10-31-2018, 08:52 PM
*** 1-Nov-18 World View -- Pakistan court reaffirms Mohammed's covenant with Christianity, acquits Asia Bibi of blasphemy
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Pakistan Supreme Court acquits Asia Bibi of blasphemy, triggering widespread riots
****
![[Image: g181031b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g181031b.jpg)
Asia Bibi
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday reversed the conviction of Asia
Bibi, a Christian woman with five children who was convicted of
blasphemy and sentenced to death by hanging in 2010, and has remained
on death row since then. The court's scathing decision not only
acquitted her, but also accused the two women who accused her of
blasphemy, as well as the prosecutors who took the case to trial, of
their own acts of blasphemy against Asia's religion, Christianity.
Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), the political party of the loony
Barelvi sect of hardline Sunni Islam has called for nationwide riots,
and the assassination of the three Supreme Court judges, who are being
given additional protection. Widespread protests erupted on Wednesday
in cities across Pakistan, including Lahore and Karachi, shutting down
roads.
It was feared that the government would bow to the Barelvi/TLP demands
and ignore the court's decision. That hasn't happened so far, and the
new prime minister Imran Khan has endorsed the court verdict, and
condemned the protesters:
<QUOTE>"These protesters are not ‘protecting’ Islam; they are
just trying to fill their vote banks. They are enemies of the
state that are doing politics in the name of the religion. People
cannot get to their jobs. A laborer, who had to get to his work
place and would be unable to feed his children because of
this. ...
Do not force the government to take action. Do not clash with the
state or hurt the country only for political gains."<END QUOTE>
However, there are still concerns that the Barelvi/TLP terrorists will
prevent Asia Bibi from leaving the country, now that she's free and
several countries have offered her asylum.
The blasphemy charge occurred when a bunch of women started arguing
with each other. Several women refused to drink out of the same
cup as Asia because she's a Christian. Five days later, they
decided to charge her with blasphemy. She was prosecuted and
has been in jail until today.
Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province in Pakistan, called for
the release of Asia Bibi, and was shot 28 times in broad daylight in
an open marketplace on January 4, 2011. The killer was his bodyguard,
Mumtaz Qadri. The motive, as described by Qadri, was to punish Taseer
for objecting to Pakistan's blasphemy laws, and for calling for the
release of Asia Bibi. Qadri was not just a national hero, but he was
a Barelvi hero, and it's that execution that led to the rise of TLP.
Since Qadri justified his murder of Taseer with a phony blasphemy
charge, the TLP political movement is based almost entirely on phony
blasphemy charges. Qadri was showered with roses and treated as a hero
in 2011 after brutally
murdering Taseer. Qadri was finally executed last year, but not
before he became a national hero for killing Taseer over a phony
blasphemy charge.
So Asia Bibi has been a political foil for the loony Barelvi sect for
eight years. If she is successful in leaving the country, at least
that part of saga may be over. BBC and Deutsche Welle and Dawn (Pakistan, 13-Oct)
****
**** Pakistan Supreme Court defends Mohammed's covenant with Christianity
****
The court's opinion is very long, 56 pages. Each statement or
conclusion is supported by a verse from the Koran. It's in roughly
three parts.
The first part is the history of blasphemy laws in Pakistan.
The second part describes the evidence against Asia Bibi.
The third part is a scathing criticism of the women who accused Asia
of blasphemy, and of the prosecutors who tried the case, repeated
lying and ignoring exculpatory evidence. Furthermore, the court
accuses the women and the prosecutors and even the trial courts of
violating Mohammed's covenant with Christians and Christianity, and of
being guilty themselves of blasphemy, for having blasphemed the
religion of Asia Bibi, which was Christianity.
The following are extracts from the latter parts of the opinion.
