By: Aeneas Lavinium
ICLA

People will read a great deal on the ICLA website about the dangers that are posed by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC’s) quest for a global blasphemy law. Blasphemy laws are nothing more than a bully’s charter. Blasphemy laws are a means of forcibly imposing one person’s religious beliefs on another. They are a substitute for reason and they are put in place to defend the indefensible. Secular blasphemy laws are imposed in the West in order to support the false assertions of the secular religion of socialism. Blasphemy laws are the totalitarian tools of tyrants.

In present day Pakistan the destructive effects of blasphemy laws can be seen for all to see. Their deleterious effects are clear and incontrovertible to anyone with even a minute sense of decency. Blasphemy laws are wrong because they are at odds with the most basic principles of freedom. But their malign impact is even greater. In Pakistan blasphemy laws are abused, as they are always likely to be, to settle scores and terrorise religious minorities. Blasphemy laws, just like the ideology of political correctness, are used as a means to facilitate witch hunts.

In the short article below, our friends at WVIP highlight the case of Jan Masih, a Christian who has been accused of blasphemy in Pakistan. Please take note of the article’s appeal to the international community to speak out against these laws that cause so much harm and human misery. The article was originally posted at the WVIP site but is reproduced below:

The Local Muslims of Saddiqabad town Mandi Farooqabad district Shiekhpura , tried to charge a Christian man named Jan Masih under Blasphemy law . One of the residents of Saddiqabad named Sehar-ul-Zaman accused Jan Masih that he is using such a cloth sheet on which there is a foot print of the Prophet of Islam. He also stated that it is the blasphemous act against the Prophet as Jan Masih used to spread that sheet on the floor to sit, and sometimes sleep on the same sheet as well.

Sehar –ul-Zaman instigated other Muslims of the locality and they all gathered around Jan Masih’s home and started shouting against the Christians and Jan Masih. Sehar-ul-Zaman also contacted his senior leaders of Sunni Tehreek and Caravan-e-Islam. Meanwhile World Vision in Progress was informed by the local Christians.

Sehar-ul-Zaman is the same man who charged a young Christian boy, Sajid Masih under a Blasphemy law a year ago on 19th May 2012. However, after 28 days World Vision in Progress succeeded in getting him free from the jail.

Meanwhile the Christian people along with WVIP contacted the local Muslim leaders regarding this issue. They also informed the police that Sehar-ul-Zaman is always trying to blackmail and harass the Christians. One of the Muslim leaders Haji Rasheed initiated the investigation and they all found Jan Masih innocent as he was not the one who made foot prints on the cloth sheet. Haji Rasheed also stated that they should take action against the factory owner who designed such sheet not the innocent Christian Jan Masih.

After two days of dialogues with the police and other Muslim leaders, WVIP successfully saved Jan Masih from being trapped into such a false accusation. Due to WVIP’s effort the FIR was not registered against Jan Masih but still his life is in danger. WVIP is planning to relocate him within next 48 hours. We would like to request you to keep praying for the Christians of Pakistan. We have observed that from last two years Blasphemy laws are used more actively against the innocent Christians to persecute them. This is our request to the international Community to lift your voice against these Dark laws.