Pakistan Blasphemy Laws Persecute Christians

John R. Houk

© April 30, 2013

I received an email from Shamim Masih regarding the Pakistani Christian Martha Bibi. She is scheduled for a court date in Lahore, Pakistan relating to – guess what? If you follow the persecution of Christians in Pakistan the answer is easy. Martha Bibi’s crime is blaspheming against Islam. Blasphemy is a death sentence in Pakistan. Blasphemy can be anything from insulting the religion of Islam, the prophet Mohammed, against Islam’s Allah, against the Quran and so on of ridiculous accusations that lead to a capital crime in Pakistan.

I had heard the name “Bibi” in one of the rare moments of the international press noticing how Muslims persecute Christians with often trumped up charges of Blasphemy. So when I went to double check on that name “Bibi” I discovered it was a different person from the news report from Shamim. The other person is Asia Bibi who has the notoriety of being the first woman convicted for a blasphemy charge with a sentence of death by hanging. Asia has been languishing in jail since November 2010 awaiting an appeal to be heard on her death sentence. I found out that Asia Bibi may get her day around the same time frame in Lahore, Pakistan as Martha Bibi.

There are a number of blasphemy legal issues facing Christians. Here are a few links that you probably will not see from Western MSM:

o   PAKISTAN: YOUNIS MASIH AND MARTHA BIBI CASES IN COURT TODAY - February 27, 2013

o   Prayers for blasphemy victim Christian women Asia and Martha Bibi in Bar Council – March 21, 2013

o   Pakistan ‘Blasphemy’ Girl Facing Prison; Mother Death Sentence - March 23, 2013 (10:31 pm)

o   Pakistan Overturns Death Sentence Of Christian; Younis Masih Released - April 3, 2013 (11:15 am)

Apparently many of the minority rights NGOs in Pakistan take turns using available money to provide legal aid to these persecuted Christians under Islamic Blasphemy Laws. Shamim points out that her current legal council is being handled by what Shamim calls World Vision in Pakistan or WVIP. I like to see what some of these NGOs do specifically because some of them may tend to slant to exploitation than actual legitimate help. I must interject that all the NGOs Shamim has been involved with appear to be on the legitimate side of the scale. Anyway, I could not find an NGO with the name World Vision in Pakistan. However, I did find an organization called World Vision in Progress (Foundation) using the same acronym WVIP. The NGO I found is focused on Pakistan so I am going to guess this is whom Shamim Masih is alluding.

Here is the email Shamim Masih has sent regarding Martha Bibi.

JRH 4/30/13

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WVIP to fight for the fate of Martha Bibi in Pakistani court

By Shamim Masih

Sent: 4/30/2013 10:23 AM
Updated per author request 5/3/13

LAHORE (Shamim Masih): World Vision in Progress – WVIP has submitted the power of attorney in the court to defend Martha Bibi, accused of blasphemy case. A Pakistani court has fixed May 09, 2013 as the date of to hear the case of a Christian woman accused of blasphemy.

According to Lazar Allah Rakha, WVIP’s lawyer penal Salvance Jacob, Nadeem Hassan and Lazar Allah Rakha has filed the power of attorney to precede the case of Martha Bibi in Lahore today on 30^th April 2013.

Martha Bibi, 45, married with 6 children, accused of the blasphemy case and was arrested on January 22, 2007 under a blasphemy case registered on the application of a local Muslim, since then she is facing the trail court. Earlier CLAAS and LEAD family has been taking care of her case in the court.

She was arrested in early 2007 and later released from prison on bail, but the trial was pending in the Kasur session court. Her lawyer had moved an application for transference of her case to Lahore session court to avoid any misshape and Lahore High Court has accepted it and shifted it to Lahore court, said Allah Rakha.

The Christian human rights activist and lawyer said that WVIP has been extending “moral and financial support” to Martha and her family as well.

WVIP has urged Christian around the world to pray for “protection of Martha” and for “her deliverance from the blasphemy trial.”

Be Blessed,

Shamim Masih

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Pakistan Blasphemy Laws Persecute Christians

John R. Houk

© April 30, 2013

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WVIP to fight for the fate of Martha Bibi in Pakistani

© Shamim Masih

Christian Rights Activist
Freelance Journalist 

Secretary General

REAP

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