[Albert]

France24

Pakistan frees Christian woman on death row for blasphemy

Pakistan's Supreme Court Wednesday overturned the conviction of a Christian woman facing execution for blasphemy in a landmark case which has incited deadly violence and reached as far as the Vatican.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam and its Prophet Mohammed can provoke death at the hands of vigilantes -- and the acquittal immediately sparked large protests from hardliners.

Bibi appeared to be in state of disbelief after hearing that Pakistan's Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had quashed her conviction nearly eight years after she was first sentenced to death.

"I can't believe what I am hearing, will I go out now? Will they let me out, really?" Bibi told AFP by phone from prison after the ruling.

"I just don't know what to say, I am very happy, I can't believe it."

Demonstrations broke out in major cities across the country following the verdict, with approximately a thousand club-wielding demonstrators blocking Islamabad's main highway as several roads in the port city of Karachi were barricaded by protesters sparking chaotic traffic jams.

But the acquittal was met with near silence on the country's airwaves as broadcasters appeared to be steer clear of covering the controversial topic.

Protection detail?

Bibi was set to be released immediately according to the court, although there was no word if any security arrangements were being made for her protection.

Her legal team celebrated the court's decision amid beefed-up security in Islamabad.

"The verdict has shown that the poor, the minorities and the lowest segments of society can get justice in this country despite its shortcomings," Bibi's lawyer Saif-ul-Mulook told AFP.

"This is the biggest and happiest day of my life."

Her case drew the attention of international rights groups and swiftly became the most high-profile in the country.

Pope Benedict XVI called for her release in 2010, while in 2015 her daughter met his successor and the current head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

Freedom for Bibi in Pakistan, where university students have been lynched and Christians burnt in ovens over blasphemy claims, means a life under threat by hardliners, who regularly hold demonstrations calling for her execution.

The allegations against Bibi date back to 2009, when she was working in a field and was asked to fetch water. Muslim women she was labouring with allegedly objected, saying that as a non-Muslim she was unfit to touch the water bowl.

The women went to a local cleric and accused Bibi of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed, a charge punishable by death under colonial-era legislation.

During the appeal hearing on October 8, a three-member panel of Supreme Court justices appeared to question the case against her, with Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, considered Pakistan's top expert in criminal law, listing flaws in the proceedings.

"I don't see any derogatory remarks vis-a-vis the holy Koran as per the FIR," added Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, referring to the initial complaint filed in the case.

Approximately 40 people are believed to be on death row or serving a life sentence in Pakistan for blasphemy, according to a 2018 report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Leading rights groups have long criticised the legislation, saying it is routinely abused to justify censorship, persecution, and even murder of minorities.

In recent years, it has also been weaponised to smear dissenters and politicians.

Mere calls to reform the law have provoked violence, most notably the assassination of Salmaan Taseer, the governor of Pakistan's most populous province Punjab, by his own bodyguard in broad daylight in Islamabad in 2011.

Taseer had also called for Bibi's release. His assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, was executed in 2016 and has been feted as a hero by hardliners, with a shrine to him built by Islamists just outside the capital.

Taseer's son Shahbaz tweeted "Pakistan Zindabad", meaning "Long live Pakistan", following the ruling.

Politicians including new prime minister Imran Khan invoked blasphemy during a general election this summer, vowing to defend the laws.

Analysts have warned the tactic could deepen sectarian fractures and potentially spill into violence.

And these are the type of people that are let in to immigrate to Europe, who think they should not even drink from the same place with people who are not Muslim. Bravo multiculturalist!

Btw, this women has spend 8 years in jail already.

[layman]

A realative of mine is currently in Pakistan recruiting students...

She says there are road blocks and angry mobs chanting on the streets. Clearly, not putting this poor women to death has upset a lot of people. Meanwhile, minorities in Pakistan’s continue to dwindle to around 4 percent while 90% of truck drivers there admit to sex with children.

Worst country in the world ?

[Zionist Nationalist]

Fuck Pakistan worst country in the world a true definition of a shithole

[SolarCross]

Fun fact: Pakistan means "land of the pure",



Is it just a coincidence that Pakistan is a world leader in incest?

[Oxymandias]

@layman

Yes because your relative knows all of this down to the exact percent.

[layman]

@Oxymandias

It was an anecdote.

The pedophile truck driver statistic is from studies. It’s hardly a big secret. They seem to keep this characteristic when they migrate in some cases.

