by Nadia Siddiqui
Q: What is Blasphemy?
A: Saying something what you don’t believe in.
The laws against blasphemy are so apparent to give power in the hands of ruling authorities who can exercise their control in the name of religion. It is so evident from the case of Aasia Bibi, a Christian by faith, against whom the local Imam of a mosque registered an FIR on a pretext of blasphemy. The death sentence was announced on the accusation that Aasia Bibi denied the Muslim belief of last Prophet. I believe that the death verdict of Aasia Bibi is another example of intolerance and injustice on part of Muslim judiciary in Pakistan which claims to protect lives of minority group members and provide them justice, however, fails in practice every time. As in case of many other unrealistic laws, blasphemy laws also provide people a chance to take revenge on personal disputes and local politics.
It seems meaningless to practice these laws at present times when geographical divisions are becoming porous due to technology and Internet. It is just ridiculous to punish people for their difference in opinion and belief system in the boundaries of Pakistan and Arab world whereas in the rest of the world it is called the freedom of expression. If we believe that rest of the western world
allows people to have their say on all social and religious institutions then it implies that Aasia Bibi is punished for the following reasons: She is a citizen of Pakistan, born in a minority religious group of our country, and she might have said what the majority never wanted her to say.
Important questions about Islam and Muslim world arise from the concept of blasphemy. Does this law mean to protect Islam from some insecurity? Is Muslim faith so vulnerable that an ordinary low- middle class woman can cause some danger to its existence? Is it not possible in geographically marked Islamic territories that people can express their religious opinions and beliefs? Even if I am not a Muslim, am I still bound to follow Muslim religious practices and their popular opinions?
The recent development in Aasia Bibi’s case is that the President of Pakistan is expected to use his constitutional powers to pardon the death sentence. The current developments suggest that the blasphemy laws are so unrealistic that the judiciary fails under severe public pressure and it has to adopt other channels. This is absurd in our country that instead of protecting living people, we have laws to protect religious ideologies.
Secular Pakistan 
usman
November 22, 2010
respect ur views but i think no law gives non mumslim any right to say anything against our religion…. minorities are allowed to live their lives according to their own religion, it doesnt grant them any right to have a say against islam.
aiman
November 22, 2010
if they r doing it on purpose..then there should be a punishment ..what ever it may be..Isn’t ghustakh -e – rasool wajib -e- qatal..correct me if i wrong.plus if they r left unpunished they r most likely to do it again.perhaps in a more confident way.
madiha
November 23, 2010
i agree with usman…they are free to live in this very state but we cant allow them to disgrace what we most evidently cherish and is important to us…
Samina Naseem
November 23, 2010
First being a Christian, I don’t think that someone is so stupid to do all this knowing the consequences of it. It is a common sense argument. Second, blasphemy is the easiest tool to use if you want to personal revenge and to get rid of non-Muslims. Third, Usman if this is what you think then I have the right to say as a Pakistani (not as a minority) that no one has a right to say anything against my religion too. Islam and the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan prohibit all citizens, regardless of their social class and faith from wrong doings against other religions. As a Christian I protested against burn a Quran day, along with millions of Christians all around the world. Why? Because my religion does not allow and give any right to do or say anything against any other religion. Malaysia is a Muslim country. No one has any right to say a single word against other religions or to harm any one’s worship place. What I did as a Christian and what Malaysia follows as a nation is reciprocity, which is the key for a nation as a whole to prosperous, not as a follower of particular faith.
Muhammad Fahim
November 23, 2010
“The death sentence was announced on the accusation that Aasia Bibi denied the Muslim belief of last Prophet.”
There are other faiths who deny the Muslim belief of last Prophet one of them is QADIYANI (they are declared as non muslims in the 1973 constitution of Pakistan).
If a Christian denies he/she is to be hannged while others………………..
Talha
November 28, 2010
Idiot, what the hell are you talking about.
The taliban are being allowed to use the internet now.
Maria
November 24, 2010
Salam everyone,
Correcting some people that blasphemy DOES NOT mean “Saying something what you don’t believe in”. it actually means
1. irreverence towards holy personages, religious artifacts, customs, and beliefs. (Reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy)
2.something which you say or do that shows you do not respect God or a religion. (Ref.http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/blasphemy)
so the death sentence was not at all announced because Asia Bibi denied the Muslim belief of Last Prophet.She was blamed for blasphemy, for irreverence towards Holy Prphet (S.A.W.). So what M. Fahim said is totally refuted.
