Raza Hayat Hiraj Pakistan's State Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs
The government of Pakistan has drafted a bill, called the Criminal Law Amendment Act, intended to revise some of the laws based on a strict interpretation of the Koran. The amendment would make "honor killings" illegal, as well as amending the Hudood ordinances (punishments based on the Koran) and the blasphemy laws. The state minister for law and parliamentary affairs, Raza Hayat Hiraj made the announcement on television on July 8. No details on the proposed amendments have been made available. On July 12, Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain announced that the draft had been referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology. Many Muslim clerics are opposing any change to the laws.
Pakistan's blasphemy law has been frequently misused against Christians. Those accused are typically presumed guilty until proven innocent and often languish in prison for years until their case is heard. There they are often subject to attacks and abuse by guards and inmates and pressured to convert to Islam. At the present time, ten Christians are in prison on blasphemy charges. The law has often been used against Christians simply because of their religious identity or for the personal gain of the accuser.
Pray that this draft bill will bring positive change to Pakistan. Pray for the release of those falsely accused of blasphemy.
Parvez Masih
One of the more blatant abuses of the blasphemy law concerns the arrest in April 2001 of Parvez Masih. Parvez, was the headmaster of a Christian school near Lahore, Pakistan when some of his students asked him if it was true that Mohammed had a nine-year-old wife. Parvez graciously mentioned her name, "Aisha," and told them to look in the Koran. On April 1, 2001 he was arrested and accused of violating Law 295C, blaspheming Mohammed as a result of the testimonies of two of the boys. It is believed that a teacher of a rival high school was involved in an attempt to close the Christian school.
Parvez continues to be held in prison and appears in session court as required but has not yet been sentenced. His family is able to visit him twice a month. You can write Parvez an encouraging note at:
Parvez Masih District Jail Sialkot PAKISTAN
For more information on persecution of Christians in Pakistan, click here.
VOMC partners to train Christian women in sewing skills throughout Pakistan to provide a sustainable source of income for their families and encourage them in their faith and witness for Christ.
Religion (%) Islam (96.5), Other - Christian and Hindu (3.5)
Leader President Asif Ali Zardari (2024)
Government type Federal parliamentary republic
Legal system Common law system with Islamic law influence
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Pakistan
Pray that amendments will be made to Pakistan's existing blasphemy laws so that the country's citizens – including its children – will be protected from injustice and abuse. May our Lord's mercy and justice prevail, not only in the judiciary system but also in the hearts of the country's militants. Ask Him to transform their "hearts of stone" into hearts that are receptive to His love, mercy and the workings of His Holy Spirit – not only for the purpose of protecting the Christian minority but also for the salvation of their own eternal souls.
A protest against Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Photo: Wikipedia / Vivek Ravikumar (cc)
While accusations of blasphemy in Pakistan are common and can be motivated by interpersonal conflicts or business disputes, there has been a nofigure increase in allegations based on social media posts. (To read previously published reports about Christians who have been charged with blasphemy, go to our country profile.)
According to the research findings of the AFP news agency, many such cases are taking place as a result of organized "vigilante groups" led by lawyers and the support of volunteers scouring the Internet for offenders. In some cases, unsuspecting social media participants are duped by strangers into sharing content that could be deemed blasphemous, resulting in police reports being filed against them.
Zimran Asim with his lawyer. Photo: Christian Daily International-Morning Star News
The previous week's Persecution & Prayer Alert reported on an unusual case in which bail was granted to Saima Masih, a Christian woman who was accused of blasphemy in Pakistan. (Read the previously published report.) While Saima has been freed from prison, she remains in danger from the avenging violence of militant vigilantes who are seeking to achieve what they falsely perceive as "justice." Remarkably, this past October, two similar blasphemy cases came before the Pakistani courts in which other accused Christians were also released on bail.
Diya Iftikhar (third from left) with her parents and attorneys. Photo: Christians True Spirit
On September 12th, 16-year-old Diya Iftikhar was abducted from her family's home by three men who are well-known for their opposition to Christians. In a video message to her parents four days later, Diya stated that she had converted to Islam and married Ghazaal Jutt, one of her kidnappers. (Review a previous report.)
In August of this year, two Christian sisters were accused of blasphemy when a Muslim man claimed to find ruined pages of the Quran amongst garbage, stating that one of the sisters had discarded them. Both sisters denied his allegation, believing that the pages were purposely placed there by the man himself because of the personal vendetta he had against them. (More about the situation is available here.)
Population
