Pakistanis strike in favour of the death penalty for blasphemy

[muriel_volestrangler]

31 December 2010

A 24-hour strike organised by Sunni Muslim clerics is taking place across Pakistan to protest against possible changes to blasphemy laws.
...
There was no public transport in the southern city of Karachi, where demonstrators blocked traffic as part of the industrial action.
...
The strike was held to protest against a private member's bill submitted to parliament.

It seeks to amend the law by abolishing the death sentence and by strengthening clauses which prevent any chance of a miscarriage of justice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12097687

And the government is denying the bill has anything to do with is (it has been put forward by a member of the ruling party), and not giving it support. The violently religious actively want the death penalty for insulting their imaginary friend, and appear to have enough support for this form of murder that the government is running scared of it.

More here: http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/01/02/pakistan-faces-religious-riots-over-blasphemy-law/

[skepticscott]

1. But...but...there's NO difference between

religious fundamentalists and militant atheist fundamentalists! I know that for certain, because smart-sounding people on this board have said so. So please be fair and balanced and show us the stories of atheists advocating death for people who DON'T blaspheme.

[backscatter712]

3. AIN'T THAT RIGHT!

Why, us blasphemous atheists do things like *GASP* putting up signs, and *GASP* demanding enforcement of separation of church and state, and *GASP* demanding that real science be taught in public school classrooms, and *GASP* actually saying out loud that GOD DOES NOT EXIST!!! in an environment where proclaiming the word of Jesus is not just tolerated, but expected.

Yeah, us atheists need to be hung, drawn and quartered for refusing to sit down and shut up...

[dimbear]

2. God puts up with a lot. Famine, war, pestilence, and so on but

She doesn't put up with sass.

[backscatter712]

4. You'd think the all-powerful creator of the universe would have a thicker skin. nt

[LeftishBrit]

7. Yes.

Or, if he doesn't, could throw a few thunderbolts of his own, without requiring humans to kill people on his behalf.

[Iggo]

5. Them god-boys hate it when you say they can't kill someone.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. And now the Punjab governor is murdered by a fanatical pro-death penalty bodyguard

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4682559

Pakistan lurched into a fresh crisis after an outspoken secular politician was shot dead by a fanatic who opposed reform of the country's draconian blasphemy laws.

Punjab's governor, Salman Taseer, was gunned down by one of his own bodyguards as he stepped from his car in Islamabad's Kohsar market, a favoured haunt of westerners and wealthy Pakistanis.
...
Last month he publicly supported Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman and mother of three who has been sentenced to death for allegedly insulting the prophet Muhammad. Bibi's case has triggered a fresh debate around the blasphemy laws, which human rights groups say are frequently abused to settle scores or target minorities.

But religious groups staunchly oppose any change, and extremists preachers have offered a reward for the death of Bibi. Meanwhile most politicians, with the exception of Taseer and Rehman, remained quiet on the issue, even within the ruling PPP.
...
In one of his last tweets, Taseer wrote "I was under huge pressure 2 cow down b4 rightest pressure on blasphemy. Refused. Even if I'm the last man standing." It was a darkly prophetic comment.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/04/punjab-governor-murder-pakistan

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Mainstream Pakistan religious organisations applaud killing of Salman Taseer

Mumtaz Qadri, who killed Punjab governor, showered with rose petals by lawyers as he arrives in court

Qadri appeared in court, unrepentant, where waiting lawyers threw handfuls of rose petals over him and others in the crowd slapped his back and kissed his cheek as he was led in and out amid heavy security.
...
All the big mainstream political parties strongly condemned the murder, and thousands attended funeral prayers for Taseer. However, both the large religious political parties declared that he had deserved to be killed for his views.
...
"Salman Taseer was himself responsible for his killing," Munawar Hasan, the head of Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the two big religious political parties, said. "Any Muslim worth the name could not tolerate blasphemy of the Prophet, as had been proved by this incident."
...
"No Muslim should attend the funeral or even try to pray for Salmaan Taseer," a statement from Jamaate Ahle Sunnat Pakistan, one of the biggest organisations of the Barelvi, representing 500 religious scholars, said. "We pay rich tributes and salute the bravery, valour and faith of Mumtaz Qadri."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/05/pakistan-religious-organisations-salman-taseer

Fucking murderous barbarians.