According to the judgment, the Asia Bibi's prosecutors repeatedly
lied, and so the prosecutors were in violation of the Koran:
<QUOTE>"20. The glaring and stark contradictions in the
evidence produced by the prosecution in respect of every factual
aspect of this case, noticed by me above, lead to an irresistible
and unfortunate impression that all those concerned in the case
with providing evidence and conducting investigation had taken
upon themselves not to speak the truth or at least not to divulge
the whole truth. It is equally disturbing to note that the courts
below had also, conveniently or otherwise, failed to advert to
such contradictions and some downright falsehood. All concerned
would have certainly done better if they had paid heed to what
Almighty Allah has ordained in the Holy Qur’an:
[i]“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for
Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people
prevent you from being just. Be just, that is nearer to
righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is acquainted with
what you do.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: verse 8)
“So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And
if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then
indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, acquainted.” (Surah
An-Nisa: verse 135)"<END QUOTE>[/i]
The court was particularly suspicious that Asia was only accused of
blasphemy five days after the alleged incident occurred, and that
Asia's accusers themselves had insulted her (Christian) religion.
They say that the Koran demands every Muslim believe in all the holy
prophets, including Jesus Christ, and that therefore Asia's accusers
were themselves blasphemers:
<QUOTE>"23. The statements made by [prosecutors] before the
trial court revealed that the alleged blasphemy had been committed
by the Christian appellant after her Muslim co-workers had
insulted the appellant’s religion and had injured her religious
sensibilities only because she believed in and was a follower of
Jesus Christ. According to the Holy Qur’an a Muslim’s faith is not
complete till he believes in all the Holy Prophets and Messengers
of Almighty Allah including Jesus Christ (Isa son of Maryam)
(Peace Be Upon Him) and all the revealed Holy Books of Almighty
Allah including the Holy Bible. From that perspective insulting
the appellant’s religion by her Muslim co-workers was no less
blasphemous. Almighty Allah, the Creator of mankind, knew how a
human being whose religion and religious sensibilities are
insulted is likely to snap and retort and that is why it was
ordained in the Holy Qur’an that
[i]“And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah, lest
they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge. Thus We have made
pleasing to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is
their return, and He will inform them about what they used to do.”
(Surah Al-An’am: verse 108)
The Muslim co-workers of the appellant had violated the command of
Almighty Allah by insulting the Deity believed in and the religion
followed by the appellant and, even if the prosecution’s
allegations against the appellant were to be accepted as correct,
the stated reaction to the same by the appellant was not different
from that warned about by Almighty Allah."<END QUOTE>[/i]
The court went on at length to describe how Mohammed was committed to
protecting Christians and Christianity, and so Asia's accusers were
actually violating one of Mohammed's covenants:
<QUOTE>"24. In view of the glaring contradictions in the
evidence produced by the prosecution it has appeared to me to be
equally plausible that due to the quarrel taking place between the
appellant and her Muslim coworkers at the spot without any
offending word having been uttered by the appellant the quarrel
was reported by the Muslim ladies to others who then, after
deliberating over the matter for five long days, had decided to go
after the appellant with a false allegation regarding commission
of blasphemy. If that were so then the Muslim witnesses in this
case had violated a covenant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace
Be Upon Him) with those professing the Christian faith. [One
covenant is with the] Monks of Mount Sinai. It is reported that
in or around the year 628 A.D. a delegation from St. Catherine’s
Monastery, the world’s oldest monastery located at the foot of
Mount Sinai in Egypt, came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be
Upon Him), requested for his protection and he responded by
granting them a charter of rights. That charter, also known as The
Promise to St. Catherine, was translated from Arabic to English
language by Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq as follows:
[i]"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to
those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them,
because Christians are my citizens; and by God! I hold out against
anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on
them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor
their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house
of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to
the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would
spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my
allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The
Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to
a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not
to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches
are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from
repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of
the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day
(end of the world)."
