From a reader:
Asia Bibi, a resident of Ittanwali in the eastern province of
Punjab, was working at a local farm when the Muslim women with whom she was working called her an infidel and urged her to convert to Islam. Bibi refused, saying that Christianity was the only true
religion. Muslim men working in nearby fields also gathered and
attacked Asia Bibi on which she fled to her home. These angry Muslims followed her, removed her from her home and started beating her. They tortured her children also, but meanwhile someone informed police. Police then arrested Bibi on blasphemy charges. Following a lengthy trial, she was sentenced to death.
More here from Catholic Culture:
Muslim religious leaders in Pakistan are urging President Asif Ali Zardari not to pardon Asia Bibi, the 45-year-old Christian mother of five whose death sentence on blasphemy charges has provoked an international outcry. Shahbaz Bhatti, the nation’s minister for minorities, has found that Bibi was wrongfully convicted, and Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has told CNN that the president will pardon her.
“I mean, he’s a liberal, modern-minded president, and he’s not going to see a poor woman like this targeted and executed,” said Taseer. “It’s just not going to happen.”
Bibi told Taseer, who visited her on November 20, that her accusers had raped her.
Islamist leaders are reportedly planning protests throughout the nation if Bibi is pardoned, and one Islamist organization has announced a November 24 protest against Taseer for his support of Bibi. Attorneys in the district where Bibi is jailed are boycotting the courts to protest a possible pardon, and opponents of the release have gathered outside the jail. Islamic fundamentalist groups are threatening to kill her if she is freed, the Fides news agency reports.
Bibi, a resident of Ittanwali in the eastern province of Punjab, was working at a local farm when the Muslim women with whom she was working called her an infidel and urged her to convert to Islam. Bibi refused, saying that Christianity was the only true religion.
“The Muslim men working in nearby fields also gathered and attacked Asia Bibi on which she fled to village in her home,” the Pakistan Christian Post reported. “The angry Muslims followed her and took her out of home and started beating her. They tortured her children also, but meanwhile someone informed police.”
Police then arrested Bibi on blasphemy charges. Following a lengthy trial, she was sentenced to death.
Bhatti, a Christian, said that Pakistan may amend its controversial anti-blasphemy law but will not repeal it– prompting the leader of the Pakistan Christian Congress to call for his resignation.
Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.
- Pakistan: Islamists and lawyers protest against pardon to Asia Bibi (Pakistan Christian Post)
- Pakistan’s president will pardon Christian woman, official says (CNN)
- Pakistan will not repeal blasphemy law – govt minister (Reuters)
- Cardinal Bertone: Release Asia Bibi (Vatican Radio)
- Asia Bibi raped by accusers; death threats from Islamic fundamentalists (Fides)
- Pakistani cabinet minister finds Christian woman ‘wrongly sentenced’ (CWN, 11/23)
Death sentence for Pakistani Christian who refused to convert to Islam (CWN, 11/11)
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Note the media outlets reporting this. Most of them are Catholic. If you google it, only the Telegraph in Britain and strangely the Huffington Post are also reporting. However, the HuffPost is reporting in the “don’t worry, people are good, they’ll pardon her mode.”
Wake up, America.
They won’t Supertradmom. They’re too busy in traffic giving each other the motorists’ salute because there are less than 30 shopping days before Christmas. And after that it will be something else of *equal emergency value*. They may not notice til somebody puts out a fatwah on Christmas [specifically Christmas break in the schools, no matter what they call it]. That’ll put a cramp in their style.
“Woman sentenced to death by Muslims…” Wow! I didn’t know all 1.57 billion sentenced this lady. Must have been some lengthy trial! I wonder how my roommate voted.
They were muslims, raitchi2. I see you have a roommate. If you are in an institution of higher learning, you need a logic class.
Hell, raitchi2, even a decent English grammar class would catch that one.
So…now that you’re here, what do you think of the common practice of Muslims taunting Christians for their beliefs and then persecuting them (killing them!) when they won’t convert by force??
BTW, if this lady is killed, she will join a long line of Christian martyrs who were killed by Muslims.
We also have the problem in India, where Hindus burn down peoples’ houses and churches because they’re Christian.
India is “the world’s largest democracy”, their government likes to say. Yet 15% of the country are are the persecuted “Dalit” formerly called “untouchables.” Bride dowries and honor killings are still common in their rural regions. And of course, the persecution by the majority Hindus of Muslims (also 15% of the population) Christians and adherents of other minority religions is commonplace.
Yet their educated middle class is larger in population than that of the entire US and they work cheap, so we don’t like to offend them. Muslims, (who in turn persecute Christians, too) Christians, and Dalit and others will just have to “offer it up.”
Yes, raitchi2,
By the very fact that it is part of the faith. I have listened hard but I don’t hear any protest from you or your room mate.
Who denounced her? Muslims
Who beat her up? Muslims
Who demanded the death penalty? Muslims
Who sentenced her to death? A Muslim.
QED
You can send a a protest letter and appeal for clemency by email to the President of Pakistan
publicmail@president.gov.pk
Here is a link to the Catholic Herald in the UK and a blog post about it.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/author/william-oddie/
He provides a template for a protest letter. In the comments section there is also another letter which you could adapt.
