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| India-Pakistan |
| Zardari may pardon condemned Christian woman |
| 2010-11-21 |
| [Dawn] Pakistain's president may pardon a Christian woman facing a death sentence for blasphemy against Islam, officials said Saturday, as the mother of four tearfully denied the charge in interviews. The case of Asia Bibi has drawn appeals from Pope Benedict XVI and human rights ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... groups to free her. She was sentenced to death earlier this month. Bibi appeared in a televised interview at her prison Saturday, protesting her innocence to news hounds and maintaining the case stemmed from a personal dispute. "It was just the outcome of a rivalry. I would never even think of blasphemy," she said weeping. "I have small children. For God's sake, please set me free." The verdict has drawn attention to Pakistain's blasphemy laws, which critics say are used to persecute Christian and other minorities and fan extremism. They are also often exploited to settle personal scores. Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistain's minister for minority affairs, said Saturday that President Asif Ali President Ten PercentZardari ... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who has shown remarkably little curiosity about who actually done her in ... has asked for a report on the case and has the power to pardon Bibi. "The president has taken notice of this case ... he is concerned on this issue," Bhatti said, adding that Zardari has the power to pardon her even ahead of the court appeal. Gov. Salman Taseer of Punjab province, where Bibi is held, told news hounds in a televised conference he believes Zardari will soon pardon her. "I am going to take this petition to president and he will forgive her," he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 I thought it was blasphemy to drink water that was carried by a Christian, not for the Christian to carry the water, as was requested of her by the wife of the village chief or some such person. Methinks they blamed the wrong person here. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-11-21 02:59 |