© March 15, 2019
I have mentioned that I operate three blogs:
The first is a Blogger platform. The second is a WordPress
platform. And the third is an OverBlog platform (located in France under EU rules).
A couple of days ago I received an email from WordPress
Support notifying me the government of Pakistan had contacted WordPress over
one of my posts. The Support Team informed me they weren’t going to censor my
blog but if I did not remove the alleged content the NCCR blog would be banned
from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Here is the content of the WordPress Support email:
Mar 12, 19:33 UTC
Hello,
A Pakistan authority has demanded
that we disable the following content on your WordPress.com site:
While we have not complied, due to
the order it is possible that your site could at some point in the future
become inaccessible for Internet visitors originating from Pakistan. Visitors
from outside of Pakistan would still be able to access the site.
You and your readers may be
interested in these suggestions on bypassing
Internet restrictions.
For your reference, we have
included a copy of the complaint below. No reply is necessary, but please let
us know if you have any questions.
— Begin complaint —
Dear WordPress Team,
I am writing on behalf of Web
Analysis Team of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) which has been
designated for taking appropriate measures for regulating Internet Content in
line with the prevailing laws of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
In lieu of above it is highlighted
that few of the web pages hosted on your platform are extremely Blasphemous and
are hurting the sentiments of many Muslims around Pakistan. The same has also
been declared blasphemous under Pakistan Penal Code section 295- B and is in
clear violation of Section 37 of Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA) 2016
and Section 19 of Constitution of Pakistan.
Keeping above in view, It is
requested to please support in removing following URL's from your platform at
earliest please.
The below mentioned websites can be
found on following URL's:-
[…]
You are requested to contribute
towards maintaining peace and harmony in the world by discontinuation of
hosting of these websites for viewership in Pakistan with immediate effect. We
will be happy to entertain any query if deemed necessary and looking forward
for your favorable response at your earliest.
Regards
Web Analysis Team
+92 51 9214396
— End complaint —
It looks like I will not be travelling to Pakistan anytime
soon. Pakistan actually shows the legal code my “Blasphemous” content breaks.
So, quoting the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority:
Pakistan Penal Code section 295- B and is in clear violation of Section
37 of Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA) 2016 and Section 19 of
Constitution of Pakistan
I found three PDFs from Googling portions of the law I am
breaking:
Of particular interest to me was from “PAKISTAN Use and abuse of the blasphemy laws,” the penalty for
breaking the Blasphemy law under the heading, “2.2 Sections of the PPC amended or added during Zia-ul Haq's
Islamization drive” which is on page 7 of the PDF referencing section 295-B:
Several sections were inserted in
the PPC in the 1980s. Section 295-B was added in 1982; it made defiling the
Koran a criminal offence. It reads: "Whoever willfully [sic] defiles,
damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Koran or of an extract therefrom or
uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose shall be punishable with imprisonment for
life." [Bold text by Blog
Editor]
In 1980, section 298-A was inserted
in the PPC, by which the use of derogatory remarks "by words, ... or by imputation
innuendo or insinuation, directly or indirectly" in respect of persons
revered in Islam, was made a criminal offence punishable with up to three years'
imprisonment. In 1986, defiling the name of the Prophet Mohammad was made a
criminal offence and the relevant section, 295-C added to the PPC (see below in
detail).
Most alarming after examining further penalties heaped on is
on page 8 of the PDF under the subheading, “2.3. The blasphemy law: Section 295-C PPC”:
In 1986 the penal code was amended
by Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1986, which added the blasphemy law under
section 295-C to the Pakistan Penal Code. It provided the death penalty or life imprisonment for the criminal offence of
defiling the name of the Prophet Mohammad. It reads:
"295-C: Use of derogatory
remarks, etc. in respect of the Holy Prophet: Whoever by words, either spoken
or written, or by visible representations, or by any imputation, innuendo, or
insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him), shall be
punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."
[Bold text by the Blog Editor]
The Court directed the government
of Pakistan to effect the necessary legal changes and added, "in case this
is not done by 30 April 1991 the words 'or punishment for life' in section
295-C, PPC, shall cease to have effect on that date". Decisions by the
Federal Shariat Court are binding on the government under Article 203-D(3) of
the Constitution. The Government has the possibility to appeal against such
decisions to the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court before any
directive of the Federal Shariat Court takes effect. The government of Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif did not file an appeal against the decision making the
death penalty the only punishment available for blasphemy. In July 1991, it
announced that it had decided to amend section 295-C as directed by the court.
