Seven Arrested for Blasphemy After Publishing Views of a Jew

The freedom of thought and expression is a fundamental right of every individual. But in Pakistan those who exercise this fundamental right, can be charged as blasphemers. Under section 295 A,B,C of the Blasphemy Act, a person can be labeled as a blasphemer and without any investigation can be arrested and tried. The Blasphemy law carries capital punishment or life imprisonment for offense involving blasphemy against the person of the Prophet Mohammed of Islam or the Quran.

The Frontier Post is a progressive English daily published from Peshawar the capital of the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. In the issue dated the 27th January, 2001, a letter titled as "Why Muslims hate Jews" was published. According to the Muslims, this letter contained highly blasphemous material. Mr. BenDzac, a Jew by faith has expressed his views in the column specified as "Your Views." Consequently, seven employees, including the Managing Editor of The Frontier Post, have been arrested and charged under Pakistan's blasphemy law. Hundreds of workers attached to this newspaper are now unemployed.

Among those arrested were the managing editor, joint editor, news editor, chief reporter, sub-editor, feature writer and the manager of the computer section. They will be tried and, based on the blasphemy laws, could be awarded capital punishment. All the copies of the newspapers containing Mr. BenDzac's views have been confiscated and bandfrom circulation.

The fanatic Muslims became very frenzied after the publication of the letter and burned several buildings of the newspaper to ashes. They raised anti Jews slogans and demanded that Jews be slain. A religious decree has been issued, offering a bounty of two million rupees (US $50,000) for the head of BenDzac. The Muslim fanatics also demanded that responsible individuals of the Frontier Post be publicly hanged. The decree declared war against all Jews.

The blasphemy law is a draconian law. It was introduced in Pakistan in 1985. It was the brainchild of a military dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq, who, for prolonging his illegitimate rule over Pakistan, used religion as a tool. In order to win over the support of hard-line Islamic religio-ploitical parties, he promulgated the law through an ordinance. So it was ill conceived by ill will.

The blasphemy law is being misused in Pakistan. Hundreds of people of non-Muslim religious minorities have suffered a lot due to this inhumane law. Many have been, so far murdered mercilessly or burned to death. Many labeled as blasphemers have fled the country for fear of their lives and many are suffering agonies in jails. They are persecuted by jail authorities and by Muslim inmates.

The non-Muslim religious minorities and human rights organizations have been struggling for the repeal of the blasphemy law, but all the successive governments have never paid heed to repeal or to stop the misuse of this law. Now, as this incident has revealed, the Islamist extremists have risen up against a progressive newspaper as they have against the non-Muslim communities of Pakistan. These extremists are holding processions and it is feared that the fanatics will target non-Muslim religious minorities. Recently, the leaders of religious minorities held a protest rally in Pakistan against the misuse of this law and demanded its repeal. But the government arrested all those leaders under the blasphemy laws.

In Pakistan, views against other religions like Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Ahmdis etc. are published in the press. But the irony is that the government ignores the blasphemous acts of the Muslim against other religions. This double standard is a tantamount abuse of basic human rights of the non-Muslim people of Pakistan.

(International Christian Concern)