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Security risk: ‘Jailed blasphemy accused under threat’
Militants planning to launch suicide attack at Aasia Bibi's prison, intelligence reports say.
Militants planning to launch suicide attack at Aasia Bibi's prison, intelligence reports say.
LAHORE: A group of militants is planning to launch a suicide attack at the prison where Christian blasphemy convict Aasia Bibi is being held, according to an intelligence report issued last week, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Aasia Bibi is being kept in the Sheikhupura district Jail, where the Punjab police and jail authorities have beefed up security following this report and the murder of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. The terrorist group, according to the intelligence report, calls itself “Moaviya group”.
According to official figures, 131 people are being held in jails across Punjab on blasphemy charges. Eleven of them have been sentenced to death, including Aasia Bibi.
As many as 35 people, who were accused of committing blasphemy or defending them, have been killed between 1990 and 2011, including Taseer. They were all killed in either extra judicial killings or found dead in prison under dubious circumstances.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2011.
Reader Comments (31)
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Aisai Bibi have no right to say anything bad to our religion. She must be given punishment for this act.Recommend
Its really sad but I think she is a sitting duck in her jail cell. Even if this suicide attack doesn’t get to her some policeman will kill her. Her only chance is that Zardari pardons her and she migrates to some Western country.
These vicious people who yesterday showered Quadri, the murderer, with rose petals have won. There is no law. Everyone has to take care of themselves. One is only safe if you join one of these fascist tanzeems. Everyone else is doomed!Recommend
I am just ashamed to be a Pakistani. I never ever thought I would say that, but now I do.Recommend
@M.S: WHY?…..Would u have the same statement if u were born in USA when cilvil war was going on…and recent was between black and white ethnic group….don’t forget u r living on earth not Paradise….Ups and dows are parts of our life…Recommend
Why my comments got deleted? May i ask?Recommend
that’s why India is far far better _ _ _Recommend
When Pak police can not protect their leader how they will protect Aasia .Just offer her political asylum in some western countryRecommend
Whats going on with this nation?
She might have said something inappropriate…but do we hang people for that? What happened to freedom of expression? I am a muslim, a proud muslim, but everyone has a right to say anything they want. She said it in a private gathering, and not published her comments to a newspaper or a bulletin board.
We have so many issues to deal with in this country. Why don’t we start tackling those, rather than something like this?
President Zardari should pardon her, and as possible punishment arrange a deal with a western country to grant her assylum.Recommend
May God give us the power to understandRecommend
M.S. you should not be ashamed of Pakistan. But you should be ashamed of the fanatic Islamists.Recommend
tribune’s doing an excellent job for portraying the sentiments of the silent,miniscule minority which has probably received a death blow from the lack of outrage at this murder by the news anchors.I hope tribune publishes this comment,i think this is the time when the rational,sane forces in pakistan support each other,no matter what blog or publication they are from.
The following are links to good articles on this issue,click on the link & share it:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2040792,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/jan/05/salman-taseer-murder-pakistan
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/05/pakistan-salman-taseer-liberal
http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2011/01/pakistani-writers-and-bloggers-react-to-salmaan-taseers-death/Recommend
I too was shocked at flowers being thrown at this monster/murderer. Now murderers are treated like heros. My head is in shame. What happened to us as a nation? All religious parties blamed the Governor for his own murder. No wonder they dont get any votes. It time for stand up for this BSRecommend
After these events, I now absolutely reject my Pakistani heritage and question my faith (Islam) after seeing the outpouring of support for the ugly coward, as depicted in the media and witnessed myself on Facebook. What a fine example of a failed state (and people)Recommend
There is no such verse in the Quran that states kill of blasphemy. They might seem that way but once put into full textual and historical (conflict with the pagan coalition) context you’ll understand that Islam does indeed preach peace and condemn warfare except when there is no hope of peace.
Think about it: if we start killing to protect our religion, what does that say about our religion?
“There is no God, but God and there is no Judge, but Allah!”Recommend
Sorry to say this….! i today really feel that this is not the Islam Prophet PBUH gave us…! this is not his heritage… This is not for what he arrived in this world….Recommend
For specific complaints and enquiries, please email web@tribune.com.pk Best regards (Web Desk)Recommend
If u go back and study history our Holy Prophet S.A.W. forgave the old lady who used to tease Holy Prophet S.A.W. and she was converted to muslim with the attitude, what type of islam these Pakistani extremist are spreadind ,just creating hatred between muslim’s and the non-muslim communities. What does bleshpamy means according to them just to take their own revenge by using Islam’s nameRecommend
Asia BiBi should be released at once !Recommend
Oh boy! she is about to get her self killed. Thats for sure.
I pray that one day Allah shows this nation’s extremist the
right path to Janat – which is not killing human beings!Recommend
@ prabhat k verma…. Shut your mouth. “Anyone who laughs at the disaster of somebody (even an enemy) cannot call himself a Human. This applies to everyone.” You remember Binayak Sen? A doctor, who was given an outrageous penalty by the court, even if we assume he is guilty as charged?
