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The stories of Zafar Bhatti, Aasia Bibi, Mashal Khan
Zafar Bhatt
is a mandatory death sentence in Pakistani law for “defiling
the name” of Muhammad, but the judge in this case awarded the life-term in
prison instead, because there was no concrete evidence against Zafar. For
example, the phone used to send the messages was not registered in his name.
Pray for Zafar, who has been in prison since 2012, that he will not lose hope.
Pray also for the courageous Zafar Bhatti is a Pakistani Christian accused of
sending blasphemous text messages about Muhammad from a mobile phone, was given
a life sentence on May 3. There Christian legal team representing him, asking the
Lord to protect them and grant them favour as they take his case to a higher court.
So, given a life-sentence, even when there was no concrete
evidence as admitted by the judge. What
kind of justice is that? And why should
the lawyers need our prayers? Are they
not doing what they are supposed to? The
issue, of course, is that ordinary Pakistani might attack and kill them because
they are defending an alleged Christian “blasphemer!”
And then there is Aasia Bibi. She has been in a Pakistani prison
for eight years. She was a Christian fruit picker, who was falsely accused of
blasphemy by her Muslim co-workers after a quarrel djuing whey they rebuked her
fron drinking water from the same cup that Muslims used and she said, “I
believe I n my religion and in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the sins
of mankind. What did your Prophet Muhammad ever do to save mankind?” She was sentenced to death in 2010 and has
been appealing against it ever since. Her case has now reached the Supreme
Court, the scheduled hearings keep being postponed. In April 2017 her legal
request for an “early hearing” by the Supreme Court was rejected. Pray that God
will intervene for her and grant her justice and freedom.
This story has been circulating around the world for years.
People have prayed and prayed as well as written numerous letters on her
behalf, but nothing is moving. If anything is moving, it is in the wrong
direction.
Imran Khan, a prominent Pakistani Muslim politician in
Pakistan, pledged he would make sure no one misuses the blasphemy law again. In
April 2017, a 23-year-old Ahmadiyya student by the name of Mashal Khan was
lynched because he allegedly had committed blasphemy. Imran Khan defended him
and said that he was “framed and murdered.”
Like Christians in Pakistan, Ahmadiyyas are persecuted and easily
accused of blasphemy. Previous politicians who have taken a stance against the
blasphemy law have been threatened or assassinated. Pray that all minorities
become safe from malicious false accusations.
In reaction to Mashal’s murder, a Pakistani Mufti called
Haneed Qureshi said that Aasia Bib should be hanged immediately, for that would
prevent any further mob violence. He said it was because of the repeated delays
in implementing Aasia Bib’s death sentence that “people have lost faith in the
state, due to the carelessness of the institutions and their criminal silence.” In other words, if the state delays executing
blasphemners, Muslim mobs can hardly be blamed for taking on the job
themselves.
After such shocking stories, does anything more need to be
said? Where are the Canadian and
American Pakistanis to defend these victims of intolerance? Their silence leads to suspicions of approval.
Instead, we find Muslims complain about discrimination and prejudice against them
and their pure religion. Muslims, don’t
you get it? Why do people mistrust
you?
