Christian woman gets death sentence for ‘blasphemy’

FIR accused her of passing derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), fine of Rs300,000 also imposed on her.


Express November 12, 2010
Christian woman gets death sentence for ‘blasphemy’

NANKANA SAHIB: A Christian woman was sentenced to death by an additional sessions court in Nankana Sahib for committing blasphemy on Monday.

Aasya, an Ittanwali resident, was accused of passing derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in an FIR registered with the Saddar police station by Qari Salim, a masjid imam. The FIR was registered on June 19, 2009.  It was filed under Sections 295-B and C of the Pakistan Penal Code (both sections are punishable by life imprisonment or death sentence).

SK Shahid, her counsel, told The Express Tribune that he has filed an appeal with the Lahore High Court against the lower court’s judgement. He said that among other allegations, Aasya was accused of denying the prophet hood of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). “How can we expect a Christian to affirm to Muslim belief?” he asked. Besides sentencing Aasiya to death, Muhammad Naveed Iqbal, the ADSJ, also imposed a fine of Rs300,000 on her. According to a newspaper’s report, on hearing the news of the quarrel several Muslim men reached the spot and tried to attack Aasya. She fled the scene yet the mob followed her all the way upto her house, the report said. Ataul Saman, the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) publications head, said that the lower courts’ verdicts in blasphemy cases are mostly overturned by the high courts.

He said that their proceeding mostly take place under intense pressure. Locals, he said, gather outside the courts and chant slogans to pressure the judges into declaring the accused guilty of committing blasphemy. Saman added that NCJP research showed that up to 80 per cent of the time blasphemy charges are filed against people to settle personal scores.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2010.

COMMENTS (64)

Faizan Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Blasphemy laws?? come on it's time to get rid of such barbaric stuff. My Grandfather joined the Pak Airforce the day it was formed and fought for the Green and the White part of the flag (the white part represents non muslims for those who are unaware). If this doesn't stop I think may be he risked his life for nuthin....
Ali Hamdani | 13 years ago | Reply AOA... it is indeed utterly depressing to see the state of Muslims today... they are as far from Islam as the sky is from earth Look at the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him -- and I say this not for fear of being hanged if I don't, but for my genuine love for the Prophet) who visits the lady who throws litter on his head every day he passes by to ask her health the day she did not throw the litter... look at this akhlaaq that melts hearts and minds rather than force them... And what are we doing... hanging non-muslims for not believing in him? Did he hang the Meccan pegans when he conquered them? No! He forgave them all, even the wicked Hinda who chewed his uncle's liver! Treat the blashpemers with such love that they are convinced that they were wrong... tell them of the truth not by way of these draconian laws, but by way of your rightful character and by logical reasoning! And afterall, 'La Iqraaha Fiddeen' there is no compulsion in religion, let alone toward those who do not even belong to our religion! Christians are ahle kitaab and the closest to our religion according to the Quran and they deserve our deepest love! They can not only touch the water bowl but also pour and serve for you... Alas, poor Islam got stuck amoung these good-for-nothing mullas...
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