Blasphemy hearing for jailed Christian in Pakistan, Asia Bibi, delayed
An appeal hearing for a Pakistani woman sentenced to death for blasphemy against Muslim beliefs has been postponed.
Asia Bibi sits in a Pakistan prison, on death row, accused of breaking the country’s blasphemy laws back in 2010. Authorities said she verbally abused Islam, the Prophet Muhammad and two Muslim co-workers. Bibi has denied those accusations.
A new date for the appeal hearing has not been set.
According to Pakistani law, two judges are required to be present in death penalty cases. When one of the judges was absent for Monday’s proceedings, the hearing was rescheduled.
The blasphemy laws say that “whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.”
In 2009, Bibi was working for a Muslim landowner on a farm. The Muslim women told Asia about Islam, and Bibi responded by telling the Muslim women that Jesus is alive.
“Our Christ sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins…Our Christ is alive,” she said.
She was then punished, charged with blasphemy and sentenced to hanging.
Shahid Khan, Vice-Chairperson of GMA and author of “Invisible Citizens of Pakistan: Minorities in Focus” said that successive Pakistani governments “have failed to protect and safeguard the fights of minorities.”
“Instead they have feasted upon the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the smaller minority groups by introducing laws which further pushed them deep into a sea of despair, injustice and inequality,” he said.
[…] Appeal proceedings have been delayed again in the case of Asia Bibi, the Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy. This is the third delays, now coming one month after the delay in March. […]
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