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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan's blasphemy laws castigated |
| 2007-06-13 |
| The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has deplored the abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, calling them a severe violation of the universally guaranteed right to the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief, while expressing concern over a draft bill in the National Assembly on apostasy. “Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are inherently arbitrary, and they de facto restrict freedom of speech and other freedoms guaranteed by international human rights norms,” said Felice D Gaer, head of the Commission on Monday. “These insidious laws lend themselves to misuse and abuse, resulting frequently in severe violations of freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan.” The laws, the commission has noted, have been applied most recently against Younis Masih, a Christian, whom a court in Lahore recently sentenced to death. The sentence against Masih was followed quickly by another blasphemy allegation against a group of Christian nurses in a hospital in Islamabad. Even before charges were filed in that case, the women were threatened with violence. Adding to concerns about the blasphemy laws is a draft bill currently before a standing committee of National Assembly that would impose the death penalty for apostasy, or converting from Islam to any other religion. The death sentence would be imposed on Muslim men; women would receive a life sentence. The bill, which provides that testimony by two or more adults would be sufficient grounds for conviction, was tabled by the MMA. “This proposed bill would violate human rights standards because it would criminalise an internationally protected right,” Gaer said. “Every effort should be made by the government of Pakistan to ensure that such repressive legislation is not passed.” |
| Posted by:Fred |