[charlie]

9. Add cowardice and farce to the sick spectacle

Reasons given for President Zardari's absence from the funeral may have included "spiritual" excuses:

KARACHI, (SANA): On the advice of the spiritual healers, President Asif Ali Zardari did not participate in the funeral prayers of the assassinated Governor Punjab Salman Taseer.

According to media reports, in recent days advice was given to President Zardari that he should spent the current days near the shore of sea instead of living near the mountainous areas until January 13.

It was predicted by the spiritual healers that he might be harmed if he would not spent the current days near the shore of the sea.

On the advice of the palmists, President Asif Ali Zardari is currently spending days in Karachi by holding official meetings...

http://www.sananews.net/english/2011/01/06/due-to-advice-zardari-did-not-participate-in-taseer%E2%80%99s-last-religious-rituals

Lahore clerics were too busy being anywhere but Lahore to preside over Taseer's funeral:

None of Lahore’s clerics could be persuaded to lead funeral prayers for assassinated Punjab governor Salman Taseer on Wednesday, an indication of the threat that hardline and extremist groups pose inside Pakistan.

Even the chief cleric of the historical Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, who initially agreed to offer prayers, backed off at the last moment, saying he was going out of town. Finally, the services were led by Allama Afzal Chisti of the Ulema wing of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)...

http://www.pakistannews24.com/2011/01/06/clerics-refuse-to-lead-prayer-at-taseers-funeral

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/126489/pak-clerics-refuse-lead-funeral.html

Qadri was apparently too chickenshit to be martyred for his bloodthirsty convictions:

...His chance came when the squad was called to escort Taseer from a restaurant on Tuesday afternoon, the official said. After the attack, Qadri threw his weapon down and put up his hands up when one of his colleagues aimed at him, pleading to be arrested alive, the official said...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/05/world/main7215981.shtml

Taseer had been abandoned by his own party:

...But the tired rhetoric masked a less palatable truth: that Taseer had been abandoned by his own leadership. After Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman, was sentenced to death under the blasphemy laws on November 8, Taseer visited her in jail with his wife and daughter to show his support.

Shortly after, an Islamic mob rioted outside the governor's house in Lahore, burning his effigy and calling for his death. On television, prominent media commentators joined the chorus of criticism.

Senior figures in his own party turned tail. Awan, the Law Minister, said there was no question of reforming the blasphemy law. “As long as I am law minister no one should think of finishing this law,” he said on November 26. Another minister confirmed that position one week ago.

The U-turn was the product of a huge miscalculation. At the start of the Aasia Bibi affair on November 8, President Asif Ali Zardari suggested he might pardon the Christian woman if she was convicted. But he stalled, apparently hoping to extract political mileage from the affair...

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article1045862.ece

Her champion's murderer feted with rose petals and garlands, Aasia Bibi surely knows she is truly fucked:

..."There are many chances. The prison guards could also kill her because they are Muslims and we cannot trust them," he said.

Kamran said he expected that Bibi's "heart was broken" at the death of Taseer, her most prominent defender, and that her plight had reverberated across Pakistan's embattled Christian community.

"Taseer died for the Christians and now we are feeling broke and scared. If they can kill the governor of Punjab then who am I?"...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/06/aasia-bibi-salmaan-taseer-assassination

[Bragi]

10. Thanks for that

Understatement du jour:

Observers said the governor’s assassination by a police commando underscored how deeply religious extremism had penetrated Pakistani society.

http://www.pakistannews24.com/2011/01/06/clerics-refuse-to-lead-prayer-at-taseers-funeral/

[Codeine]

11. The head of the BBC's Urdu service was saying this

puts paid to the notion of a quiet, moderate majority. Pakistan is a fundie hellhole and we need to cut them off our payroll NOW.