Christian protesters, police clash in Pakistan

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By ZAHEER BABAR

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) - Hundreds of Christians clashed with police across Pakistan on Sunday, a day after a Muslim mob burned dozens of homes owned by members of the minority religious group in retaliation for alleged insults against Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

Christians are often the target of Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws, which rights activists say are frequently used to persecute religious minorities or settle personal disputes. Politicians have been reluctant to reform the laws for fear of being attacked by religious radicals, as has happened in the past.

The plight of Pakistan's other religious minorities, such as Shiite Muslims, Hindus and Ahmadis, has also deepened in recent years as hard-line interpretations of Islam have gained ground and militants have stepped up attacks against groups they oppose. Most Pakistanis are Sunni Muslims.

The latest incident began Friday after a Muslim in the eastern city of Lahore accused a Christian man of blasphemy - an offense punishable by life in prison or even death. A day later, hundreds of angry Muslims rampaged through the Christian neighborhood, burning about 170 houses.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130310/DA4UCI882.html

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Pakistani Christians chant slogans during a demonstration demanding that the government rebuild their homes after they were burned down following an alleged blasphemy incident, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, March 10, 2013. The incident in Lahore began on Friday, March 8, 2013 after a Muslim accused a Christian man of blasphemy, an offence that in Pakistan is punished by life in prison or death. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

[demosincebirth]

1. Blasphemy is all it takes.

[Igel]

6. Not even.

Allegations of blasphemy is all it takes.

Then you get communal violence. It's one reason why communal politics, perks, privileges, and viewing the national polity as subservient to communal pollitics are pure evil in a modern state.

I thought so in the 1970s. I still think so. Now I can point to other countries as bad examples, even as the spoils in the US are more clearly divided up and the arguments made ever more explicitly and unchallenged along communal lines.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. Exactly the reason church and state need to be seperate

[David__77]

4. Not just separate, in my opinion.

The state should actively combat backward sectarian religious sentiment, and disallow religious education.

[ButterflyBlood]

11. This doesn't have anything to do with church/state seperation really

It's a counter from Islamic mobs upset about some "blasphemy" about Mohammed. Pakistan does need some serious separation of religion from government, including repeal of these stupid "blasphemy" laws, but it probably wouldn't stop stuff like this.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

12. I was refering to the Islamic mobs

Sorry for not being more specific.

But yes this issue has to do with the separation of church and state because blasphemy is a punishable offense in Pakistan.

[hrmjustin]

3. Religious freedom and the right not to believe must be protected.

[timdog44]

5. Absolutely.

But I think if the teabaggers had their way, our country would be like Pakistan, with the a different group being persecuted.

[hrmjustin]

7. I agree and Christians like me they would be persecuted as well.

Scary stuff!

[timdog44]

8. Everyone is so absolutist

as to their religion, that things like this happen. I have found that most religious people have lost the way. A supreme being is what most are founded on and then perverted by the followers of the particular sect that believes. Whether it is Sunni, Shiite, Christian right or Christian left, or any number of other religions around the world. I don't mean to neglect the other religions. My Dad was a Presbyterian minister. As he got older, his take was (blasphemous), any way to God. Not to the pope or jesus or mohammad or budda or any other "intermediary". If you found the way to human kindness and love, you found the way.

[hrmjustin]

9. good point!

[demosincebirth]

13. Religious freedom I understand, but a right not to believe. I don't quite follow that.

[hrmjustin]

14. Meaning people should have the right to believe and not to believe in religion.

That right must be protected.

[demosincebirth]

15. My reply:

[John2]

10. Religion has been

the cause of many Wars among humans. It has also been the cause to justify slavery in many cases. I don't think Science supports a Supreme being either. So there is conflict there. There are a lot of good things about religion but there is also the bad. The bad is the intolerance of other human beings. I cannot support any religion that preaches intolerance and racism.