier in Sialkot, in the eastern province of Punjab.”
— “Pakistani Christians clash with security officials Wednesday even as Christians attended the funeral of Robert Masih, accused of blasphemy was mysteriously found dead at his jail cell Tuesday in Sialkot, in the eastern province of Punjab.”
— “Robert, also known as Felish Masih, 21 was accused of desecrating Quran, the holy book of Islam. He was jailed Saturday on charge of blasphemy after a Muslim family accused him of throwing pages of Koran in the drain; but his local supporters said the family claimed that he had been admiring their daughter, according to Pakistan Christian Post.”
— “leaders of the Christian community alleged that Masih was ‘tortured to death’ by jail officials. They claimed the officials ‘staged a drama’ about Masih committing suicide.”

Additional Reports:

— September 15: Pakistan: young Christian man accused of blasphemy killed in prison

— Pakistan: Christian Church torched in Sialkot over ‘desecration'”
— Pakistan: Additional Report on Church Burning in Sialkot
— September 12, 2009 – Asia News reports: “According to preliminary reports, the real cause of tension is a relationship between a twenty year old Christian, whose name is Fanish, and a Muslim girl.”
— “‘Muslims can not tolerate a Muslim girl falling in love with a Christian,’ says father Mani, confirming the news of the young man’s arrest this morning by police officers”

— Pakistan Dawn: “The religious chauvinism that has become rampant in the country is nowhere in better evidence than in the case of Fanish Masih”

Mentally challenged woman accused of blasphemy: ‘Woman not presented in court for 13 years’
— Pakistan Daily Times reports:
— “A mentally challenged woman, accused of blasphemy, has not been produced in any court of law for 13 years, her counsel told the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday.”
— “The LHC sought a report from the Punjab home secretary on a petition seeking the release of mentally challenged blasphemy accused Zebunnisa. The court directed the home secretary to submit the report until September 29.”
— “The court sought the report while hearing a petition seeking release on medical grounds of a blasphemy accused woman, detained in jail for the last 13 years.”
— “The petitioner’s counsel Aftab Bajwa said in 1996, Islamabad Mahala Police had registered a case under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against Zebunnisa on charges of desecrating Quranic verses. She has been behind bars since then. He said the accused had been mentally retarded since the allegations were leveled against her.”

Asia News –  Punjab: young Christian man accused of blasphemy killed in prison
— Asia News reports: “Fanish, 20, was arrested last Saturday. His death was ‘judicial murder’ according to human rights activist. The day before a Muslim mob attacked members of the dead man’s Christian community, setting fire to their church. Pakistani extremists are funded by Saudi ‘charities.'”
— “The young Christian man who was arrested on 12 September in a village in Punjab accused of blasphemy was killed last night in prison. Police had Fanish, 20, remanded into their custody in order to continue their investigation. This morning prison guards in Sialkot district prison found the lifeless body of the young man with visible signs of injuries.”
— “Fanish (pictured in prison) was arrested last Saturday after accusations of blasphemy were made against him. A day earlier a Muslim mob had gathered in front of the church in the village of Jaithikey, not far from the town of Samberial, in the district of Sialkot (Punjab), to teach the local Christian community a ‘lesson'”
— “Extremists damaged the building before setting it on fire. They also pillaged two homes near the church.”
— “A relationship between the 20-year-old Christian man and a young Muslim woman appears to be the cause of the turn of events.”
— “In another incident, also last Saturday but reported only today, a Christian settlement in Ghaziabad, a neighbourhood in Orangi Town, near Karachi (Sindh), was attacked by a mob of Muslims, enraged by blasphemy charges against a 40-year-old Christian man called Lawrence.”

— Pakistan: Christian Church torched in Sialkot over ‘desecration'”

— Pakistan: Additional Report on Church Burning in Sialkot

—- September 12, 2009 – Asia News reports: “According to preliminary reports, the real cause of tension is a relationship between a twenty year old Christian, whose name is Fanish, and a Muslim girl.”
—- “‘Muslims can not tolerate a Muslim girl falling in love with a Christian,’ says father Mani, confirming the news of the young man’s arrest this morning by police officers”