(file photo)
Posted on 05/14/2014 4:54:14 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — In the latest blasphemy case to highlight growing intolerance in Pakistan, the police in Punjab Province said Tuesday that they had filed blasphemy charges against a group of 68 lawyers at the instigation of a Sunni extremist leader.
The mass charging was an unusually wide application of Pakistan’s colonial-era blasphemy law, which carries a potential death sentence. But it was consistent with what human rights groups call an increasingly frequent abuse of the law to settle scores, silence opponents or persecute minorities, and comes at a time when freedom of expression in Pakistan is under concerted assault from extremists.
“Blasphemy has become a political battle,” said I. A. Rehman, a veteran human rights activist. “It’s no longer just a criminal or religious problem — it’s become a political issue that is used to silence voices and create a climate of fear.”
Mr. Rehman’s family suffered directly from the blasphemy laws last week. His nephew, a prominent defense lawyer and rights activist named Rashid Rehman, was shot dead in the southern city of Multan, weeks after he received death threats for defending a university lecturer accused of blasphemy. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Coming soon to a Tea Party near you.
blasphemy
The caesars proclaimed themselves to be gods for much the same political reasons. Unfortunately, like the Imams, they believed their own hype all too often.
“But it was consistent with what human rights groups call an increasingly frequent abuse of the law to settle scores, silence opponents or persecute minorities, and comes at a time when freedom of expression in Pakistan is under concerted assault from extremists.”
My thoughts exactly; could describe the last five years in the US with the IRS.
Yeah? Just wait until the sheep elect the Whore of Babylon, drunk on the blood of saints...
Just substitute Obama's DC for "Pakistan' or "Pakistani" and this could be a domestic extreme U.S. political abuse story.
Blasphemy for a lawyer is failing to stop his limo, get out, and bend over to pick up a dime on the street.
The friends you keep say a lot about you. Sadly, I think they are one of our most valued allies in the middle east.
Blasphemy is used against those who "deny" that man is sinning against Mother Gaia and changing the climate (however we can be SAVFD if we give over trillions of dollars to change the climate CORRECTLY, methinks they will forever be "fiddling with the thermostat").
We have blasphemy in this country too. You could lose your job or TV show or sports team for having unapproved opinions.
(file photo)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.