04-24-2017, 10:05 PM
*** 25-Apr-17 World View -- In Pakistan, you may murder anyone with impunity by accusing him of blasphemy first
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** In Pakistan, you may murder anyone with impunity by accusing him of blasphemy first
****
![[Image: g170424b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170424b.jpg)
Mashal Khan, lynched and killed by his college roommates after they falsely accused him of blasphemy (Facebook photo)
In Pakistan, accusing someone of defiling Islam or the Prophet
Mohammed, even if the accusations are 100% false, is a free ticket to
murder someone with impunity.
Blasphemy has long been treated as a crime in many countries,
including Christian countries, although rarely enforced. Many
countries have repealed their blasphemy laws.
In Pakistan, blasphemy laws were first codified by the British
colonial rulers in 1860, and expanded in 1927. Pakistan inherited
these laws after Partition in 1947 created the country. Between 1947
and 1985, there were only 14 known legal cases of blasphemy. But in
1986, Pakistan broadened the blasphemy laws and made it a capital
offense. Since that year, over 4,000 cases of blasphemy have been
registered. Since 1990, there have been at least 66 murders over
unproven allegations of blasphemy.
The law, as it was passed in 1992, said:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by
> visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or
> insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of
> the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished
> with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to
> fine."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
So anyone accused of blasphemy can be jailed, tortured and executed.
There is apparently no need for blasphemy accusers to provide proof,
and therefore someone accused of blasphemy has no defense. Analysts
claim that blasphemy laws are most often used against Christians, Shia
Muslims, and other non-Sunni Muslim sects such as the Ahmadis.
Prior to 2011, there were many calls to reform the blasphemy laws.
But in 2011, Salam Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, tried to
reform the blasphemy laws, and was shot dead by his own bodyguard.
For years the murderer was not prosecuted, but was actually treated as
a hero by other politicians and lawyers for having killed a blasphemer
-- using the twisted logic that calling for reform of the blasphemy
laws is itself an act of blasphemy worthy of instant murder.
Since then, politicians in fear of their lives have refrained from
calling for any reforms to the blasphemy laws, while judges and
lawyers are afraid to defend accused blasphemers, even when there's no
evidence. The result is that blasphemy charges are freely used for
personal disputes, and even allow a murder with impunity. BBC (6-Nov-2014) and Christians In Pakistan and Asia and Reuters (20-Apr)
****
**** Even Pakistan is shocked by three blasphemy murders in 11 days
****
In recent years, I've reported on dozens of terror attacks by Pakistan
terror groups on Pakistan civilians. These most often target Shia
Muslims, and a single terror attack might kill dozens or even
hundreds of people, including women and children.
If terror attacks are used for mass slaughter, then killing based on
the blasphemy laws can be thought of as terror attacks on an
individual basis. If you don't like your next door neighbor, you
probably can't kill him with a bomb, but you can shoot him dead after
accusing him of blasphemy. And if he's a Shia Muslim or Christian,
there'll usually be no punishment.
However, there have been a sudden rash of the blasphemy killings, with
three of them in the 11 days, causing the normally unshockable people
in the Pakistani public to actually be shocked.
On April 13, college student Mashal Khan was accused of blasphemy by
his roommates in a hostel where they were all living. The mob of
roommates brutally lynched Mashal Khan, beating him before shooting
him in the head and chest. The mob then continued to beat his dead
body with sticks.
Apparently Mashal's crime was a tv interview where he complained about
the administration of the college he was attending, and called for
reduced college fees. Mashal's cousin wants to go to college, but his
father is telling him, "Don’t go to a university. They kill children
there."
Since then, two other blasphemy charges have turned into mob violence.
On April 19, three girls in their 20s wearing burqas shot dead Fazal
Abbas. Abbas had been accused of blasphemy in 2004, and had fled the
country to Denmark. He only returned to Pakistan recently to defend
himself against the blasphemy charges. He was out on bail when the
three girls killed him. One was quoted as saying, "we couldn’t kill
him at the time [2004] because we were too young then."
On April 21, Rashid Ahmed was accused of uttering "blasphemous
remarks" during Friday prayers at a mosque in northwest Pakistan. The
worshippers in the mosque started beating the man. Six police
officers were injured trying to rescue him. The mosque's imam saved
him, and turned him over to police.
According to witnesses, Ahmed entered the mosque asking to make an
important announcement. He then declared himself a messiah and said
he would lead his followers to paradise. According to police, the man
is suffering from mental illness.
These brutal murders have shocked Pakistan, and there are renewed
calls to reform the blasphemy laws. But there's little hope of any
real reform. This is a country that pays terrorists to attack targets
in India and Afghanistan, and the same psychopathic vitriol that
permeates Pakistan's clerical establishment also protects the
blasphemy laws and particularly their use in freely killing Shia
Muslims and Christians. Daily Times (Pakistan) and Al Jazeera and Geo TV (Pakistan 18-Apr) and Express Tribune (Pakistan)
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Pakistan, blasphemy, Salam Taseer,
Mashal Khan, Fazal Abbas, Rashid Ahmed
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
- In Pakistan, you may murder anyone with impunity by accusing him of blasphemy first
- Even Pakistan is shocked by three blasphemy murders in 11 days
****
**** In Pakistan, you may murder anyone with impunity by accusing him of blasphemy first
****
Mashal Khan, lynched and killed by his college roommates after they falsely accused him of blasphemy (Facebook photo)
In Pakistan, accusing someone of defiling Islam or the Prophet
Mohammed, even if the accusations are 100% false, is a free ticket to
murder someone with impunity.