A bill to that effect was placed before parliament in 1992. While the Senate,
the upper house of parliament, unanimously adopted the bill in July 1992, the
lower house of parliament discussed it at length but did not pass it.
Opposition parties considered it to be too vague and …
Now that’s some Free Speech limitations for essentially
speaking the truth and then receiving the death penalty. Pakistan’s law establishing
all things Islam as supreme is not surprising since 97% of the population is Islam
and of those 97%, a staggering amount are Sunni-Islam Muslims.
Considering the huge number of Muslims that undoubtedly
accept Islamic principles in Pakistan’s rule of law, laws relating to Blasphemy
are unsurprising. Just as Christian principles should be an influence in the
rule of law in Western nations.
As far as I am concerned, Pakistan’s rule of law is a
glaring example of why Islamic principles CANNOT BE ACCEPTED in the West as the
rule of law, ESPECIALLY IN AMERICA WHICH HAS A BILL OF RIGHTS AS PART OF THE CONSTITUTION WHICH AFFIRMS CHRISTIAN CONCEPTS OF NATURAL LAW!
I responded to the WordPress Support thinking I would get
some kind of reply affirming, rejecting or a mixed reaction my Free Speech
stand:
Pakistan is in a sad state of
Sharia censoring the citizens from Free Speech truth. I pray the Wordpress
powers that be and the blog platform’s legal team are more protective of Free
Speech than Pakistan. On the other hand Pakistan is a sovereign nation and I
suspect the Pakistan government is protecting its Muslim citizens (as you
probably know Pakistan is overwhelmingly a Sunni-Islam majority nation) from
getting upset. In Sharia, placing the prophet Muhammad in a bad light – even
when factual – is a capital crime. A Pakistani Christian (**Asia Bibi) survived for nearly 9 years on death row
accused of insulting Muhammad by implying Jesus was a greater person. After
nine years and the failure of evidence from Bibi’s accuser, Bibi was released from prison
nearly causing riots by the devout Muslim Pakistanis.
It’s sad but I can live with
accommodating Pakistan’s request as pertaining to Pakistan. However, outside of
Pakistan, I pray you honor Free Speech and not censor posts that are outside of
Pakistan’s authority.
Thank you for your consideration
and your work, [Blog Editor: The links
related to Asia Bibi were not in the original email sent to WordPress Support. The
double asterisks (“**”) near Asia’s name is to a recent link about Asia stuck
in a secretive location in ill health and being refused medical attention. I
want to bring attention to the plight of Asia Bibi and thus will posting her
still horrendous treatment directly after my thoughts on Free Speech.]
No response or further action of notifications so far from
WordPress.
I can live with my blogs being banned in a 97% Muslim
nation. And I believe I will not be visiting Pakistan anytime soon … or ever.
JRH 3/15/19
Your generosity is always appreciated:
*****************
‘Everyone
is Worried’: Asia Bibi ‘Very Unwell’ in Pakistani Safe House, Being Denied
Medical Care
03-11-2019
Asia Bibi, the mother of five who spent almost a decade on
death row for a crime she did not commit, is reported to be in dire physical
condition as she continues to be held in a safe house in the Pakistani city of
Karachi. Bibi, 53, was acquitted of blasphemy last October after the Supreme
Court ruled that the accusations had no evidential basis. Since then, Bibi has
been granted asylum in Canada, but as yet has not been released from her home
country.
What Is The Latest?
According to a source quoted in The Daily Mail,
Bibi is “very unwell” and being denied medical care while holed up in a safe
house with “low blood pressure.”
“Everyone is very worried,” the source explained. “She won
her appeal and was supposed to be out of Pakistan by now.”
Despite the fact that Bibi’s children are now safely in
Canada, the Pakistani government has wanted to seek assurances from the
embattled mother that she will not speak ill of her home country upon leaving.
There is still no indication of when exactly Bibi will finally evade the
clutches of the country that has caused her so much strife.
