Hotline Asia Urgent Appeals -- UA110331(2)

Protect Citizens from Extremists' Attacks - Pakistan

31 March 2011

Action Requested || Sample Letter || Background ||PDF version
Please respond before 30 April 2011

Summary

The breakdown of law and order in Pakistan is a grave danger to life and liberty of everybody in the country, especially when religious issues are abused by extremists as an excuse to attack religious minorities, in particular.

Two government officials who publicly opposed the Blasphemy Law, Salmaan Taseer, Governor of Punjab and Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minority Affairs of Pakistan, were murdered in January and March 2011, respectively.The threats to religious minorities further escalated when the news came on 20 March 2011 that, Terry Jones, a “pastor” in Florida, USA, supervised the burning of the Holy Qur’an.

Although the burning of the Holy Qur’an was widely criticized by religious leaders, the incident has again incited extremists in Pakistan.On 25 March 2011, a countrywide demonstration was organized, targeting worship places of Christians and chanting anti-American slogans.

However, government and media only took a few measures to stop the prevalence of hatred and violence.

All the citizens, regardless of religious affiliation, are seriously affected by the current situation. The prevalent violence is not only the loss of Christian community but a threat to the democratic future of Pakistan.

Action Requested

Please write polite letters to the Pakistani Government to express your concern about the continuous attacks on citizens and urge the authorities to:

• stop any public message which praise and promote hatred, killing or any form of violence;
• adopt measurable steps to protect religious minorities in Pakistan from further attacks; and
• facilitate interfaith dialogue between different communities.

Send letters to:

Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan
President House, Islamabad,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92-51-9270266, 9270269

Send copies to:

Diplomatic representatives of Pakistan in your countries.

Sample Letter

We would like to offer our condolences for the tragic murders of Governor Salmaan Taseer and Minister Shahbaz Bhatti.  We are saddened to know that some messages praising the murders even occurred in public without any deterrent.  We hope that the perpetrators will be held accountable by proper investigation. 

While the other outspoken persons on the issue related to the Blasphemy Law experience threats to their lives, the extremists in the country were further incited by the burning of the holy Qur’an in Florida, USA.  We are deeply worried that, without strong measures to manage the current situation, religious minorities and eventually all the citizens in the country will suffer from a reign of terror. 

At the Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations Human Rights Council in August 2008, Pakistan pledged to consider specific steps to strengthen laws and procedures to reduce the incidence of their abuse with regards to religious minorities.  Believing in your commitment to well-being of citizens in the country, we sincerely urge the Pakistani government to:

< Repeat the 3 points under "Action Requested". >

Background

Shahbaz Bhatti and Salmaan Taseer

In late 2010, Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minority Affairs of Pakistan, has led a government investigation into the case of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death on charges of blasphemy, which drew national, as well as international attention. Moreover, he had been appointed by Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan to a committee reviewing the blasphemy laws in the country and proposing reforms.

Receiving warning from Islamic militants, Bhatti foretold his murder by Islamic extremists and in a recorded video was released after his slaying.  He boldly proclaimed, “I am receiving death threats, but my faith gives me strength. I believe in Jesus Christ who has given his own life for us. I am living for my community and suffering people.  I will die to defend their rights.”  He was murdered on 2 March 2011

As with Bhatti, Mr. Salmaan Taseer, Governor of Punjab who was murdered on 4 January 2011, had been strongly supported the victim of the Blapshemy Law, Asia Bibi.  After his death, some organizations celebrated his assassination and praised the assassin as a “hero” who killed a “blasphemer”.  The Pakistani government has not taken strong measures to stop the spread of hostility.

Tehrik-e-Taliban Punjab claimed responsibility for killing Shahbaz Bhatti; and Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, an elite force security guard who shot Salman Taseer dead, had expressed that the killing is due to their (Taseer’s) opposition to the Blasphemy Laws.  However, police did not look into the murders in a prompt manner; concerned groups are not satisfied with the progress of investigations. 

Response from Civil Society

Despite the killing which brings a grave concern over the imminent violence in the country, civil society in Pakistan has been striving to ensure their personal safety and rights.  Citizens in the country and the Pakistani Christian diasporas in different countries took part in mass signature campaigns and rallies.

Following the assassination of Bhatti, Christians in Pakistan announced and observed three days of mourning with temporary closure of all the Christian Institutions.  In a statement dated 2 March 2011, representatives of the Church in Pakistan expressed that, they would appeal to the Federal and Provincial governments to wake up to the challenge of protection of the citizens of Pakistan.  “If the country becomes a killing field of the democrat and liberal individuals who exercise their freedom of conscience and expression, it would embolden the criminals trying to take charge of the country.  The religion has been massively abused to cause harassment and suffering of the people.  The reign of terror and bloodshed should be dealt with by administrative and reformative actions on urgent basis,” the statement said.

Accusing the other of being “blasphemous” has become a means to oppress freedom of speech, especially dissidents, and to justify the violent behavior for personal interests.  All the citizens are seriously impacted, including the Muslim community in Pakistan.

Condemnation of Burning of the Holy Qur’an

On 20 March 2011, Terry Jones oversaw the burning of the Holy Qur’an outside a church in Florida.  As early as September 2010, Terry Jones had proposed the burning of this holy book as a commemoration of the 911 attacks and consequently drew condemnation from the international community.

Although the burning of Holy Qur’an only drew less than 30 attendees with and little media attention; it greatly raised the tensions in Pakistan.  To date, the US government has not made any comments on this incident.

The burning in Florida has been condemned by leaders from Muslims and Christians communities.  Their common response was that, this act was disrespectful to the other religions and was not the teaching of any faith.

“No Muslim could think of disrespecting or giving blasphemous remarks against Jesus, Moses, Jacob, Joseph and other prophets.  The US and the Pope might have taken action against the pastor.  Protests by the Christian community in Pakistan have calmed down emotions of Muslims for which we are grateful,” Hafiz Mohammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council (scholars of Islamic law) said in a statement dated 26 March 2011.

Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha of Lahore has expressed his anger and dismay at the disrespectful act to the other religions, saying "on behalf of the Catholic bishops and Christians in Pakistan, I condemn this act of madness, which does not represent Christian values or teachings of the Church. We regret to note that someone who calls himself pastor is so ignorant in what his religion, as well as normal decency. "

Sources:
Local Source,
International Tribunal Herald,
Minorities Voice Newsroom,
Asian News and
UCANews.

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