Murder of Christian Couple Brings Pakistan's Blasphemy Laws International Attention
- Updated Nov 17, 2014
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are coming under fire around the world.
The criticism comes just after Christian couple Shama and Shahzad Masih were murdered because of a blasphemy accusation against the couple.
“This incident has not just exposed Pakistan's treatment of its non-Muslim citizens, but also the prevailing hatred against them,” Nasir Saeed wrote in a column for Christianity Today. “Extremism and hate of religious minorities, especially Christians, has permeated Pakistani society and is devouring it from the inside.”
Saeed writes that if the government had better handled punishing extremists of previous crimes then the killing of the Masihs could have been avoided.
“Mere statements of condemnation won’t work anymore,” Saeed said.
“In today's world where religion is considered a personal matter and a basic human right, and religious freedom is protected and guaranteed, such atrocious acts of killing in the name of religion are beyond imagination in a civilized world, and yet they regularly happen to Christians,” he added.
In the column, Saeed asked that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif work to change the blasphemy law after attempts by General Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto to change the law failed.
Publication date: November 17, 2014