Blasphemy has long been treated as a crime in many countries,
including Christian countries, although rarely enforced. Many
countries have repealed their blasphemy laws.
In Pakistan, blasphemy laws were first codified by the British
colonial rulers in 1860, and expanded in 1927. Pakistan inherited
these laws after Partition in 1947 created the country. Between 1947
and 1985, there were only 14 known legal cases of blasphemy. But in
1986, Pakistan broadened the blasphemy laws and made it a capital
offense. Since that year, over 4,000 cases of blasphemy have been
registered. Since 1990, there have been at least 66 murders over
unproven allegations of blasphemy.
The law, as it was passed in 1992, said:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by
> visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or
> insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of
> the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished
> with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to
> fine."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
So anyone accused of blasphemy can be jailed, tortured and executed.
There is apparently no need for blasphemy accusers to provide proof,
and therefore someone accused of blasphemy has no defense. Analysts
claim that blasphemy laws are most often used against Christians, Shia
Muslims, and other non-Sunni Muslim sects such as the Ahmadis.
Prior to 2011, there were many calls to reform the blasphemy laws.
But in 2011, Salam Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, tried to
reform the blasphemy laws, and was shot dead by his own bodyguard.
For years the murderer was not prosecuted, but was actually treated as
a hero by other politicians and lawyers for having killed a blasphemer
-- using the twisted logic that calling for reform of the blasphemy
laws is itself an act of blasphemy worthy of instant murder.
Since then, politicians in fear of their lives have refrained from
calling for any reforms to the blasphemy laws, while judges and
lawyers are afraid to defend accused blasphemers, even when there's no
evidence. The result is that blasphemy charges are freely used for
personal disputes, and even allow a murder with impunity. BBC (6-Nov-2014) and Christians In Pakistan and Asia and Reuters (20-Apr)
****
**** Even Pakistan is shocked by three blasphemy murders in 11 days
****
In recent years, I've reported on dozens of terror attacks by Pakistan
terror groups on Pakistan civilians. These most often target Shia
Muslims, and a single terror attack might kill dozens or even
hundreds of people, including women and children.
If terror attacks are used for mass slaughter, then killing based on
the blasphemy laws can be thought of as terror attacks on an
individual basis. If you don't like your next door neighbor, you
probably can't kill him with a bomb, but you can shoot him dead after
accusing him of blasphemy. And if he's a Shia Muslim or Christian,
there'll usually be no punishment.
However, there have been a sudden rash of the blasphemy killings, with
three of them in the 11 days, causing the normally unshockable people
in the Pakistani public to actually be shocked.
On April 13, college student Mashal Khan was accused of blasphemy by
his roommates in a hostel where they were all living. The mob of
roommates brutally lynched Mashal Khan, beating him before shooting
him in the head and chest. The mob then continued to beat his dead
body with sticks.
Apparently Mashal's crime was a tv interview where he complained about
the administration of the college he was attending, and called for
reduced college fees. Mashal's cousin wants to go to college, but his
father is telling him, "Don’t go to a university. They kill children
there."
Since then, two other blasphemy charges have turned into mob violence.
On April 19, three girls in their 20s wearing burqas shot dead Fazal
Abbas. Abbas had been accused of blasphemy in 2004, and had fled the
country to Denmark. He only returned to Pakistan recently to defend
himself against the blasphemy charges. He was out on bail when the
three girls killed him. One was quoted as saying, "we couldn’t kill
him at the time [2004] because we were too young then."
On April 21, Rashid Ahmed was accused of uttering "blasphemous
remarks" during Friday prayers at a mosque in northwest Pakistan. The
worshippers in the mosque started beating the man. Six police
officers were injured trying to rescue him. The mosque's imam saved
him, and turned him over to police.
According to witnesses, Ahmed entered the mosque asking to make an
important announcement. He then declared himself a messiah and said
he would lead his followers to paradise. According to police, the man
is suffering from mental illness.
These brutal murders have shocked Pakistan, and there are renewed
calls to reform the blasphemy laws. But there's little hope of any
real reform. This is a country that pays terrorists to attack targets
in India and Afghanistan, and the same psychopathic vitriol that
permeates Pakistan's clerical establishment also protects the
blasphemy laws and particularly their use in freely killing Shia
Muslims and Christians. Daily Times (Pakistan) and Al Jazeera and Geo TV (Pakistan 18-Apr) and Express Tribune (Pakistan)
Related Articles
- Pakistan's bizarre blasphemy laws lead to death threats for son of slain governor (04-Jan-2017)
- Pakistan's crisis worsens as senior politician Salman Taseer is assassinated (05-Jan-2011)
- History of blasphemy laws in UK, Ireland and Pakistan (20-Sep-2012)
- Pakistan unexpectedly executes murderer of liberal politician Salman Taseer (01-Mar-2016)
- Thousands protest violently over execution of murderer of blasphemy reformer (28-Mar-2016)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Pakistan, blasphemy, Salam Taseer,
Mashal Khan, Fazal Abbas, Rashid Ahmed
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
