Tag: Pakistan
August 10, 2009 – Washington DC: National Press Club “Black Day” Press Conference Videos Online
August 10, 2009 – Washington DC: National Press Club “Black Day” Press Conference Videos Online – Calling for End to Pakistan Blasphemy Laws
— Part 1: Introduction by Ahmar Mustikhan and Jeffrey Imm of Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)
— Part 2: Dr. Nazir Bhatti – Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC)
— Part 3: Jeremy Sewall, International Christian Concern (ICC)
— Part 4: Ahmar Mustikhan, AFB
— Part 5: Ahmar Mustikhan, AFB Continued – on Baluchistan
Pakistan: Christians remember victims of Gojra violence
UCAN Report: Christians remember victims of Gojra violence
— UCAN reports: “More than 500 people packed the Sacred Heart Church in Gojra recently to remember those who died in anti-Christian rioting”
— Father Hadayat: “I believe their blood will not go wasted and will bring about a revolt against the black (blasphemy) laws.”
— “According to Church sources, the death toll from the rioting has now risen to 10, including three children and three women.”
Canadian Pakistani Christian staged rally to condemn Gojra massacre
Pakistan Daily Times: “Blasphemy laws once again in the limelight”
Pakistan Daily Times: “Blasphemy laws once again in the limelight”
— Pakistan Daily Times: “Religious affairs minister says major amendments in blasphemy laws will benefit Taliban”
— Pakistan Daily Times reports:
— “When an angry mob of Muslims torched 40 houses and a church in the town of Gojra, two children, their parents and 75-year-old grandfather were burnt to death.”
— “Three days later, two people were killed in Muridke in what was a private employee dispute against a Muslim factory boss, but coloured by unfounded allegations that the businessman desecrated the holy Quran.”
— “Arbitrary law: ‘It’s an arbitrary law, which has been badly misused by extremists and influentials and should be abolished,’ Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Co-chairman Iqbal Haider said.”
— “‘There is no option but to abolish this law. More than that, the government should revive the secular nature of the state as our founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah envisaged, otherwise it will aggravate religious unrest,’ he said.”
— “The government moved quickly to try to limit the fallout of the anti-Christian killings, offering compensation but cabinet ministers have stopped short of pledging to scrap the blasphemy laws.”
— “‘A committee will [examine] the laws which are detrimental to religious harmony to sort out how they could be made better,” Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told Christians during a solidarity visit to Gojra. Just one witness is enough to incriminate a ‘heretic.’ Anyone accused of blasphemy is immediately arrested and charged, before an investigation begins.”
— “In many cases, people take the law in their own hands and go for killing the alleged blasphemer and rights groups say this trend is increasing.”
— “Benefit: But Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi said the government could not risk a ‘full-fledged review’ inciting a religious backlash.”
— “‘Any move for a major amendment in the law will generate another controversy that will benefit extremists and harm the cause of our Christian brothers.'”
Pakistan – Additional Report on 60-year-old woman charged with “blasphemy”
— BBC reports: “The women says it wasn’t the Koran she flung to the ground but a register in which the shopkeeper had listed her credit”
— August 5, 2009: Pakistan: Mob attacks home of 60-year-old woman in extremist “blasphemy” charge
Buffalo Beheading Trial: “Man accused of killing wife to get mental examination”
Man accused of killing wife to get mental examination
Lawyers may seek insanity defense
By Matt Gryta
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
August 08, 2009
“Muzzammil S. ‘Mo’ Hassan, who is accused of beheading his wife, is expected to undergo psychiatric examinations that will determine whether his lawyers will be able to raise insanity issues at his upcoming trial.”
“During a hearing Friday, attorney James P. Harrington told Erie County Judge Thomas P. Franczyk that psychiatric examinations of Hassan, 44, are expected to be completed by mid-September.”
“Hassan, who was born in Pakistan, cofounded Bridges cable TV network, based in Orchard Park.”
“He has been jailed since turning himself into Orchard Park police about an hour after allegedly beheading his estranged wife and business partner, Aasiya Zubair Hassan, 37, in their TV studio on Feb. 12.”
“The week before, the victim had filed for divorce and obtained a court order of protection against Hassan, to keep him away from their Big Tree Road home — the scene of a dozen domestic problem incidents in recent years, according to police.”
“On March 12, an Erie County grand jury indicted Hassan on a single count of second-degree murder.”
“The victim, Hassan’s third wife and mother of the two youngest of his four children, was attacked in the Thorn Avenue office of the Muslim-oriented cable station the two launched about five years ago.”
“The couple’s children currently are living with relatives under court supervision.”
“During Friday’s brief court session, Colleen Curtin Gable, the chief homicide prosecutor in the case, complained to the judge about “repeated demands” of the Erie County District Attorney’s office as to how Harrington plans to defend Hassan.”
“Harrington, without showing his legal hand, told the judge and prosecutor he has been “working through some practical matters” in the case, which have delayed Hassan’s ‘evaluation’ by defense mental health experts.”
“After prosecutors receive the required pretrial notice on the defense strategy, they will be able to arrange for their own mental health professionals to examine the defendant — if insanity-linked issues are part of the defense strategy.”
“After Harrington said he is confident he can provide prosecutors with his defense strategy by mid-September the judge scheduled another session in the for Sept. 18. To give both sides enough time to prepare Franczyk has scheduled a tentative Jan. 19 start of jury selection in the murder trial.”
Pakistan: ‘Black Day’ shall be show of Christian power to repeal blasphemy law
Pakistan: ‘Black Day’ shall be show of Christian power to repeal blasphemy law — August 11
— Pakistan Christian Post (PCP) reports: “Sources revealed PCP that government is planning to impose section 144 and to arrest leaders and activists of organizations which have openly declared to participate in ‘Black Day’ but Nazir S Bhatti warned administration not to block or to disturb peaceful gathering of Christians.”
— “Nazir S Bhatti said, ‘By our unity and peaceful protest we have to press upon government to repeal blasphemy law because Islamic laws have been allegedly used to kill Christians by extremist Muslims'”
Pakistan: 17,000 in Pakistan Christian Post Poll to Observe “Black Day” Challenging Religious Discrimination
Over 17,000 in Pakistan Christian Post Poll State That They Will Observe “Black Day”
Rather than observing August 11 as “minority day” many will be observing August 11 as “Black Day” in recognition of the systematic religious discrimination, supremacism, and bigotry in Pakistan today, as demonstrated by Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
Related Reports:
Pakistan Christians to Observe “Black Day” on August 11; DC Press Conference on August 10, NYC U.N. Protest on August 12
Pakistan: ‘Black Day’ shall be show of Christian power to repeal blasphemy law
Pakistan, a Catholic activist: petition for the abolition of blasphemy law
Pakistan: Christians protest against deadly violence
“Pakistan Muslim Groups Threaten More Violence”
Pakistan – Report of Mob Burning Christian Homes for Alleged Extremist “Blasphemy”
Pakistan: Blasphemy laws, a pretext to attack Pakistan’s religious minorities
Pakistan: Mob attacks home of 60-year-old woman in extremist “blasphemy” charge
Pakistan, a Catholic activist: petition for the abolition of blasphemy law
Pakistan, a Catholic activist: petition for the abolition of blasphemy law
— Asia News reports: “The government is more ‘sensitive’ than in the past to the problems caused by the blasphemy law, but change will only be possible if ‘there is a mass movement’ behind us. That is why we decided to launch ‘a petition campaign throughout the country,’ says Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Catholic Church in Pakistan in an interview with AsiaNews.”