Btw the judge from that case has had to flee, as have her family. She herself has been refused the ability to leave by the goverment as part of a deal with hardliners. Presumably so they can hunt her down and rape/kill her.

But sure go on and defend Pakistan for us.

[skinster]

[Albert]

Here is a good video and update.

Also an article on update of the situation.
http://www.atimes.com/the-asia-bibi-cas ... -fanatics/

[Oxymandias]

@layman

Link the "studies".

Yes I will defend Pakistan. The government is the one who didn't send her to death row and this shows how mature the Pakistani government actually is. Furthermore, this happened in a rural area and the people who imprisoned her were local government officials because Pakistan is a federal state. Most Pakistanis in urban areas don't believe in such blasphemy laws.

[Ter]

Yes I will defend Pakistan.

Why am I not surprised?

Pakistan and Iran both persecute religious minorities (Ahmadyas, Bahai), both support and nurture terrorist groups, both persecute homosexuals, both are unwilling to live in peace with their neighbouring countries, both practice Sharia law, and so on, and so on.

Oxymandias would feel right at home in any of those two countries.

[layman]

@Oxymandias

You defend them due to ties with your own country. It’s an identity thing which is fine but don’t try to make progressive arguments like most urbanites don’t support this kind of thing.

It makes you look pathetic. Pakistan is the one of the most regressive and reactionary place in the world and is getting worse.

[Rugoz]

Why am I not surprised?

Pakistan and Iran both persecute religious minorities (Ahmadyas, Bahai), both support and nurture terrorist groups, both persecute homosexuals, both are unwilling to live in peace with their neighbouring countries, both practice Sharia law, and so on, and so on.

Oxymandias would feel right at home in any of those two countries.

So would most of our right-wingers. They've just been born on the wrong side.

[Rich]

Pakistan and Iran both persecute religious minorities (Ahmadyas, Bahai), both support and nurture terrorist groups, both persecute homosexuals, both are unwilling to live in peace with their neighbouring countries, both practice Sharia law, and so on, and so on.

Yes and so does Saudi Arabia. In addition though both Saudi and Pakistan gave permission for Al Qaeda to launch the 9/11 and earlier attacks against America. Or do you live in some fantasy world where Al Qaeda operated from Taliban territory without the permission of Pakistani and Saudi intelligence services.

No we pathetic cucks that we are allow Pakistan and Saudi to get away with endless outrages, just as long as they don't lift a finger against the Jewish state. During the Cold War, particularly in the latter part where in our desperation we allied with Maoist China and the Khmer Rouge, it made sense to ally with them. But the Soviet Union has gone. Islam and China are our number one enemies now.

[Ter]

Or do you live in some fantasy world where Al Qaeda operated from Taliban territory without the permission of Pakistani and Saudi intelligence services.

I am not sure about the Saudis but the Pakistan Army intelligence Service, the ISI, definitely was aware of the activities of Al Qaeda. They later sheltered Osama Bin Laden for years in the middle of their main military compound and they were upset when the Americans came to take him out.

[layman]

I doubt the core leadership were aware as it would have been leaked. More likely it was a vast rogue network within.

Certainly I wouldn’t assume the head knows what the tail is up to in an organisation like that.

[skinster]

faux concern by racist zionists is amusing.

[Rancid]

faux concern by racist zionists is amusing.

So you support her execution?

[Oxymandias]

@Ter

Dude, Iran's Shia and Pakistan's Sunni. Pakistan wants Iran gone. You just took my words out of context and made assumptions based on them. All I am saying is that the government was being responsible by not killing off the poor lady. Do you want her dead?

And I'm a secularist. You out of all people would love it there.

@layman

Like I said. Iran = Shia Pakistan = Sunni. Shia no like Sunni. Sunni no like Shia. A five year old would know this. Pakistan has no ties to Iran.

Like I said, the government is being responsible and considerate to it's own citizens. I don't see how you can disagree.

btw, I'm still waiting on that link to the study.

@Rugoz

Yeah man I'm definitely a conservative because I think the government was right to not listen to Islamists and not thinking Muslims are literal spawns of Satan like some other "atheists" here.

[Oxymandias]

@Rich

Rich, you're embarrassing yourself. I didn't even read your post and I know that you're embarrassing yourself with such conspiracies (saw something about "we pathetic cucks" and cringed so hard my eyeballs retracted into my skull). This is why literally no one takes you seriously.

[skinster]

So you support her execution?

Are you a moron?