GENEVA: An influential Christian Church organisation will hold an international conference in Geneva next month on Pakistan's blasphemy law, after an 11-year-old Pakistani Christian was detained on accusations of defaming Islam.
Religious and secular groups worldwide have protested over the arrest last week of Rifta Masih, accused by Muslim neighbours of burning verses from the Holy Quran.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) said the conference was intended to give a global platform to religious minorities in Pakistan "who are victimised in the name of its controversial blasphemy law" in cases which had brought death penalties and "mob-instigated violence".
It will be addressed by representatives of the minorities: Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, dissenting sects - including Ahmadis and Shias, and by civil society groups defending them.
The WCC said officials from the United Nations, where special human rights investigators on religious freedom have often criticised Pakistan's blasphemy law, would also attend.
But Pakistani diplomats in Geneva have not been invited.
The conference, from September 17-19, will be held during a sitting of the UN Human Rights Council where Pakistan, as spokesman for the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, regularly complains that Muslims are persecuted in the West.
"The public hearing aims to heighten discussions at international levels on the deteriorating situation of the human rights of minorities in Pakistan and the misuse of the blasphemy law," said WCC official Mathews George Chunakara.
The WCC, which links 349 Protestant and Orthodox Church bodies representing more than 560 million Christians in some 110 countries, said the gathering had been planned for some time and was not directly connected to Rifta Masih's case.
She was detained last week in Islamabad after mobs surrounded a police station where she was in protective custody.
The incident was followed by the forced exodus of several hundred Christians from the poverty-stricken suburb of the Pakistani capital after local mosques reported what the girl was alleged to have done over their loudspeakers.
"This is just the latest in a series of similar incidents going back many years. Some cases are reported but many go unreported," said George, who heads the WCC's commission on international affairs.
President Asif Al Zardari has called on officials for a report on the girl's arrest, which has brought protests from Amnesty International, British-based Christian group Barnabas Fund, and the global humanist body IHEU, among others.
"This latest affair just highlights the total hypocrisy of Pakistan, and its supporters, in the Human Rights Council," said Roy Brown, chief representative at the UN in Geneva of the IHEU, the International Humanist and Ethical Union.
COMMENTS (23)
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Although I'm fully for it, amending or abolishing the law is far from the solution. One of the comments above is right: the law actually stops people from attacking the accused with there own hands. What needs to be done is to desensitize people when it comes to religion and at the same time slowly bringing favourable amends to the law and ultimately abolishing it.
This is something no PPP, PTI, PML-A,B...X,Y,Z is capable of doing. Plus the process itself will take 50 or so years. Sad I wont live to see a normal flourishing Pakistan.
I will always have respect for Mr Salman Taseer. YES.. indeed it is a Kala Kanoon! Why isnt there any law for a muslim to get death penalty if HE says something about other religions? If a Muslim says or does bad things to someone's religion and the other person reacts.. he gets the death penalty.. but that Muslim is free to go?? Is this fair? NO WAY.
A big reason why this country failed = laws.
Im a Muslim and ive always been against these laws.. yes if you have to punish someone.. week or a two in the prison AT MAX! for gods sake they didnt kill anyone!! Our laws let the terrorists go? and kills people who didnt actually kill anyone? Anger, mental problems.. there can be many many complications why a person did this. giving death is stupid.
What this does is.. we can get anyone we want killed in the name of islam.. just tell the people around you that this person said this and that about islam and then watch the people.. or our law kills that person! .
It is beyond understanding that a Muslim killed in any part of the World,the OIC get together to raise voice against it. Why not our organizations can get together to form a fact finding mission in Pakistan for such a cruel law which is genociding minorities here.
@zehra: "good however as long as these mullahs are enlightened here it will not be effected, this is not in islam,"
If this is not in Islam, surely the good CJ can strike it down? After all he struck down the immunity law as being against basic structure of constitution, then striking down something against Islam should be fairly easy. Thus no need for enlightened mullahs just for the highly proactive CJ to step in at least once in defense of the minorities.
@sdcjsc: Thank you for your humanity.
WCC increasing pressure on the government,it should go deep.into the matter. There is no authority in Pakistan can make amendment in the relevant section dealing with blasphemy law.
If any one tried to touch it for such purpose as above mentioned would have to face tremendous public reaction.
So better way is that the allegation leveled against the girl be properly investigated in the transparent way.
In case, she is really mentally imbalanced figure and didn't know what she was doing what kind of crime she was committing,and a authority concerned declared her mentally impaired can be freed.
Some concerned quarters taking it a golden chance for criticizing Pakistan its leadership and law relating to blasphemy act.they should change the way and behave.
When the people know that they can be legally punished for blasphemy then why do they indulge in blasphemous acts? This law has come to stay as it has been enacted in accordance with the wishes of the people of Pakistan. It should also be appreciated that the law is not minorities specific. It is equally applicable to the Pakistani Muslims. In fact till this day no one from the minorities has been punished under this law. I am sure like any other man made law this law may also be having certain short comings which can be removed with the passage of time. Instead of using this incident as a propaganda ploy to malign Pakistan, the WCC should come up with practicable suggestions to improve the Law and its application.
Wel said @sdcjsc. I agree there is good majority of sensible people from all walks of life from Pakistan against these crazy laws, they should also be invited. Shia genocide is so heartwrenching and should also be highlighted. Since any internal voice against these laws meets death straightaway, therefore yes.. the pressure should come from outside. A big Thanks to World Council of Churches.
The idiots have to realise that such that this "law" that is supposedly intended to protect our religion from being insulted is actually causing more damage to its image than the alleged Blasphemers...this law has to be abolished.
what people think is by eleminating blasphmey law, they will protect non muslims??? if this law is not there, people will do justice to blasphmict on the streets.
this law is there to stop people taking Gun in their hand and do justice on the steets, but if the law is not there, people will not go to the court, they will decide on the roads what to do with blaspmict.
good
They should also invite sensible Sunni representatives. Many of us Sunnis are against this persecution of minorities as well.
Its my belief that that law can only be amended from the outside pressure on Pakistani government because anyone who will try to raise voice against it in Pakistan will have to do it on risking his life.
Where is the crowd to shout this is a Hindu-Zionist-Christian consiparacy to defame holy name of Pakistan and interfere in its internal matters?
Of course, Pakistan's leading contribution in OIC conference on Rohingyas was all legitimate!
It is this type of hypocracy that "endears" Pakistan to international community.
As for this conference, it should ask Christian, Hindu, and Budhdhist countries (USA, EU, Japan, China, Canada, Australia, South Korea to name a few) to cut off aid to Pakistan till it stop abuse of these groups! What is wrong in that?
Why are sunnis excluded. Not all sunnis support this unislamic law. Peace loving sunnis please raise your voices now. Or else we will be ruled by wahhabis in the near future.
This Law has brought so much Shame for Pakistan, if it cant be abandoned completely then at least it should be amended to ensure rights of minorities .
We are with you, Christian brothers. This blasphemy law is a blasphemy in itself.
I am very happy that finally,minorities in Pakistan are getting an international platform to speak out. For the last 60 years Hindus have suffered so much in Pak so much that their population has reduced from 22% to 1.2%!!!. Christians, Ahmadis, Shias are all victims of the bullying of the majority (Sunni) Muslims in Pak. I hope this kind of attention forces Pakistan to treat its minorities with dignity and equality. And I hope stupid laws like BLASPHEMY just go away.
yet another stain on Pak Sr Zameen Shad Baad!!
One sure way to get action against bad laws is to enforce sanctions plus block overseas bank accounts of politicians and persons of influence plus business houses and businessmen.