The promise made was eternal and universal and was not limited to
St. Catherine alone. The rights conferred by the charter are
inalienable and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) had
declared that Christians, all of them, were his allies and he
equated ill treatment of Christians with violating God’s
covenant. It is noticeable that the charter imposed no conditions
on Christians for enjoying its privileges and it was enough that
they were Christians. They were not required to alter their
beliefs, they did not have to make any payments and they did not
have any obligations. The charter was of rights without any duties
and it clearly protected the right to property, freedom of
religion, freedom of work, and security of person."<END QUOTE>[/i]
The court reaches its final conclusion, completely acquitting
Asia Bibi:
<QUOTE>"[25.] Blasphemy is a serious offence but the insult
of the appellant’s religion and religious sensibilities by the
complainant party and then mixing truth with falsehood in the name
of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was also not
short of being blasphemous. It is ironical that in the Arabic
language the appellant’s name Asia means ‘sinful’ but in the
circumstances of the present case she appears to be a person, in
the words of Shakespeare’s King Leare, “more sinned against than
sinning”.
26. For what has been discussed above a conclusion is inescapable
and irresistible that the prosecution had failed to prove its case
against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt. This appeal is,
therefore, allowed, the conviction and sentence of the appellant
recorded and upheld by the courts below are set aside and she is
acquitted of the charge by extending the benefit of doubt to
her. She shall be released from the jail forthwith if not required
to be detained in connection with any other case."<END QUOTE>
Although not mentioned in the opinion, the implication is that TLP is
also guilty of blasphemy. Pakistan Supreme Court (PDF) and Christianity Today and BBC
Related Articles
[*] Pakistan's interior minister shot by member of loony anti-blasphemy Barelvi sect (07-May-2018)
[*] History of blasphemy laws in UK, Ireland and Pakistan (20-Sep-2012)
[*] Pakistan's crisis worsens as senior politician is assassinated (05-Jan-2011)
[*] Pakistan government totally capitulates to hardline Islamist TLYRAP Barelvi sect mob (29-Nov-2017)
[*] Pakistan unexpectedly executes murderer of liberal politician Salman Taseer (01-Mar-2016)
[/list]
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Pakistan, Imran Khan, Asia Bibi,
Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, TLP, Barelvi sect,
Salman Taseer, Mumtaz Qadri
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Pakistan Supreme Court acquits Asia Bibi of blasphemy, triggering widespread riots
- Pakistan Supreme Court defends Mohammed's covenant with Christianity
****
**** Pakistan Supreme Court acquits Asia Bibi of blasphemy, triggering widespread riots
****
Asia Bibi
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday reversed the conviction of Asia
Bibi, a Christian woman with five children who was convicted of
blasphemy and sentenced to death by hanging in 2010, and has remained
on death row since then. The court's scathing decision not only
acquitted her, but also accused the two women who accused her of
blasphemy, as well as the prosecutors who took the case to trial, of
their own acts of blasphemy against Asia's religion, Christianity.
Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), the political party of the loony
Barelvi sect of hardline Sunni Islam has called for nationwide riots,
and the assassination of the three Supreme Court judges, who are being
given additional protection. Widespread protests erupted on Wednesday
in cities across Pakistan, including Lahore and Karachi, shutting down
roads.
It was feared that the government would bow to the Barelvi/TLP demands
and ignore the court's decision. That hasn't happened so far, and the
new prime minister Imran Khan has endorsed the court verdict, and
condemned the protesters:
<QUOTE>"These protesters are not ‘protecting’ Islam; they are
just trying to fill their vote banks. They are enemies of the
state that are doing politics in the name of the religion. People
cannot get to their jobs. A laborer, who had to get to his work
place and would be unable to feed his children because of
this. ...
Do not force the government to take action. Do not clash with the
state or hurt the country only for political gains."<END QUOTE>
However, there are still concerns that the Barelvi/TLP terrorists will
prevent Asia Bibi from leaving the country, now that she's free and
several countries have offered her asylum.
The blasphemy charge occurred when a bunch of women started arguing
with each other. Several women refused to drink out of the same
cup as Asia because she's a Christian. Five days later, they
decided to charge her with blasphemy. She was prosecuted and
has been in jail until today.
Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province in Pakistan, called for
the release of Asia Bibi, and was shot 28 times in broad daylight in
an open marketplace on January 4, 2011. The killer was his bodyguard,
Mumtaz Qadri. The motive, as described by Qadri, was to punish Taseer
for objecting to Pakistan's blasphemy laws, and for calling for the
release of Asia Bibi. Qadri was not just a national hero, but he was
a Barelvi hero, and it's that execution that led to the rise of TLP.
Since Qadri justified his murder of Taseer with a phony blasphemy
charge, the TLP political movement is based almost entirely on phony
blasphemy charges. Qadri was showered with roses and treated as a hero
in 2011 after brutally
murdering Taseer. Qadri was finally executed last year, but not
before he became a national hero for killing Taseer over a phony
blasphemy charge.
So Asia Bibi has been a political foil for the loony Barelvi sect for
eight years. If she is successful in leaving the country, at least
that part of saga may be over. BBC and Deutsche Welle and Dawn (Pakistan, 13-Oct)
****
**** Pakistan Supreme Court defends Mohammed's covenant with Christianity
****
The court's opinion is very long, 56 pages. Each statement or
conclusion is supported by a verse from the Koran. It's in roughly
three parts.
The first part is the history of blasphemy laws in Pakistan.
The second part describes the evidence against Asia Bibi.
The third part is a scathing criticism of the women who accused Asia
of blasphemy, and of the prosecutors who tried the case, repeated
lying and ignoring exculpatory evidence. Furthermore, the court
accuses the women and the prosecutors and even the trial courts of
violating Mohammed's covenant with Christians and Christianity, and of
being guilty themselves of blasphemy, for having blasphemed the
religion of Asia Bibi, which was Christianity.
The following are extracts from the latter parts of the opinion.
According to the judgment, the Asia Bibi's prosecutors repeatedly
lied, and so the prosecutors were in violation of the Koran:
<QUOTE>"20. The glaring and stark contradictions in the
evidence produced by the prosecution in respect of every factual
aspect of this case, noticed by me above, lead to an irresistible
and unfortunate impression that all those concerned in the case
with providing evidence and conducting investigation had taken
upon themselves not to speak the truth or at least not to divulge
the whole truth. It is equally disturbing to note that the courts
below had also, conveniently or otherwise, failed to advert to
such contradictions and some downright falsehood. All concerned
would have certainly done better if they had paid heed to what
Almighty Allah has ordained in the Holy Qur’an:
[i]“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for
Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people
prevent you from being just. Be just, that is nearer to
righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is acquainted with
what you do.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: verse 8)
“So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And
if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then
indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, acquainted.” (Surah
An-Nisa: verse 135)"<END QUOTE>[/i]
The court was particularly suspicious that Asia was only accused of
blasphemy five days after the alleged incident occurred, and that
Asia's accusers themselves had insulted her (Christian) religion.
They say that the Koran demands every Muslim believe in all the holy
prophets, including Jesus Christ, and that therefore Asia's accusers
were themselves blasphemers:
<QUOTE>"23. The statements made by [prosecutors] before the
trial court revealed that the alleged blasphemy had been committed
by the Christian appellant after her Muslim co-workers had
insulted the appellant’s religion and had injured her religious
sensibilities only because she believed in and was a follower of
Jesus Christ. According to the Holy Qur’an a Muslim’s faith is not
complete till he believes in all the Holy Prophets and Messengers
of Almighty Allah including Jesus Christ (Isa son of Maryam)
(Peace Be Upon Him) and all the revealed Holy Books of Almighty
Allah including the Holy Bible. From that perspective insulting
the appellant’s religion by her Muslim co-workers was no less
blasphemous. Almighty Allah, the Creator of mankind, knew how a
human being whose religion and religious sensibilities are
insulted is likely to snap and retort and that is why it was
ordained in the Holy Qur’an that
[i]“And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah, lest
they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge. Thus We have made
pleasing to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is
their return, and He will inform them about what they used to do.”