Our Lady of Sorrows protect this lady and her family and all other persecuted Christians
Catholic Vote Action has a post (dated 5 days ago) noting that this Pakistani woman has been released. Thomas Peters had posted about her situation and asked for calls to our representatives in D.C. asking them to contact Sec. of State Clinton to interecede for this woman’s release. Our Holy Father had also made an appeal that she be freed from prison. I pray that she and her family find a safe harbor.
India is a big and fine nation – the nation of Gandhi. Yet why are Catholics persecuted in such a horrible manner ? Isn’t it time that the international community actually did something about this and the world’s press ‘wake up’ to important issues such as this ? I will be praying for this poor lady. Please keep us posted on this Fr. Z. And many thanks for your podcasts which are a wonderful, prayerful aid.
I beg your pardon India. I should have said Pakistan. In any case, I’m not sure that Christians are getting a fair deal there either ; I have friends with connections there.
What really blows my mind is, where are all the feminists when their sisters are getting beaten up/killed/etc… for things they(feminist) consider dark age practices? Why have we NOT heard a thing from them? Or the UN? Oh yeah, it doesn’t have to do with promoting birth control, or abortions…it really shows their TOTAL disregard for life in general…..
As of 11/26 the reports of her release have been denied. There is a very good website
http://www.asianews.it/en.html
Click on South Asia in the left-hand menu for the updates, including the threats of assassinations should she be let go.
So appeals still need to go to the President of Pakistan.
Agree w/Supertradmom. This is so dangerous, and America seems to be oblivious. Too busy welcoming the Ground Zero Islamic Culture Center, I guess.
I don’t know whether this is sinful or not; but when I hear of cases like this I think that occupation by the British was the best thing that ever happened to the subcontinent; in nearly every area where the British ruled you had law, order and civilization. We left and they in MOST cases the natives proved themselves utterly useless in maintaing civilization.
Also (again I don’t know whether this is sinful or not); but we should threaten the muslim (sorry middle eastern liberal) world that we will hold them personally responsable for the safety and well-being and that failure will have consequences – in blood
BOY what I’d like to do with an air calvary brigade blasting “Ride of the Valkyries” and “where eagles dare”
Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius
PS note this post was written whilst I was enraged although I do sometimes think about what I’d like to do if I had the launch codes to those D5 first strike missles manufactured by Lockhead
Religion of Peace alert.
raitchi2″: Please inform us as to what part of the Koran forbids such action. How do they act against their faith in issuing this sentence?
http://thereligionofpeace.com/
This website keeps track of every jihad attack since nine eleven.
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pages/Jesus-Muhammad.htm
The above link compares the violence and intellectual deficiency of Islam versus Christianity, Mohammed versus Jesus and early muslims versus early christians.
.
Sts Perpetua and Felicity graciously intercede that this woman will be released and asylum granted to her and her family in a free Christian nation.
This sentencing has as much to do with Islam as the Crusades have to do with Catholicism. Unfortunately in both cases bad people used religion as a mask for creating an other.
We’ve got a troll here. And I’m no longer feeding trolls. It makes them even fatter and uglier and gassier than they were before.
raitchi2,
Do you read you responses before you post?
If only I could have the strength of faith and love of Christ this woman has! We all say we would die for Him, always stand up for Him, but when it hits the fan, how many of us would actually do it? What bravery and courage! How inspiring! That’s REAL, TRUE love. Her reward will be great.
Of course the troll doesn’t read responses.
It’s just regurgitating politically-correct catch phrases. It has never been to the Dar-al-Islam and doesn’t understand the first thing about what that means. And even if you tell it, it will not acknowledge because it cannot bear to face the truth that it would be one of the first up against the wall in an Islamic revolution.
You’re wasting your time trying to reason with it.
Sts. Nunilo and Alodia, pray for this poor lady, and lead her to safety.
What we need is a peaceful protest around the block where the Islamic center in lower Manhattan is being planned. If they can get a permit to build the facility there, you’d think we could get a permit to protest there.
The thing is, this Pakistani Christian has more sense than most Bishops and priests, and more bravery, when she said, “Christianity was the only true religion”. Maybe she should have just tried to “dialogue” with them. Seek some “common ground”…Let’s hear a priest or bishop say that Christianity is the only true religion, IT’LL NEVER HAPPEN.
“This sentencing has as much to do with Islam as the Crusades have to do with Catholicism.”
raitch12:
Partially true.
The Catholic Church supported the Crusades [and for salutary reasons] but there ends the similarity you attempt to draw.
While the Crusades over all purpose was to open the way for Catholic pilgrims to visit the Holy Land, free of murder, this sentencing is all about Islams hatred of the true Faith and its desire to draw its daughters blood.
Islam does not live as it believes. Consider last week’s proclamation in the light of this judgment.
