Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - Through its Commission for Justice and Peace of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference has called on the Foreign Ministry not to express abroad support for the country's 'blasphemy laws', especially in cases of communities of Pakistan emigrants. This law in force in the country punishes blasphemy, or any 'insult to the name of the prophet Mohammed' with prison, even life imprisonment and the death penalty.
In a letter signed by the Commission director Rev. Emmanuel Yousaf, and executive secretary Peter Jacob, the Commission says a law which has already given rise to social difficulties in the country especially for religious minorities should not be supported abroad.
According to the Commission, wrongly used the law deprives many innocent people of their freedom and endangers their life. Between 1986 and 2006 as many as 833 people were reported for blasphemy, and in many cases the courts did not even take the trouble to ascertain the truth of the accusation.
The law, the Commission affirms, is a tool of discrimination easily abused for personal interests. To support this law abroad the Commission warns, would damage the image of Pakistan and create fragmentation and disharmony in communities of Pakistan immigrants.
For some time the Christians in Pakistan and other religious communities, often innocent victims of the blasphemy law, have called for the law to be abolished. In 2000 President Pervez Musharraf tried to reform the law, but was prevented from doing so by fundamentalist groups and religious political parties.
The local Catholic Church has always been against the law, described by the president of the Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha, “unjust and discriminatory” and has called for it to be abolished in the name of justice, equity, respect for human rights for every citizen of Pakistan whatever his or her religion.
In recent months the High Court of Lahore acquitted and released several Christians unjustly prosecuted on the grounds of the blasphemy law. However human rights associations and the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance say that in 2006 conditions of Christian minorities did not improve, the law is still abused to get rid of business adversaries, uncomfortable persons etc especially if they belong to a religious minority. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 17/9/2007 righe 32 parole 326)
