'When I Was in Prison': Asia Bibi Still Sits in Pakistani Prison for Being a Christian

This heroic Christian woman must be freed from the Prison in Pakistan

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. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1738)

P>LAHORE, Pakistan (Catholic Online) - In the stirring account of the Last Judgment found in the 25th chapter of St Matthews Gospel we read these words, "When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?... whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt 25:,38, 40) Every time a follower of Christ is imprisoned for bearing witness to the truth, it is Christ Himself who is imprisoned.

This is part of the reason we regularly call attention to the growing persecution of Christians around the world. One of those Christians is the heroic Pakistani woman named Asia Bibi. She still sits in her jail cell in Pakistan, separated from her family, awaiting trial for a trumped up charge of Blasphemy. She was sentenced to death by hanging simply because she is a Christian. The unjust sentence was rendered under Pakistan's horrendous "Blasphemy Law".

One portion of the Penal Code under which she was sentenced reads as follows: "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."

Her lawyer filed an appeal of her unjust sentence last year, requesting a pardon from the Office of the President. President Asif Ali Zardari asked for a review of the facts of the case. It was widely reported that she would receive a presidential pardon or commutation of her sentence. However, on November 29, 2010 Khawaja Sharif, the chief justice of the Lahore High Court, issued an interim order ruling that while the matter was pending before it the President of the Nation may not issue a pardon for Asia Bibi.

On November 17, 2010, at his general audience in St. Peters square, Pope Benedict XVI 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. "

When the initial news of Asia Bibi's plight spread throughout the international media it brought near universal condemnation. Sadly, the concern did not last. Her plight and heroic suffering for the cause of Christ were soon forgotten. We cannot allow that to continue. Asia Bibi must be freed and we must stand in solidarity with her, calling the world's attention to this injustice. .

NBC news reported in 2010 that Asia Bibi's husband, Ashiq Masih, along with the couple's children, went into hiding in an undisclosed Christian enclave. He is 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 his wife's  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 then 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."

The "Blasphemy Law" is an instrument of oppression with which Christians and other religious believers are persecuted by Islamic supremacists. The use of such "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.

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)

Asia Bibi must be freed. The "Blasphemy Laws" used to suppress the free expression of religious faith in Muslim Nations must be rejected. In the face of such an obvious attack on a Christian, all those who bear the name must speak out! "When I was in prison you visited Me."

Recently we read reports that Asia Bibi was being tortured in prison. We are relieved that, according to a report by Jibran Khan of Asia news, Asia Bibi's husband has denied episodes of "torture" in prison. Her husband Ashiq Masih told this reliable news service, "I have no reports of torture or ill-treatment. I met her this week: she is very weak, but continues to hope and pray that one day she will return to us."

The same report offered a statement from Archbishop Saldanha,the  archbishop emeritus of Lahore:  "I have no reports of torture of Asia Bibi. I know she is in a solitary prison cell in Sheikhupura" - says the prelate - "and receives regular visits from family members. Nothing else."

The report continued: "While denying the torture, Ashiq Masih speaks of his wife as a "fragile" woman, deeply marked by the time spent in the women's prison. In recent weeks, with the sentencing to death of Mumtaz Qadri, the murderer of the Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer who had publicly defended Asia Bibi, fears for the life of women have increased. The risk is still high that she could be killed by an extremist who infiltrated the prison or a prisoner."

"Meanwhile the family lives the daily drama of separation: the children are the most to suffer, one of them with mental health problems. "Not a day passes" - her husband tells AsiaNews - "without the children crying for the fate of their mother." He confirms that "the death threats have increased" and that there is a bounty of a few thousand dollars on his head, announced months ago by a Muslim extremist leader."

We ask our readers around the globe to offer renewed and persistent prayer for Asia Bibi and her family. We rededicate ourselves to following this story closely and doing all we can to bring the plight of Asia Bibi back to the attention of the world. Finally, we once again call upon the State Department of the United States Government to demand the immediate release of Asia Bibi.

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