And so it goes on

[DMB]

Hardly noticed in the main news media, there is a steady drip, drip of blasphemy convictions in Pakistan

A Pakistan court has upheld life sentences for two Christians convicted of burning the Koran. The men, convicted of blasphemy in Lahore, denied the charges. They claim police set them up after they refused to pay a bribe, said Shahbaz Bhatti, president of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance. Amjad and Asif Masih, who are not related - plan to appeal to the Supreme Court, Bhatti said. It is the final court of appeal.

Police accused the men of burning the Koran while they were in prison. Asif, 45, was jailed on drug charges, while Amjad, 40, was convicted of sexual harassment. “There is no evidence that the Koran was burnt,” Bhatti said. “The police falsely implicated them in the case when they refused to pay the bribe.”

Under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, those who desecrate the Koran, offend Islam or insult its prophet can be punished with death. Hundreds of people have been jailed on blasphemy convictions.

Meanwhile, Pakistani police arrested a Muslim man after he allegedly made derogatory remarks about Muhammad. Niaz Ahmed faces a possible death sentence if convicted. Police officer Mohammad Nadeem said yesterday night that Ahmed, a 40-year-old father of five, was arrested on Monday. Police were investigating the charges and a psychiatric assessment has been ordered for Ahmed, Nadeem. “Local religious leaders complained about Ahmed and we arrested him under the blasphemy laws,” the officer said.

Ahmed was accused by Mohammed Abbas, a religious leader from the village of Mitrah, 130 kilometres southwest of Multan, in eastern Punjab province. No date has been set for Ahmed’s court appearance. Ahmed has yet not hired a lawyer, but his impoverished family is seeking legal aid, Nadeem said.

Note to Mods: I have lifted this from Newsline, the electronic newsletter of the National Secular Society (http://www.secularism.org.uk/) They specifically give permission to reproduce their material:

Please feel free to use material from Newsline, but don’t forget to credit us.
so I don't think I am violating copyright.

[Gothic_J]

-makes a note to get rid of fundamentalism entire, not just christian fundyism-

[Shake]

Originally posted by Gothic_J
-makes a note to get rid of fundamentalism entire, not just christian fundyism- I agree. Fundamentalism of any flavor is highly dangerous! :eek:

[DMB]

I noticed in my newspaper today a little paragraph to the effect that a muslim woman imprisoned in Pakistan for blasphemy had been murdered by fellow inmates.

[Toto]

Not just Pakistan, but liberated Afghanistan.

two Afghanistan editors and their now-closed critical paper (http://www.laweekly.com/ink/03/43/news-ehrenreich.php)

In the June 11 issue of Aftab, Mahdavi published an article titled "Sacred Fascism." In its third paragraph, the article asked, "If Islam is really the last religion sent by God to guide its followers in the right path, then why are its followers wicked and immoral?"

This alone was enough to get him in trouble. Even relative moderates were angered. Mohammed Fahim Dashty, the editor of Kabul Weekly, one of Kabul’s largest papers, told me, "He attacked all Muslims. There is no if in Islam." About 200 madrasah students held a rally in front of the Aftab office, calling for Mahdavi’s and Sistany’s deaths.

. . .

In another article, titled "Religion + Government = Oppression," Aftab laid out the case for a secular constitution while attacking the fundamentalist chief justice of the Supreme Court, Fazel Hadi Shinwari, an ally of Sayyaf.

Before a week had gone by, Aftab’s offices were closed. Mahdavi and Sistani were arrested — depending on whom you ask, on the orders of either the attorney general, who is close to Shinwari, or of the minister of information and culture, with President Hamid Karzai’s knowledge and consent. Intelligence officers confiscated copies of the offending issue from shops. . . .

The Supreme Court, headed by the same Shinwari whom Aftab had repeatedly attacked, announced that Mahdavi and Sistany would be tried for insulting Islam. . . .

[Elora]

I noticed in my newspaper today a little paragraph to the effect that a muslim woman imprisoned in Pakistan for blasphemy had been murdered by fellow inmates.

Do you know what the circumstances were? Did the fellow inmates decide to avenge the insult to God themselves, or was it for something else? Are prison murders more common there? (Just showing my ignorance of foreign criminal justice systems)

[DMB]

Sorry, Elora, i know no more than I posted about that incident. There have been a number cases of "blasphemers" being murdered in Pakistan, both within and outside prison. This is so even if the court finds them innocent (and in such cases the judges may also be at risk). Pakistan is a hotbed of religious fanaticism and intolerance. Don't forget the Taleban came from there.

