Posted on 09/14/2020 12:10:00 AM PDT by Cronos
Asif Pervaiz, 37, has been in custody since 2013, fighting charge leveled against him by former factory supervisor who was trying to convert him
LAHORE, Pakistan — A Pakistani court on Tuesday sentenced a Christian man to death after convicting him of sending text messages containing “blasphemous content.”
Asif Pervaiz, 37, has been in custody since 2013 fighting blasphemy charges that were leveled against him by the supervisor of the factory he once worked at.
Pervaiz’s lawyer Saif-ul-Malook told AFP that Pervaiz has denied all charges against him and had merely forwarded the text messages in question.
“This case should have been thrown out by the judge,” Malook said, adding he would appeal the verdict with the Lahore High Court.
“He has already spent seven years awaiting the court’s decision. Who knows how many more years he will have to wait till this is over?”
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in conservative Pakistan where laws can carry the death penalty for anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic figures.
Pervaiz claims his supervisor, who had been trying to convert him to Islam, had accused him of blasphemy after he quit his factory job.
Religious minorities, including Christians, are most at threat from abuses of blasphemy laws.
Up to 80 people are known to be imprisoned in Pakistan on such charges — half of whom face life in prison or the death penalty — according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Last month a man accused of committing blasphemy was shot dead inside a courtroom in the city of Peshawar.
President Trump certainly knows about this. Let’s pray that these martyrs in Pakistan will be released. Religious persecution and blasphemy in America is now part of the norm. Sign of the times . . . .as in end - times.
A religion must be pretty weak if it can’t tolerate a little criticism. Usually means it is unable to argue it successfully.
in the case of Islam, it can’t - because most Muslims have never read the quran - they can quote it but it is in old Arabic and unable to use
God's will be done for this man!
This is the future of the United States if leftists and democrats take over government. Keep buying weapons and ammo and make sure you keep it in various places.
JoMa
Note to self.....never visit Pakistan
I pray he is granted a vision of Christ before he dies, as Stephen was. I envy him; he will soon be where I long to be.
I often ask myself that same question.
I will remember him in my prayers.
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