wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Pakistan: Blasphemy Law misused to harass religious minorities

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World Council of Churches - News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 01/09/2009 17:05:22

PAKISTAN: BLASPHEMY LAW MISUSED TO HARASS RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

The WCC central committee called on the government of Pakistan
to “guarantee the rights of all religious minorities in the
country”.

In a public statement on “The misuse of the Blasphemy Law and
the security of religious minorities in Pakistan”, the committee
considered that the law has become “a major source of
victimization and persecution” of religious minorities who are
living “in a state of fear and terror”.

Since the penal code of the country was amended in 1986,
“Christians in particular have become targets of harassments
and persecutions”, says the statement approved by the WCC central
committee during its meeting from August 26 to September 2 in
Geneva, Switzerland.

>From then on, the attacks against the religious minorities have
been exacerbated, and an atmosphere of violence motivated by
religious issues exists in various regions in Pakistan.

The Blasphemy Law, where the concept “blasphemy” is vaguely
defined according to the WCC statement, establishes that any
person accused is immediately placed in detention and can be
sentenced to death. From 1988 to 2005, 647 people have been
accused of violating this law, but cases have increased in the
last years.

The WCC followed with concern what happened a few weeks ago in
Gojra, Punjab Province. Several Christians were killed there
–some burnt alive– and their houses torched “by militant
Islamic groups who constantly threaten the Christian minorities
with false allegations”, a letter by the WCC general secretary to
the Pakistan government stated on August 1, 2009.

Human Rights organizations observed that charges brought against
individuals under the Blasphemy Law are founded solely on the
individual’s religious convictions. In other cases, the charges
are based on malicious accusations “often with the motivation to
have people imprisoned to gain advantage in business or land
disputes”.

In its statement, WCC recalls the words of the founder of
Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, when the country was created, that
“minorities are a sacred trust of Pakistan”. The WCC also
considers that these discriminatory actions and attacks against
religious minorities are in violation of the Constitution of
Pakistan (Article 36) that guarantees the legitimate rights of
minorities.

WCC urges the government of Pakistan to repeal the section of
the Pakistan penal code (295C) which carries a mandatory death
penalty for anyone found guilty of blasphemy. It also calls on
WCC member churches to request their respective governments to
express their concerns on the security of religious minorities in
Pakistan.

Full text of the statement “The misuse of the Blasphemy Law and
the security of religious minorities in Pakistan”:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=7160

WCC member churches in Pakistan:

http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/asia/pakistan.html

More information on the Central Committee meeting:
http://www.oikoumene.org/cc2009

Other public statements and minutes approved by the WCC central
committee:
Seeking a nuclear weapon-free world:
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/events-sections/cc2009/central-committee-news/en/article/6747/seeking-a-nuclear-weapon.html

>WCC upholds right to refuse military service:

http://www.oikoumene.org/en/events-sections/cc2009/central-committee-news/en/article/6747/wcc-upholds-right-to-refu.html

Additional information:Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507
6363media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,
witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical
fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings
together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches
representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110
countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic
Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from
the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

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