Reports claim 45 individuals out of possibly 1,200 of the enraged mob that attacked a Christian couple in Pakistan have been arrested. In this report by the ACLJ:
As the Wall Street Journal correctly noted, the arrests took place only because of the immense international outrage that ensued.
There are reports that the owner of the kiln in which they were burned was among those arrested and that they could appear in court as early as this week.
Yet despite the international outrage the reaction in Pakistan has been lackluster at best. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, merely stated that this was “an unacceptable crime.”
Theft is an unacceptable crime. This was an act of evil barbarism – a crime against humanity.
But in Pakistan, it’s “blasphemy” that’s the crime. All it takes is one false accusation against a Christian, and it happens every day. Christian mother of five Asia Bibi sits on death row, convicted and sentenced under Pakistan’s Shariah blasphemy law.
But in most cases, as we have previously detailed, Christians are murdered long before they are sentenced to hang under the blasphemy law.
There are petitions to sign holding our government and the world accountable for this heinous blasphemy law. Below is our letter to the US government, including Senators and Congressman and to the UN. Please feel free to copy/paste or write your own, but send a letter, sign a petition and let them know that this is unacceptable. Our voices do matter!
Open Letter to the United States Government & the UN concerning the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan:
In response to the barbaric murder of a Christian couple by an enraged Muslim mob in Pakistan, we beseech you, along with a large majority of American citizens to hear our pleas.
We ask that you become aware of the continued and recent attack on Christians in Pakistan. As Pakistani Christians charged with blasphemy await death sentences in prison, a Muslim mob took the law into their own hands last Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014. The enraged mob stripped, brutally beat and tortured a Christian man and his wife who was pregnant with their fourth child. Their legs were broken to prevent them from escaping the cruel and unjust attack. After the beating, the mob tied them to a tractor and brutally drug them naked to their final destination. The Christian couple was then thrown into the raging furnace flames at the brick kiln factory that the couple had worked for as bonded laborers. We have also received reports that the pregnant woman was brutally raped in front of her husband multiple times by many in the mob. Their crime? Allegedly desecrating a copy of the Koran and accused of blasphemy. Many are stating the accusation was false. Under Sharia law this is a common practice. We beg you to use your position in office for the following requests.
- To publicly condemn this heinous act of violence.
- We ask you to pressure the government of Pakistan to bring all those involved in this attack to justice.
- We ask you to pressure the government of Pakistan to repeal the Blasphemy Law, which is continually misused to settle personal scores in which minorities are unfairly targeted.
- We ask you to use your influence for the immediate release all prisoners that are held under this barbaric law in Pakistan.
- To hold the government of Pakistan accountable, pressuring them to take and enforce firm action to deter and completely eliminate these types of attacks in the future.
- That relations with Pakistan be curtailed in the light of Pakistan’s steadfast refusal to grant Christians and other religious minorities basic human rights. Pakistan ought not receive any but the most urgent humanitarian aid until these totalitarian laws are repealed. And until true and lasting efforts are made by the government for real change in Pakistan.
- We call for the UN to immediately act and intervene.
- We ask you to immediately stop all funding to Pakistan until they uphold the constitution of Pakistan that states:
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Freedom of speech, etc. Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, [commission of] or incitement to an offence. |
19A. |
Right to information: Every citizen shall have the right to have access to information in all matters of public importance subject to regulation and reasonable restrictions imposed by law. |
20 |
Freedom to profess religion and to manage religious institutions. Subject to law, public order and morality:-
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Ask yourselves, How does this blasphemy law advocate for freedom from abuse, freedom to practice religion, freedom from slavery how can this be happening? Ask yourselves, Why western governments remain virtually silent on this? We are demanding accountability from our government officials.
- We are demanding that safeguards be put in place to prevent this abuse from happening.
- We are asking sanctions to be placed on nations like Pakistan who blatantly show their disregard for human rights to the world. We cannot remain silent.
They are blatantly ignoring even the basic fundamental human rights and safeguards placed in their own constitution. We are not asking for a government takeover, but to apply pressure on the Pakistani government to uphold that constitution. And to encourage other nations to join with you in doing so.
We fully expect that you will not only call an emergency session to address this, but that you will form lasting committees to investigate and give accountability. These human rights abuses must be stopped.
Respectfully,
Voice of the Persecuted Advocacy Team
BE A VOICE FOR THE PERSECUTED
To contact your Senators CLICK HERE
Contact Congress – find your Representative CLICK HERE
Here is a link to show how to contact the United Nations. They have guidelines that must be followed, so be sure and visit the link to see the proper way to contact them.
OHCHR address:
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland.
VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED 