Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan 'for blasphemy'

Religion

Thursday 11 November 2010

Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan 'for blasphemy'
A Christian woman has been sentenced to hang in Pakistan after being convicted of defaming the Prophet Mohammed.

By Rob Crilly in Islamabad and Aoun Sahi in Lahore 5:36PM GMT 09 Nov 2010
Asia Bibi, a 45-year-old mother-of-five, denies blasphemy and told investigators that she was being persecuted for her faith in a country where Christians face routine harassment and discrimination.

Christian groups and human rights campaigners condemned the verdict and called for the blasphemy laws to be repealed.

Her supporters say she will now appeal against the sentence handed down in a local court in the town of Sheikhupura, near Lahore, Pakistan.



Ashiq Masih, her husband, said he had not had the heart to break the news to two of their children.

"I haven't told two of my younger daughters about the court's decision," he said. "They asked me many times about their mother but I can't get the courage to tell them that the judge has sentenced their mother to capital punishment for a crime she never committed." Mrs Bibi has been held in prison since June last year.

The court heard she had been working as a farmhand in fields with other women, when she was asked to fetch drinking water.

Some of the other women – all Muslims – refused to drink the water as it had been brought by a Christian and was therefore "unclean", according to Mrs Bibi's evidence, sparking a row.

The incident was forgotten until a few days later when Mrs Bibi said she was set upon by a mob.

The police were called and took her to a police station for her own safety.

Shahzad Kamran, of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan, said: "The police were under pressure from this Muslim mob, including clerics, asking for Asia to be killed because she had spoken ill of the Prophet Mohammed.

"So after the police saved her life they then registered a blasphemy case against her." He added that she had been held in isolation for more than a year before being sentenced to death on Monday.

"The trial was clear," he said. "She was innocent and did not say those words." Earlier this year, Pakistan's internet service providers were ordered to block Facebook to prevent access to supposedly blasphemous images.

Human rights groups believe the law is often used to discriminate against religious minorities, such as the country's estimated three million Christians.

Although no one has ever been executed under Pakistan's blasphemy laws – most are freed on appeal – as many as 10 people are thought to have been murdered while on trial.

Ali Hasan Dayan, of Human Rights Watch, said the blasphemy laws were out of step with rights guaranteed under Pakistan's constitution and should be repealed.

"It's an obscene law," he said. "Essentially the blasphemy law is used as a tool of persecution and to settle other scores that are nothing to do with religion.

"It makes religious minorities particularly vulnerable because it's often used against them."



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/8120142/Christian-woman-sentenced-to-death-in-Pakistan-for-blasphemy.html

Death toll in Gaza exceeds 800

Death toll in Gaza exceeds 800




The Palestinian death toll has risen to 815 people and more than 3,300 injured since Israel began its offensive in the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.

Attacks continued on Saturday morning with aerial bombardments and Israeli forces advancing further into the outskirts of Gaza City.

Eight members of one family were among the latest fatalities, killed by an Israeli tank shell in Jabaliya.

Israeli aircraft bombed tunnels used to smuggle goods from Egypt into the besieged strip, weapons-manufacturing sites and depots, an army spokesman said.

Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza City, said: "There was a lot of intense fighting overnight.

"The most significant development was the advance of the Israeli military.

"We understand now they are on the outskirts of Gaza City, still trying to avoid going in through major population centres, but navigating their way around those urban areas on the periphery."

Cairo meetings

Hamas sent a senior delegation to the Egyptian capital on Saturday to make their remarks on the Egyptian plan to end the fighting.

A binding resolution passed by the UN security council late on Thursday failed to bring peace to the Gaza Strip, with Israel arguing that it has the right to self-defence.

Hamas said it was not consulted and that the call for an immediate cessation did not recognise the Palestinians' right to resist occupation.

Egypt's plan includes an immediate cessation of hostilities for a specified period, the opening of Gaza's crossings, curtailment of arms smuggling into the Strip and attempts at reconciliation talks between the Palestinian factions.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, also in Cairo, said the Egyptian plan would facilitate progress on a ceasefire.

After his meeting with Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, Abbas said: "We think that the Egyptian initiative is the mechanism that will put into implementation the UN Security Council resolution.

"It will elaborate plans on the ground in order to stop the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people.

"The Egyptian proposal is the only mechanism. It is very clear-cut and once it is accepted, the aggression should end. However, if any of the two parties reject the initiative, they will have to assume the responsibility of continuing the bloodshed.

"Egyptians are continuing their contacts with the relevant stakeholders. A delegation from Hamas has already been in Egypt and we hope they will reach an agreement without any reluctance."

UN aid resumes

The UN Security Council resolution, which was backed by 14 nations on the 15-member body, with only the US abstaining, called for an "immediate, durable and fully respected" ceasefire.



However, both Hamas and Israel rejected the truce. Scores of rockets have been fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip since the start of the offensive.

Since Israel launched its offensive, 13 Israelis have died, including three civilians.

The UN also said on Saturday that it would resume its work in the Gaza Strip after receiving assurances of staff safety.

A UN statement said that Israel had given "credible assurances that the security of UN personnel installations and humanitarian operations would be fully respected".

The UN stopped aid shipments after one of its lorries was shot at by Israeli forces, killing the driver, two days ago.

The majority of the 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip depend on foreign aid for survival.

Mads Gilbert, a doctor working at Shifa hospital in Gaza City, told Al Jazeera: "We have been to many war zones, but the special thing is that the 1.5 Gaza population are completely locked in.

"The civilian population has no way to hide. The population density is so high you can not do attacks like this without knowing that you are attacking the civilians.

"Also, the injuries must come from extremely explosive devices. We suspect that Israel is using a new type of high explosive called Dime [dense inert metal explosive].

"We urge the world, stop the bombing of Gaza. Please stop it."

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies



http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/200911084430400848.html