In this week's Newsline from the NSS (see my first post re permission to quote) there are two more cases highlighted. The first one is a typical murder:
Gunmen killed a Muslim cleric who was facing a trial for blasphemy in Pakistan, police said on Sunday.

Maulana Sanullah Dogar, 38, died instantly when four attackers shot him on Saturday near a court in the town of Kasur, about 45 kilometres Southeast of Lahore, said Babar Bajwa, a deputy superintendent of police. Dogar was released on bail about five months ago after being arrested last year when another cleric reported to police that he had allegedly “used abusive words” against the Prophet Muhammad, Bajwa said. Under Pakistani laws, insulting the Quran or Muhammad are considered blasphemous and can carry a death sentence on conviction. It was not known exactly what Dogar was alleged to have said.

Dogar, who belonged to a small political party of Sunni Muslims, Jamaat Ahle-Sunnat, was walking to the court for an appearance in connection with the trial when he was attacked, Bajwa said. No arrests have been made. International human rights groups have once more condemned Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
On a somewhat lighter note, although still threatening for the person accused:
THEN COMES THE CASE OF THE BLASPHEMOUS SHOES

In another case last week, two shoemakers were arrested on charges of blasphemy because they sold shoes with a decoration that resembled the word “Allah.” The police said that even though an Islamic cleric had declared the accused innocent, the investigation was continuing.

The complainant, Shabbir Hussain, bought the shoes from the market and spotted the decoration. “God’s name was on the shoes and therefore it hurt my feelings and I reported the matter to the police,” said Mr Hussain, who, on his own admission, is illiterate. The police then raided a shoe-manufacturing factory and arrested factory owner Munir Chawala and his nephew Azim Chawala.

The police thought it appropriate to seek advice from religious scholars and therefore contacted the Jamia Ashrafia for an edict. Asked why the police believed the statement by an illiterate person whose judgment on the matter could not be regarded as sound, the police officer said it was the duty of the police to act on the information provided to them. Maulana Mufti from the Jamia Ashrafia said four clerics gave the ‘Fatwa’ (edict), adding the shoes did not have clear imprints of the word “Allah” and therefore the Jamia declared the two men innocent.

One of the family members of the accused said Mr Hussian had complained to the police at the instigation of some business rivals. “It is a routine matter that people implicate their business rivals in blasphemy cases to tarnish their reputation,” he added.

[chrislee]

You can bet your last dollar that they'd pass blasphemy laws here, as well, if somebody publicly burned bibles. The last resort of Moore and his clones.

[Jewel]

Originally posted by chrislee
You can bet your last dollar that they'd pass blasphemy laws here, as well, if somebody publicly burned bibles. The last resort of Moore and his clones.

I don't think so. Not to say it wouldn't be suggested, but I seriously doubt that it would get anywhere.

[Alludium Fozdex]

Incidents like this make me want to go to a Muslim message board and, just to be a pain, post:

"THE PROPHET MOHAMMAD AMUSED HIMSELF DURING LIFE BY ENGAGING IN BIZARRE PRACTICES INVOLVING CAMELS, GOATS AND LITTLE BOYS!"

Idiots. All of them.:banghead:

[Toto]

"Reform" of blasphemy laws needed (http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_21-9-2003_pg3_1)

A few days ago a complaint had been registered with the police that a local plastic footwear business had manufactured shoes with a design that somehow resembled the Arabic name of Allah. Prior to this complaint, photocopied images of the shoe had been distributed in a footwear market at the Bhatti gate. However, investigations by the police revealed that the charges levelled against the accused had been initiated by a group of blackmailers who had been extorting money from the company owners Munir Ahmed and Azeem Ahmed for some time by threatening to accuse them of blasphemy. When the owners finally refused to give them more money, they carried out the threat and registered the case with the police. Fortunately, however, this time preliminary investigation proved the innocence of the accused. However, the incident highlights yet again the misuse of the blasphemy law, which for once has been so acknowledged by some religious circles.

[4th Generation Atheist]

Originally posted by Jewel
I don't think so. Not to say it wouldn't be suggested, but I seriously doubt that it would get anywhere.

Just to note, this is because people like us would talk-up immediately if such a thing were ever proposed.