An international hearing sponsored by the World Council of Churches
called on Pakistan to end abuse of the nation's blasphemy law, which
leads to major human rights violations for religious minorities.
A communiqué issued by the group on Sept. 19 called on the Pakistani
government to “constitute a competent Inquiry Commission immediately to
look into the tragic consequences of the blasphemy law and suggest a way
out of this difficult and embarrassing situation.”
“Tinkering with procedural amendments” has failed to solve the problems
surrounding “a law that is inherently susceptible to abuse,” it said.
At a three-day public hearing with participants from a variety of faith
backgrounds, speakers examined the blasphemy law that is included in
the Pakistan Penal Code.
That law, as amended in the 1980s, has been criticized for its vague
wording and arbitrary enforcement, leading to mob violence as well as
the death penalty for those found guilty of defaming the prophet
Muhammad or the Quran.
The hearing, held Sept. 17-19 in Geneva, Switzerland, was organized by
the World Council of Churches' Commission of the Churches on
International Affairs.
Mohammad Tahseen, human rights activist and director of the South Asia
Partnership in Pakistan, delivered the keynote address, arguing that
continued abuse of the blasphemy law is incompatible with “the vision of
Pakistan as a moderate and democratic country.”
He stressed the importance of the international community in supporting
“the values of democracy and people’s struggles in Pakistan.”
Bishop Samuel Azariah, moderator of the Church of Pakistan, encouraged
the government to consider repealing the controversial blasphemy law,
which he said creates an atmosphere of fear for religious minorities.
“A majority of the cases have proved to be false, which has disturbed the fabric of trust in our society,” he said.
Pakistan’s blasphemy law made headlines in August when a young girl
with Down Syndrome was arrested for allegedly burning pages from the
Quran. Faced with international attention, the girl was released on
bail, but had to be taken to a secret location amid fears for her
safety.
On Sept. 21, declared by the Pakistani government to be “Love for the
Prophet Day,” violent protests erupted throughout the country,
continuing several days of protests over the American-made internet
film, “Innocence of Muslims,” which ridicules the Muslim prophet
Muhammad.
Although the government encouraged peaceful demonstrations, crowds of
more than 10,000 clashed violently with police in cities throughout the
country, calling for the film’s maker to be killed.
According to the Associated Press, the violence throughout the country left at least 17 dead and more than 100 injured.
Violent protests have broken out in more than a dozen other Muslim
countries in recent days as well, with angry crowds protesting the movie
as well as the U.S. government’s failure to ban it due to First
Amendment free speech protections.
The Pakistani government has banned access to YouTube in the country to
prevent the video from being seen, and Pakistani prime minister Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf called on the international community to enact
legislation banning insults of Muhammad.
Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of
Churches, argued that “it is high time that the international community
should address this issue with urgency.”
“Reports from Pakistan reveal the fact that repression, intolerance,
and fear have become the order of the day in many parts of the country,”
he observed, warning that the misuse of the law is “used to target
different minority communities” in the country.
The public hearing coincided with the 21st Session of the U.N. Human
Rights Council and included a side event at that gathering. Speakers
emphasized the importance of free speech and the critical role of
religious leaders in preventing abuse of the laws.
“When the state and constitution make preference on the basis of
religion, they end up violating the rights of their citizens,” said
Peter Jacob, director of the National Commission for Justice and Peace
for the Catholic Church in Pakistan.
“The discrimination we find in the constitution and state policies
translates into extremism and general intolerance in the society,” he
explained.