Pakistan's Blasphemy Laws
Last year two high-ranking Pakistani government officials were assassinated by fanatics enraged over their wish to have the country's blasphemy laws overturned. One was a Pakistani Christian politician, whose portfolio took in civil relations between religions in Pakistan; he expressed his support for a village Christian woman who was imprisoned and being prepared for trial on blasphemy charges for uttering defamatory statements about Mohammed after her Muslim co-workers had angered her by charging her with being 'unclean' as a non-Muslim.Another was the governor of a province who spoke out about those who used the blasphemy laws to seek revenge on those whom they held grudges against, framing them with false evidence, quite similar to the case of the 11-year-old Down Syndrome Christian girl whom a Muslim cleric had recently charged with blasphemy for burning pages of a Koran which he had himself placed among her belongings. The governor's bodyguard murdered him, and was later feted as a national hero.
Now, while Pakistan is erupting in a paroxysm of fury over the Internet posting of a short and silly amateurish video of the Prophet Mohammad's proclivity toward serial marriages and underage sex partners, another opportunity has presented itself for Pakistan's citizens to charge with blasphemy those in their own society who have aroused suspicion, anger, greed and opportunity. In Hyderabad, southeastern Pakistan, people demanded that Haji Nasrullah Khan, proprietor of a chain of 120 shops, close them down.
They demanded this as a symbol of solidarity with their inchoate rage against Western blasphemers who have defamed Islam and the Prophet. He refused. Which gave them the opportunity to charge him also with blasphemy. Having done which, he and his family have been forced into hiding. One of Mr. Khan's tenants claimed his decision not to close down his shops represented clear evidence of his support for the film, the Innocence of Muslims.
The mob could not be restrained by police, who succumbed to demands that he be charged with blasphemy, even though the city police chief Fareed Jan insisted there was no evidence to suggest Mr. Khan had insulted the Prophet. The mob set about ransacking Mr. Khan's house. And religious leaders representing one of the city's largest mosques helpfully called for Mr. Khan's death.
Police suspect that the numerous calls of blasphemy and complaints about Mr. Khan's religious loyalties have been spurred by his attempts to evict some of the shopkeepers involved for their tardiness in paying rent.
Labels: Conflict, Corruption, Pakistan, Psychopathy, Societal Failures
posted by Pieface @ Friday, September 21, 2012
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