To everybody: I apologize for the insensitive lunatic.Recommend
It is time Islam as taught by our Prophet (PBUH) be taught – a person of immense tolerance, indeed in Mecca he prayed at the first Muslim mosque with Christians praying their prayers by his side. The Holy book that so well expresses his teachings expresses to accuse a person of any crime one should not have ever lied, and more. The ravings of village women in a dispute against a poor Christian lady to be utilised to sentence her to death to me is absolute madness. The hysteria that has followed at the behest of fascist mullahs, certain TV personalities and even politicians are a terrible shame on our nation. Certainly not what Jinnah had envisioned for our country. That our brave governor took up the cause of this poor lady and has paid for it with his life is disgusting. I hope his death will not be in vain, I hope the mad people of this country will not bully progressives into silence, and I hope Salmaan Taseer will be held as an example and twenty more follow in his footsteps. He was the real Muslim, not these madmen. May there be no more deaths of minorities. It would be a legacy that would honour him.Recommend
Any country that still applies blasphemy laws is still in the Dark Ages. It is not the fault of the extremists,but the people who don’t agree with these laws and sit on the sidelines and say/do nothing out of fear. It will never change as long as the majority of the population allow it to continue. Fear is a powerful motivator but in every case brave people have stood against tyranny and changed the laws. Aisai Bibi should have the right to say anything she wants. If you claim that Pakistan is a democracy then democratic laws should be applied. What Pakistan really is is a Theocracy and not a good one at that. She she be pardoned and immediately be moved to a western country where she would be safe. The same with all the other blasphemy prisoners.Recommend
We have chosen to believe the testimony of 6 jahil women against this lady. Lets us briefly visit the case again. These six ‘pious’ ladies of Muslim faith refused to drink water out of a vessel this poor Christian woman touched, calling her ‘napak’ Now let us pause here for a second ponder on this one point. We the Muslims are allowed to marry women and men of the book. i.e. Christians and Jews amongst others. Does anyone reading this believes for a second that these six pious of women of Muslim faith represented what Quran and the Messenger of Allah, Mohammah (PBUH) has tought us? In my opinion these women are the blasphemers of the religion of Islam and should be treated accordingly.
what happened next is ‘she said, he said’ These six ‘pious’ women launched a complain against this women. May be she said something bad about our religion and the Messenger of Allah. But look at the circumstances. You CANNOT punish people to death for this type of thing. This is completely outrageous and unacceptable. These six women should be punished for their behaviour and most probably false testimony under the oath.
Complete utter non-sense!Recommend
Please Watch This,
It May reveal some facts.
http://www.youtube.com/sagricon#p/u/1/eXKKHN0q-jcRecommend
religious faith that is not tempered with critical and rational thinking is to blame. this is at the root of of the many plagues in a country like pakistan. if believers in islam are so confident in their faith and that god will settle all matters, then how can such a violent reaction to supposed “blasphemy” be defensible?
why would a god or a prophet of god need those who “insult” them to be killed for mere words? but a fanatical true believer can not comprehend that
this to me speaks of an an ideology of totalitarian intolerance that IMO is rooted in insecurity and falsehood.
religious fanatics and the tolerance/acceptance of religious fanaticism by so-called moderates is a cancer that has destroyed pakistani society.
makes me ashamed of my pakistani heritage and feel hopeless about the future of that country.Recommend
You guys talk about law and order. When Asiya Bibi was sentence to death then one of Governor is rising and wants to change the law of the country…..and when someone within us fulfil that court order then u guys talk about this should have been put on trial and Mr. Qadri shouldn’t have done so…..so we r biggest Hypocrite because we don’t respect the laws of state and we have problem with that and when someone fulfil that duty because with current PAK.Govt is not going to do anything close to justice ..then we still have a problem…..Please guys be one side instead of playing with words and corrupting others minds….
Allam Iqbal supported a guy (Ghazi Ilam deen) with the same allegation….and i think IQBAL had better understanding of ISLAM and QURAN then u and me have….apart from QURAN there is another source which completes ISLAM is HADITHS of Prophet(PBUH) which r full of such punishment for people who commit this act.
With RespectRecommend
Aasia Bibi must be pardoned, because of the threat to her life, and sent for exile in US or UK or some other non-Muslim country. She is as good as dead in Pakistan.Recommend
Pakistan has one of the most corrupt police departments as well as one of the most corrupt “judicial” systems in the world.
There is no proof that Aasia Bibi ever committed blasphemy against the Beloved Prophet (pbuh.)
Yes, she and her family must be extradited to save their lives.Recommend
A very successful bussinesman, who was a billionair and governor of biggest province laid down his life for a very poor minority woman. Is this not a brightest moment of Pakistan?Recommend
@ Tahir, about Allama Iqbal,s religious knowledge let me quote one of his couplet;
Chand Rindon ne kal Namaz pheri mein bana un ka pesh Imam
Is Imamat pe dil ne khoob kaha beNamazon ka beNamaz Imam
God bless youRecommend
@Mubarak: Don’t take his poetry before 1908 because he was only talking about ISHAQ-E-MAJAZI, RIND, FLOWERS, WATANIYAT…etc…like “Saray jahan se acha Hindustan hamara”
But when he returned back to Hindustan after studying and making his research about Islam…u will not find anything in poetry about these things…u will only find……………
“Ki MUHAMMAD(PBUH) se wafa tu na to hum taray hain
Ya jahan cheez ha kiya loho kalam taray hain”
Ghazi Ilam din incident happend in 1926….. Also Iqbal was a human…and we all learn with the time…like Imam Abu Hanifa started learning at the age of 25 or 26….before that he was not even properly aware of of Islam…but now more than 70% of Muslim world follow his Fiqah…
JAZAKALLAHRecommend