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millions of Christians are being killed each year around the world.
However, the large per capita rate of this is found in the land of an American ally- Pakistan. These are killed because they
believe in Christ so deeply that they will not deny him, and worst of all these killings are sanctioned and protected under
Blasphemy Law 295c. Please read my essay below and please repost this. I am starting a letter writing campaign- hopefully,
I can get over 100 teens to write letters to the Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram, this will bring attention to this horrible
injustice.
Blasphemy Law 295c
Blasphemy law 295c was instituted in 1986 in Pakistan. The law
states that any person who " by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representations, or by any imputation, innuendo,
or insinuation, directly or indirectly defiles the name of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, is liable for blasphemy and, in
addition to a fine, shall be punished with a death sentence or life imprisonment." This law is outrageous in that it violates
the human rights laws of the United Nations, which Pakistan joined September 30,1947. There are several reasons why I am so
outraged.
To begin with, the wording of the law is extremely vague, enabling it to be twisted in the favor of the accuser.
This allows blasphemy charges to be founded on false and malicious accusations made out of spite. Those who disagree with
me might say that this is not true and that the majority of the accusations are well founded, but in most cases this is far
from the truth. For instance, it is not uncommon for the instigator of the complaints to be motivated by prejudice, self gain,
professional rivalry, or out of religious discrimination. It is often used to intimidate or punish religious minorities such
as Christians, the most widely targeted group. The vague nature of the law also allows for an unfair trial of the accused
even though Pakistan's constitution guarantees that " every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate
his religion." For example, the prosecution is often allowed to rely on unsubstantiated testimony where the defendant’s
words are usually taken out of context; the testimony of one Muslim man is all that is required to sentence the accused to
death. All of this shows that the accusations are only made out of prejudice and hate.
Another reason that I disagree
with this law is because its very existence encourages hostility against non-Muslims. For example, if the accused is found
not guilty, which is extremely rare, they are often murdered, tortured, or forced to flee the country by Muslim extremists
under the pretext of punishing blasphemers. Many extremists interpret the law as a license to kill and do so. In many Pakistan
mosques, Muslims are taught that those who blaspheme should be killed immediately and that protecting them is just as bad
as blaspheming yourself. This creates a false sense that Muslims are duty bound to kill those accused under this law. However,
some oppose this argument.
Some say that this is simply a carrying out of justice that was not done by the state. I
disagree with this. It is the country of Pakistan’s duty to try the accused, no matter what the charges, and should
remain in their hands. If the defendant is found not guilty, they should be given protection by the state or sent to the U.S.
to seek asylum if the country refuses to give them protection. This violence is merely a show of extreme hate and is not in
the least bit right.
Yet another reason why I believe that this law is ridiculous is that it allows a twisting of the
basic laws of prosecution. For example, anyone accused under this law can be arrested without a warrant and imprisoned without
bail. Also, the accused is often imprisoned for years without a trial. This is unwarranted because it neglects the accused
person’s human rights under the U.N.'s Declaration of Human Rights, Articles 10 and 11, which guarantees a fair public
trial and equal protection, and the country's own constitution, which guarantees that all citizens are equal before the law
and cannot be held for more than a year. During this time, the prisoner is often taunted by their fellow prisoners, humiliated,
and sometimes killed.
My opponents might say that the fact that the prisoner is not given bail is because of the possibility
that they will run as well as for their own protection. However, this is an unfounded argument in that the prisoners are often
beaten and abused by their guards. This argument also applies to the long imprisonment, during which some of the prisoners
are sometimes killed by guards or fellow inmates. This is a direct violation of Article 5 of the U.N.'s Declaration of Human
Rights, which states that " no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."
In conclusion, Blasphemy law 295c is absolutely appalling and should be eliminated immediately, and there are several reasons
why I believe this. To begin with, the vague wording of the law allows for many false interpretations. In addition, it encourages
hostility against non-Muslims and allows for an unfair trial of those accused under the law. Finally, it violates Articles
2,5,7,10,11,12,18,and 19 of the U.N.'s Declaration of Human Rights which, since Pakistan is a member of the U.N., they have
to comply with. Obviously, this law should not exist in today's democratic world and I encourage you to cherish the fact that
you have freedom of religion.
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