Next dear Samina, you cant say “Blasphemy is the easiest tool to use if you want to personal revenge and to get rid of non-Muslims.” Tell me any one of the laws which is not mishandled in Pak? Corruption has reached such an amazing peek that anyone can easily use any law for blaming other persons. This is not at all the point that ONLY blasphemy law should be pointed out and removed.People easily blame other poors for stealing etc. so do u people wanna say that law for theives must be removed because it is mishandled? The point is to cure the misuse/ mishandling of all laws.
If there are thousands of accidents happening due to traffic problems, would you all suggest to stop all the vehicles to move on roads only because they cause accidents??? Would you not look for any ways to control the accidents??
If thousands of people die every year by falling in the opened holes on roads, would you all suggest to stop making holes or any kind of proper drainage system because people fall in them?? Would you not look for covering those holes??
Samina you did not side by those stupids supporting Burn Quran Day, I guess because you know right and wrong, does and don’ts.. Then why don’t you agree on this blasphemy law my sis? I don’t think its right to say anything you want about any religion, caste, creed, custom, belief only in the name of so called ‘freedom of speech’ and this law is there to limit such a disastrous hate speech and freedom of speech & this is not only in Pak, this law is also in Europe, States etc. I don’t understand when one thing is wrong and severly wrong then why it should not be declared wrong? Why there should be no law for it?
And i have used the word ‘blamed’ for Asia Bibi, because i guess only God knows has Asia said anything of that sort or not?
Last but not the least,
For God’s Sake My Paki’s do not disintegrate on a topic like this. Be sensible and try to find those people who want to break us. Even if we are Christians, Hindus, Muslims,.. or whatsoever We are Paki’s on the whole..
If anyone’s hurt, sorry.
Regards.
Nadia
November 25, 2010
@ Maria. See clearly. This is not a definition. It’s an answer to the question.
Even if it is a definition, why can’t people express their views? These slogan of reverence and respect are old and we need to see things critically.
Burning Quran day was a peaceful protest. Not a violent law to take life of a living being.
Maria
November 25, 2010
even the answer is wrong to the question, in the starting, even if you don’t consider it a definition.Your rubbish answer shows ur illiteracy so definitely i am not gonna answer anything.. I commented with a thought of getting logical replies.. What a time waste ? Ah!! I gave so long answer and wasted time for such people.. WTF !!! “Burning Quran day was a peaceful protest. Not a violent law to take life of a living being”?? Check out your mentality.. great.. I have thousands of answers in my mind but its of no value to jott them down here..
Shah
September 3, 2013
Are you really this stupid? Go out on the streets, Have you even interacted with any member of the minorities? It seems unlikely. You my lady have no idea how radical people use this law to threaten the minorities. I have actually witnessed it.
Hence refrain from making connections with things that you have no idea about. Comparing corruption with blasphemy law? My dear lady, you don’t need corrupt officers to accuse someone of blasphemy. All you need to do is stand in the street and shout that such nd such person said this nd this offensive stuff. Then watch how within minutes the mob burns down.
This is how grave the situation is. Come out of the “char deewari” of your house and take a look around.
Samina Naseem
November 25, 2010
Well Maria other laws don’t end up in death sentence or are not used against non-Muslims. There are thousands of incidents in Pakistan when Christians were accused of Touheen-e-Resalat because of some personal grievances. Few were shot dead in courts if the case proved to be false. Therefore, I still think it is a “tool” being used because if it had been a ‘Law’ then as you provided the definitions, then things would have been different and no one would have the right to say against any religion as in Malaysia. That is why I talked about reciprocity. It is not only about knowing or defining right from wrong, it is believing that respect other religions if one wants his/her religion to be respected. In Pakistan, its unfortunate that people raise voice when something happens or being said against Islam, while blasphemy law is equally applicable if a Muslim says anything against other religions. This doesn’t happen!
I agree with what you said in the end and that we have to stand as a nation and this is what I wrote in the end of my first comment.
Nadia
November 25, 2010
You are right. Other laws are not punished to death. If saying something is punishable to death then what kind of democracy we have in our country.
Maria
November 26, 2010
Well dear, i dont have much time to reply really long but in short, telling you that not only Non-Muslims are arrested(as you think its to victimize Non-Muslims ), Muslims too are arrested. Infact, 50% arrested are Muslims. You can check web for that ratio. and I didn’t say that its not a tool. I only pointed out that its not the easiest and the only tool. My whole comment was focused on a point that there are many other laws which are being used in Pak to blame anyone.
