Pakistani Governor Assassinated: Opposed Blasphemy Law, Supported Asia Bibi

Pakistan must Free Asia Bibi, abolish the Blasphemy Laws and put an end to religious persecution!

We once again ask our readers to pray for Asia Bibi and her family. We also ask you to act. The United States Government has diplomatic relations with Pakistan and is engaged in an alleged effort to prevent terrorism perpetrated by extremist Jihadists. Yet, right within Pakistan, Christians like Asia Bibi are the victims of terror and the Pakistani Government will not come to their defense! We must together insist that Pakistan Free Asia Bibi, abolish the Blasphemy Laws and put an end to religious persecution!

P>LAHORE, Pakistan (Catholic Online) - Asia Bibi is a 45 year old Christian wife and mother who was sentenced to death by hanging in Pakistan for being a Christian on November 8, 2010. This unjust sentence was rendered under Pakistan's horrendous "Blasphemy Law" which is used against Christians and other religious minorities.

One portion of the Penal Code under which she was sentenced reads: "Use of derogatory remarks, etc; in respect of the Holy Prophet. 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 Mohammed (PBUH) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."

Pope Benedict XVI and leaders from around the world have called for this devout Christian wife and mother to be freed. On November 17, 2010, at his general audience in St. Peters square, the Pope called the world's attention to the plight of this contemporary Christian disciple with these words:

"Over these days the international community is, with great concern, following the situation of Christians in Pakistan, who are often victims of violence or discrimination. In particular, I today express my spiritual closeness to Ms Asia Bibi and her family while asking that, as soon as possible, she may be restored to complete freedom. I also pray for people who find themselves in similar situations, that their human dignity and fundamental rights may be fully respected. "

Asia Bibi's husband, Ashiq Masih, and the couple's children, are in hiding in a Christian enclave, convinced that the whole family has been targeted for death at the hands of radical Islamic groups.  Asked about the events which gave rise to the death sentence he told NBC news, "She was picking berries with other women, when she was sent to get water. One of the women refused to drink the water after my wife dipped her cup into the bucket. This woman said it was contaminated because it was touched by a Christian."

According to Masih, all the women started taunting his wife and shouting insults against her mother and their children. Bibi just repeated the same insults back at them. "The name of the holy prophet never came up. Five days later, the local cleric came to our house, followed by an angry mob, and dragged my wife away," he said, recalling the incident that took place in June 2009. "They beat her, ripped off her clothes and accused her of insulting the prophet. Then they locked her up in a house until the police came to take her away."

Catholic Online has covered this story since Asia Bibi was unjustly sentenced to death. Our readers have pledged their prayer and solidarity on behalf of Asia Bibi and her family. Pakistan's  "Blasphemy Law" is an instrument of oppression with which Christians and other religious believers are persecuted by Islamic supremacists.

The use of "Blasphemy" or "Religious Defamation" laws to persecute is not confined to Pakistan. It is an affront to the fundamental human rights recognized by freedom loving people around the world and revealed in the Natural Law. Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his message for the World day of Peace to Religious Freedom as a fundamental human right. Sadly, Pakistan does not recognize the primacy of religious freedom.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it clearly, "Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect. The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order." (CCC #1738)

Sadly, there is further bad news. On Tuesday, January 4, 2011 the Governor of the Province of Punjab, Salman Taseer, was assassinated. He had called for the repeal of the Blasphemy laws and the pardoning of Asia Bibi. A member of his security detail, Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri  confessed to killing the Governor specifically because of his position against the Blasphemy Law and his advocacy of pardoning  Asia Bibi. 

Vatican Radio interviewed Archbishop Lawrence J. Saldanha of Lahore Tuesday who said, "The assassination of the Governor of Punjab is going to make it virtually impossible for anyone to speak out against the blasphemy law. Initially when the High Court sentenced Asia Bibi to death, many members of civil society spoke out against this law and there was a general sense that it needed to be repealed. Now that tide has turned."

We once again ask our readers to pray for Asia Bibi and her family. We also ask you to act. The United States Government has diplomatic relations with Pakistan and is engaged in an alleged effort to prevent terrorism perpetrated by extremist Jihadists. Yet, right within Pakistan, Christians like Asia Bibi are the victims of terror and the Pakistani Government will not come to their defense! We must together insist that Pakistan Free Asia Bibi, abolish the Blasphemy Laws and put an end to religious persecution!

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