(Surah Al-An’am: verse 108)
The Muslim co-workers of the appellant had violated the command of
Almighty Allah by insulting the Deity believed in and the religion
followed by the appellant and, even if the prosecution’s
allegations against the appellant were to be accepted as correct,
the stated reaction to the same by the appellant was not different
from that warned about by Almighty Allah."<END QUOTE>[/i]
The court went on at length to describe how Mohammed was committed to
protecting Christians and Christianity, and so Asia's accusers were
actually violating one of Mohammed's covenants:
<QUOTE>"24. In view of the glaring contradictions in the
evidence produced by the prosecution it has appeared to me to be
equally plausible that due to the quarrel taking place between the
appellant and her Muslim coworkers at the spot without any
offending word having been uttered by the appellant the quarrel
was reported by the Muslim ladies to others who then, after
deliberating over the matter for five long days, had decided to go
after the appellant with a false allegation regarding commission
of blasphemy. If that were so then the Muslim witnesses in this
case had violated a covenant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace
Be Upon Him) with those professing the Christian faith. [One
covenant is with the] Monks of Mount Sinai. It is reported that
in or around the year 628 A.D. a delegation from St. Catherine’s
Monastery, the world’s oldest monastery located at the foot of
Mount Sinai in Egypt, came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be
Upon Him), requested for his protection and he responded by
granting them a charter of rights. That charter, also known as The
Promise to St. Catherine, was translated from Arabic to English
language by Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq as follows:
[i]"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to
those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them,
because Christians are my citizens; and by God! I hold out against
anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on
them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor
their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house
of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to
the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would
spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my
allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The
Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to
a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not
to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches
are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from
repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of
the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day
(end of the world)."
The promise made was eternal and universal and was not limited to
St. Catherine alone. The rights conferred by the charter are
inalienable and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) had
declared that Christians, all of them, were his allies and he
equated ill treatment of Christians with violating God’s
covenant. It is noticeable that the charter imposed no conditions
on Christians for enjoying its privileges and it was enough that
they were Christians. They were not required to alter their
beliefs, they did not have to make any payments and they did not
have any obligations. The charter was of rights without any duties
and it clearly protected the right to property, freedom of
religion, freedom of work, and security of person."<END QUOTE>[/i]
The court reaches its final conclusion, completely acquitting
Asia Bibi:
<QUOTE>"[25.] Blasphemy is a serious offence but the insult
of the appellant’s religion and religious sensibilities by the
complainant party and then mixing truth with falsehood in the name
of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was also not
short of being blasphemous. It is ironical that in the Arabic
language the appellant’s name Asia means ‘sinful’ but in the
circumstances of the present case she appears to be a person, in
the words of Shakespeare’s King Leare, “more sinned against than
sinning”.
26. For what has been discussed above a conclusion is inescapable
and irresistible that the prosecution had failed to prove its case
against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt. This appeal is,
therefore, allowed, the conviction and sentence of the appellant
recorded and upheld by the courts below are set aside and she is
acquitted of the charge by extending the benefit of doubt to
her. She shall be released from the jail forthwith if not required
to be detained in connection with any other case."<END QUOTE>
Although not mentioned in the opinion, the implication is that TLP is
also guilty of blasphemy. Pakistan Supreme Court (PDF) and Christianity Today and BBC
Related Articles
[*] Pakistan's interior minister shot by member of loony anti-blasphemy Barelvi sect (07-May-2018)
[*] History of blasphemy laws in UK, Ireland and Pakistan (20-Sep-2012)
[*] Pakistan's crisis worsens as senior politician is assassinated (05-Jan-2011)
[*] Pakistan government totally capitulates to hardline Islamist TLYRAP Barelvi sect mob (29-Nov-2017)
[*] Pakistan unexpectedly executes murderer of liberal politician Salman Taseer (01-Mar-2016)
[/list]
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Pakistan, Imran Khan, Asia Bibi,
Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, TLP, Barelvi sect,
Salman Taseer, Mumtaz Qadri
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