VATICAN CITY, 16 NOV 2010 (VIS) – The Centre for Inter-Religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation (Tehran, Iran) and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue held their seventh colloquium in Tehran from 9 to 11 November under the joint presidency of Mohammad Baqer Khorramshad, president of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation, and of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and concluded among other things: (5) Faith, by its very nature, requires freedom. Therefore, religious freedom, as a right inherent to human dignity, must always be respected by individuals, social actors and the State. The cultural and historical background of each society which is not in contradiction with human dignity should be taken into consideration in applying this fundamental principle.
BTW, I have a video clip at http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/11/woman-gets-sentenced-to-death-for.html that alledges that Bibi said that “Mohammed died with worms in his mouth” and that became the matter for the blasphemy.
There is no way for anyone to definitively say this has nothing to do with Islam. Islam has no pope to say whether or not Islam supports or rejects this or that practice. And even if it did have an Islamopope of sorts who rejected the practice of executing Christians for blasphemy, there is still the possibility that a group which otherwise follows the tenets of Islam would reject the authority of the aforementioned Islamopope and support the execution of this Christian woman. And so it is.
But let’s be honest: the Centre for Inter-Religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation does not speak for the Jihadists any more than the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue speaks for the Westboro Baptist Church. We can speak as Catholic Christians for Catholic Christians, but frankly that’s only because the world accepts our own definition of who is Catholic (he who is in communion with the Pope etc.). But we can’t control the actions of other groups which self-identify as Christians. The world recognizes those who self-identify as Christian to be Christian. And the same is true with Muslims.
This is why Christian unity and the recognition of the authority of the Catholic Church is so important. There must be valid, recognizable Christian authority in order to allow us to reject the behavior of so-called Christians as un-Christian. This is a reason why false ecumenism must be flatly rejected. We are not the same religion as the members of the Westboro Baptist Church, and we mustn’t be afraid to insist as such. We must be willing to say in public “So-and-so are not Catholic Christians because they have willingly placed themselves outside the Church by doing/supporting/embracing/failing to do X” and do it with enough muster and gusto so as to be recognized by the secular world. Else our light will be obscured by the false sheep.
^^ To sum up, we might do well to get the Nancy Pelosi out of our own eyes before attempting to cast blame on our neighbors for the Jihadist in theirs. To do so will require a rediscovery of our Catholic identity.
@SonofMonica: We’re talking about two Islamic republics, not just some fanatical sect – hopefully. While you may be right, I hope that you are wrong for the sake of the kids. Besides, even if you’re right about the decentralization, Iran will all its clout and dough can still make things happen if it decides to save face and do some PR.
Asia Bibi has no time to wait for us to discover our Catholic identity.
Asia Bibi has no time to wait for us to discover our Catholic identity.
Perhaps we are, indeed to late. My point is, though, who in Islam is capable of saying what is or is not “some fanatical sect?” We have a pope, and we still can’t seem to muster up enough clout to denounce supposedly Catholic politicians from aiding and abetting the murder of innocents in the womb. Who are we to denounce Islam for not cleaning house? Who among them is willing to listen to pontificating? We have no credibility, unless and until we are willing to pronounce anathemas upon the death-dealing Catholics, as we are wont for them to do to their Muslim counterparts.
“Muhammad died with worms inside his mouth”
I don’t know which was the fate of Muhammad’s body once he died, but in the case he was buried, certainly he would have worms inside his mouth like everyone would once buried.
And in the case the “False Prophet” of the Revelation Book was sent to Hell, having worms inside his mouth forever is probably the least torment he may be undergoing in that place “where the fire never extinguishes and the worm never dies”
Catholicmidwest:
I know someone here that could have been raised with raitchi2. This person and I have had heated discussions about the “rights” of muslims. His attitude is, and he will throw up in my face as examples, Lepanto and the Crusades. “The muslims were just looking for a good place to settle and the Catholics persecuted them, so, now it’s payback time. It serves the Catholics right, being as THEY were the agressors for over 1200 years”.
@gambletrainman: “…payback time” what a godly concept. Proves that Islam is just organized crime.
@albizzi: re: worms, if you watch my video it is a local expression to say that Mohammed was not special.
@SonofMonica: “Who among them is willing to listen to pontificating?” Those who went to the inter-religious dialogue?
The best is the enemy of the good. We cannot wait to become perfect before we cry out against injustice just because of human respect and criticism. If these Muslims will not be shamed by their hypocritical and inconsistent declarations, then perhaps they can be moved by the solidarity and power of ordinary Christians who are willing to stand up against them. The only thing that bullies respect is power.
gambletrainman,
Your friend is feeding you a line. The Crusades and Lepanto were responses to previous spasms of Islamic aggression (this happens all the time as anyone who reads history knows full well). The Muslims took over the Holy Land, and eventually their murder of Christian pilgrims provoked a response. And Lepanto was a last-ditch effort (along with the breaking of the siege of Vienna) to stop the Muslims who had been steadily conquering their way into Europe for most of the 16th century.
It isn’t ‘payback’ – it is just another episode in the long history of Islamic attempts to dominate their neighbors and murder any who resist. It’s in their book, you can read it for yourself. I realized this years ago when I read Marmaduke Pickthall’s translation in college.
This type of “tolerance” will be the norm in the Western nations once the so-called “gate speech” laws get fully enacted and enforced. Anything is tolerated except the Truth.