And Why don’t then you all start talking to remove all laws against capital punishment? Blaspheming Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W) is a capital crime and it should have a capital punishment. All other things do have a relaxation but not this..
Regards.
Merc
December 9, 2010
Why the people are not using brain and critically thinking about this particular case of Asya bibi?
The First Investigation Report (FIR) against her says: she threw the Koran on floor and said blasphemy against the prophet. Complainant also requested that her husband should also be punished as he did not stop her.
The court after the statements of witnesses ( 3 ladies and Imam) sentenced her to death.
People are fighting and getting so much emotional. Strange. People, think critically.
1. Why the lady would have Koran in her house when she is not Muslim?
2. When she threw the Koran were the ladies there to watch?
3. If she had said blasphemy against prophet are the witness ladies and Imam really sure of it?
4. How come the Imam is testifying against her when he was not present at any location where incidents happened?
5. Don’t we know that Pakistani ladies are jealous and often lie against each other even in families. Are they really trust worthy in this case?
6. Are the witnesses fulfilling every aspect/condition for being the witness as mentioned by Islam? Mind it not everyone is allowed to become witness in Islam and the religion maintains very strict criteria for that.
7. Can we trust that molvi, and we are sure that he is a pious muslim and has never said anything against shiattes, Barialwi and Wahabees?
the questions keep on coming to your mind if you think from brain not heart.
PakSpire
January 25, 2011
Molvis in rural areas sometimes rape christian women and if the victims take any action, they are accused of blasphemy.
russianroullete2
April 9, 2011
There can be no law against sin. The people who want a law against should have sought the permission of God, because He is the one who said there would be day of Judgement.
Amin
December 9, 2011
We claim that islam is the religion of open hearted and open minded people, and that islam is the ultimate truth, and that it is the positive force in the world, i think every one will believe on this statement but do we let the people to argue or show their negative feelings about islam? , certainly the answer is NO. is this a good attitude? Here recall the event of Taif where prophet muhhamad was stoned by the people did prophe Muhhamad done anything against them? We should embrace their feelings and find out the reasons why people are reluctant or speaking against islam, we can not lock their minds but we can deal with them in a friendly way, If someone is doing it in a sense of concipiracy we should deal it in that way we should also react to them but through the medium which they are using. That is what i can suggest
ThinkStraight
December 15, 2011
Well said. Why does a religion feel so insecure that laws have to be enacted to kill people who say anything against it or its initiator? And that may not even be the case here as the law is frequently misused.
If people adhering to an ideology cannot hear anything against it, they better fix their mind – for, you can’t impose your beliefs on the whole world. If you have faith in your religion, why should it matter what anyone thinks or says about that – right?
I can’t digest that a human life is supposed to be finished for saying something, even if that were to be true. Just imagine what would have happened to this world if any different idea or opinion was not allowed to be voiced! This is plain right stupid and ridiculous!!!
The best way forward is to repeal this law and have faith and courage that the goodness of Islam and Sufism will shine through and attract people to it without having to fall back on such mindless protections.
FreeThinker
December 22, 2011
Problem with Pakistanis is so many Muslims in one country. If somehow %age of other religion increases and these people start reading other religions they may grow wisdom. But all Muslims do is kill anyone who disagrees with them. Muslims in Pakistan even kill people from other sects. Muslims are intolerant. Well this is a fact that people do not believe in Mohammad to be a prophet of GOD. Even Muslims do not believe he was messenger of GOD. There are obvious scientific contradictions for anyone to do that. If someone disagrees with this why do you want him to pretend to be someone he is not. That shows that what happened to ASMA Bint Marwan and abu Afak was true history of islam. Accept my religion or be killed. There is large number of Muslims leaving Islam because of this. If you kill someone on the name of mohammad then mohammad is not rahmat-AL-Alameen. It is a shame to humanity to arrest someone like asia bibi. Even if someone has said something offensive then there should be a forgiveness form she could sighn and should be released. Reading comments from people with no wisdom I feel that pakistani’s have really been turned into animals with no emotions for a mother of five children. Some people are so insecure from questions on religion. It seems that they are scared that these question could create more people leaving islam. Obviously if your religion is right you should have no fears but a smile on your faces.
mustafa
January 24, 2012
As a muslim from turkey I condemn this which hunt of a dhimmi. Even in the Profets saw time people of books lived in peace even if they sometimes lacked respect to Islam. Rasulullah saw was always tolerant towards them. Remember Asia acted of anger when they called her unclean. That is haram.