“Even though the government says she can leave, the army has
all the power in this case,” the source added. “They are in control of her.
They are fearful about getting a negative press if she speaks out about her
experiences – but they will get an even worse press if she dies in protective
custody.”
British officials recently stated that the Pakistani
government has “confirmed that Asia Bibi is free to make her own decisions and
to leave Pakistan,” but the realities of this case speak of a very different
story indeed.
Many are calling on prominent church leaders, such as
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, to do more on Bibi’s behalf.
@JustinWelby As reports arise of her failing health in her continuing unjust imprisonment, may your conscience, if not your heart, cause you to end your persistent determined silence and mention her name: Asia Bibi. Your voice matters.#AsiaBibi@churchofengland#deafeningsilence https://t.co/nSyh9ZRFmM— blueshawk (@blueshawk) March 7, 2019
For now, Asia and her husband, Ashiq Masih, remain in
Pakistan with little idea as to when they will be allowed to leave.
What Is The Background?
Bibi was initially arrested back in 2009 after supposedly
entering into an argument with a group of women about a source of drinking
water. The Islamist women accused Bibi of drinking from the same tap as them,
to which Bibi allegedly responded, “Jesus Christ died for my sins. What did the
prophet Muhammad do for you?” a remark which they believed offended their
revered religious figure.
However, in the Supreme Court’s final judgment, it declared
that the two sisters who accused Bibi “had no regard for the truth,” before
adding that “the said semi-literate young sisters had a reason to level
allegations against the appellant which could be untrue.”
The landmark judgment also noted that the prosecution’s
presented evidence in the case “was nothing short of concoction
incarnate.”
“Her conviction is set aside and she is to be relieved
forthwith if not required in other charges,” said Chief Justice Saqib Nisar in
the astonishingly bold ruling, as reported by The Guardian.
But the court’s statement went even further, implying that
Bibi had been subject to clear-cut prejudice in her arrest and trial.
“It is ironical that in the Arabic language the appellant’s
name Asia means ‘sinful,’” read the judgment written by Justice Asif Khosa,
“but in the circumstances of the present case she appears to be a person, in
the words of Shakespeare’s King Lear, ‘more sinned against than sinning.’”
The radicals, however, have remained bloodthirsty from the
very day Bibi was arrested.
Prior to her acquittal, in Pakistan’s second-largest city of
Lahore, hundreds of protesters gathered together and chanted “Hang infidel Asia.”
Sickeningly, the hashtag #HangAsiaDefend295C was trending among the religious
extremists on Twitter, with the “295C” referring to section 295-C of Pakistan’s
penal code, which makes it a criminal offense to blaspheme against the Prophet
Muhammad.
What Does The Blasphemy Law Actually Say?
According to the Penal Code itself,
295-B refers to the prohibiting of “Defiling, etc., of Holy Qur’an,” and 295-C
is in reference to the “use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy
Prophet.” Other violations not specific to Islam contained in Pakistan’s
criminal laws include “trespassing on burial places” and “disturbing religious
assembly.”
Those who have chosen to support Bibi’s cause have faced
grave consequences. In addition to the threat against Bibi, her family and the
justices involved in her acquittal, other prominent politicians have lost their
lives in the pursuit of religious freedom.
In 2011, shortly after Bibi’s conviction, Punjab Governor
Salman Taseer was brutally murdered for speaking out in support of the wrongly
convicted Christian woman. Shot dead on the streets of Islamabad, his own
bodyguard was found guilty of the heinous crime and, though sentenced to death
himself, he has since become a cult hero with a large shrine in his honor
erected on the outskirts of the capital city.
Just two months later, Christian politician and outspoken
critic of the blasphemy laws, Shahbaz Bhatti, was also assassinated — shot dead
by the Pakistani Taliban as he traveled to work.
Do continue to pray for Asia Bibi as she does everything in
her power to flee Pakistan.
CBN News Related:
_____________________
LOOK OUT! I Committed Blasphemy in Pakistan
John R. Houk
© March 15, 2019
___________________
‘Everyone is Worried’: Asia Bibi ‘Very
Unwell’ in Pakistani Safe House, Being Denied Medical Care
© 2019 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A
nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization.
