Posted on 01/05/2014 11:20:51 AM PST by IbJensen
Asia Bibi can expect little help from a Pope who just declared "authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence."
Bibi is being prosecuted under Islamic law in a Muslim country governed by the sharia. How much more authentic can you get, Pope Francis?
(Imprisoned Pakistani Catholic Asia Bibi writes to Pope Francis saying only God can free her.)
(thanks to Robert Spencer)
Asia Bibi is in prison awaiting execution on false accusations of blasphemy. Only God can free her because Christians in the West don't dare to speak out on her behalf: "Talk about extreme, militant Islamists and the atrocities that they have perpetrated globally might undercut the positive achievements that we Catholics have attained in our inter-religious dialogue with devout Muslims." -- Robert McManus, Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester, Massachusetts, February 8, 2013
So Asia Bibi and other Pakistani Christians accused of blasphemy have no friend, no protector, and no spokesman.
"Imprisoned Pakistani Catholic Asia Bibi Writes to Pope Francis Saying Only God Can Free Her," by Jeremy Reynalds for Assist News, January 4:
According to an article in the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines News Service (CBCP News) relying on a Dec. 31 report in the Italian daily Tempi, Asia Bibi said, "I also hope that every Christian has been able to celebrate the Christmas just past with joy. Like many other prisoners, I also celebrated the birth of the Lord in prison in Multan, here in Pakistan."
She continued by saying that "only God will be able to free me" and made a point of thanking the 'Renaissance Education Foundation" that helped make her "dream come true" to live Christmas with her husband and children by bringing them to Multan.
"I would have liked to be in St. Peter's for Christmas to pray with you," she told Pope Francis, "but I trust in God's plan for me and hopefully it will be achieved next year."
Bibi is awaiting the conclusion of an appeals process after being incarcerated for four and a half years without trial.
Working as a farmhand in June 2009, she was asked to fetch water for some of her co-workers. She complied, but some of her Muslim colleagues refused to drink the water as they considered Christians to be "unclean."
CBCP News said arguments followed (there was already a running feud between Bibi and a neighbor over property damage), and witnesses maintain that Bibi verbally abused the two women, their religion, and the prophet Muhammad.
A few days later, complaints were made to a cleric about these alleged derogatory comments, resulting in a mob coming to her house and beating her and members of her family.
Bibi was rescued by the police but, under pressure from the crowd, they charged her under Section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code, the country's notorious anti-blasphemy law.
"I am very grateful to all the churches that are praying for me and fighting for my freedom," CBCP News said she continued in the letter.
Bibi added, "I do not know how long I can go on and on. If I am still alive, it is thanks to the strength that your prayers give me. I have met many people who speak and fight for me. Unfortunately still to no avail. At this time I just want to trust the mercy of God, who can do everything, that all is possible. Only He can liberate me."
Bibi was also grateful to all the people who work and raise funds for her cause. She then talked about her daily hardships.
"This winter I am facing many problems: my cell has no heating and no suitable door for shelter from the bitter cold," CBCP News said she told the Pope. "Also the security measures are not adequate, I do not have enough money for daily needs, and I am very far from Lahore so my family cannot help me."
She concluded by asking Pope Francis to accept her best wishes for the new year. "I know you pray for me with all your heart," she wrote. "And this gives me confidence that one day my freedom will be possible. Certain to be remembered in your prayers, I greet you with affection. Asia Bibi, your daughter in the faith."
All his actions, so far, have shown his position, including his attack on capitalism. As a priest, he could have condemned greed, selfishness, and other human characteristics which render any system, regardless of how good it may be, corrupt and dangerous. Instead, he attacked the system itself, and not those who are rendering the system dangerous and threatening.
Francic is rapidly decending to the level of Anti-Pope. Instead of blathering about capitalism and peaceful Islam, he should be leading a crusade to crush those evil bastards.
FREE ASIA BIBI
He should keep his mouth shut about economics, about which he knows nothing (although that never stops the USCCB, either) , and stick to devotion, which is something he’s good at and something that is appropriate for a religious leader.
I missed the comment about Islam, although of course every Pope and every president has felt it necessary to come out with this lie, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he said it.
On the other hand, he has often prayed openly for persecuted Christians, which even BXVI didn’t dare to do, or not very often, at least.
All this nonsense about “true Islam” reminds me of the people who insist “true socialism” isn’t bad. They insist the Soviets just didn’t do it right.
Savagery, ignorance, and violence IS Islam.
The Pope can ask for her to be freed, but the Christian-hating savages will do what their primitive reptilian brain tells them to do.
Hail Mary
Full of grace
The Lord is with thee
Blessed art thou among women and
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus
Holy Mary Mother of God
Pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of our death
Amen
Heavenly Father, I have no idea why you chose this poor woman for this role.
Please free her from her torture and captivity and let her live peacefully
Amen
I’d like to see where he actually said this about Islam.
I doubt it happened.
amen
Nope. Here it is, in the paper of record, the National Catholic Register:
Faced with “disconcerting episodes” of violent fundamentalism, Pope Francis commented, “our respect for true followers of Islam should lead us to avoid hateful generalizations, for authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Quran are opposed to every form of violence.”
Amen.
Too bad she addresses her problem to Francis who sees Islam as a religion of peace.
I am not aware that Pope Francis ever said that Islam means peace.
Unfortunately we heard that false mantra repeatedly by Pres. George w. Bush. And now we have the Muslim in Chief POTUS, Barack Hussein Obama.
Post 9, 2 above yours, does not quote him as saying that in effect?
The charge is blasphemy against Islam.
The Muslim creed is: “There is no god but Allah...” Thus, any religion which worships anyone except Allah, AS DEFINED BY ISLAM, is guilty of blasphemy.
The “all roads lead to God” crowd, the “COEXIST” folks are either totally ignorant or are lying. Hinduism has 330 million gods but will not tolerate Jesus Christ. Islamic intolerance is enforced by the sword. The Western Atheist/Agnostic preaches “tolerance” but will not allow the free exercise of Christianity.
Christianity tells of Free Will, saying, “believe what you choose, but, as Peter told the Sanhedrin, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3107676/posts
“Islamic authorities in Malaysia on Thursday seized 321 Bibles from a Christian group because they used the word Allah to refer to God, signaling growing intolerance that may inflame ethnic and religious tension in the Southeast Asian country.
The raid comes after a Malaysian court in October ruled that the Arabic word was exclusive to Muslims, most of whom are ethnic Malays, the largest ethnic group in the country alongside sizable Christian, Hindu and Buddhist minorities.
Christians from Malaysia’s rural states of Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo, who have used the word Allah for centuries...”
Excellent point.
My hero, King Richard the Third, would have gone in and rescued her. He was very anxious to take on the Ottoman Empire but had problems at home!
I’m not surprised that he said it, because that’s the standard mantra. Even BXVI said it...and of course, JPII kissed the Koran.
Bring back the Crusader Popes! Well, maybe not, but at least tell the Pope to stop cowering to Islam. It doesn’t protect Christians but empowers Muslim loonies.
They actually had some respect for him when he started talking about the persecution of Christians, but now they know he’s just another dhimmi.
This Papa is in big trouble with the Catholic loving Protties and Fundies of Free Republic, ya think he’s gonna survive or be impeached? (Do we have enough votes?)
I took the effort and looked up where he said it, and in a reliable paper.
Kindly do the same for the previous popes you are accusing.
Pope JPII fought Nazis, read about and defied the communists, Communist USSR, and helped bring it down, to be exact.
Its not necessary to rope all these people together, it is destructive.
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