Pakistan: Blasphemy law debate

The blasphemy law has become a bane for society and there is no chance of it being amended or repealed in the foreseeable future. How many more people will the state sacrifice by tolerating frenzied mobs using religion to settle personal scores or vent their anger against a group of people they are brainwashed to hate. After the lynching of a Christian couple in Kot Radha Kishan, everybody is talking about reforming the law, so that it is not misused against innocent people. If the handling of previous blasphemy cases is any evidence, the law should be repealed. The argument to scrap the law gains strength seeing the prolonged inaction of successive governments against the religious right promoting discrimination and intolerance. Peace groups operating in Pakistan have demanded on Friday in a joint communiqué that the government take stern action against the criminals and their accomplices who had burnt the Christian couple to death in the kin. This punishment according to the peace advocates will set a precedent while creating an environment to contemplate and debate the law. The lives of many innocent people, both from the minorities and the Muslim community, languishing in jail are at stake. It is yet to be seen how the Supreme Court handles Aasia Bibi’s case. Even if she is freed from prison, her survival will entirely depend on the security the government provides her. Aasia’s case is a litmus test for the courts and the government. Governor Punjab Salman Taseer and Federal Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti had sacrificed their lives to make Aasia’s case their litmus test to establish to the ignorant and bigoted sections of the populace and the government about the inhuman aspects of the blasphemy law. The killer of Salman Taseer is leading a comfortable life in jail having become a faith healer who is free to advocate and justify killings in the name of religion. Already one blasphemy accused has been killed on his instigation and another injured in jail. While the minorities are voicing concern against the injustices meted out to them, the absence of a leadership role in their ranks towards this cause is rather conspicuous. Barring Ahmedis, nearly every minority has representation in parliament, but their efforts (or lack of them) to protect their communities’ rights fail to correspond to the injustices inflicted on them. This vacuum has been conveniently exploited by the extremist groups with impunity. There is a need therefore for the minorities’ leadership to come out of their comfortable bubbe and use their influence to bring about a policy shift in the government’s stance on the minorities and other victims of the blasphemy laws through political pressure and mass mobilization.