A Pakistani Christian woman has been sentenced to hang after she was accused of making alleged ‘blasphemous’ comments about the prophet Mohammed during an argument. While working as a berry picker in 2009, 46-year-old Asia Bibi got into a dispute with a group of Muslim women who objected to her drinking their water because as a Christian she was considered unclean.Hours after the incident one of the women reported mother-of-five Bibi to a local cleric, claiming she had made disparaging remarks about the prophet Mohammed during the row.As a result of the allegations, a furious mob arrived at Ms Bibis home and savagely beat her and members of her family. She was later arrested, charged with blasphemy and eventually sentenced to death - with her entire family forced to go into hiding after receiving threats on their lives. This week, despite international outrage and hundreds of thousands of people signing a petition for her release, Bibi lost an appeal to have her sentence overturned, meaning she now faces death by hanging.The shocking case hit global headlines after two prominent politicians who tried to help Ms Bibi were assassinated, one by his own bodyguard. Bibis lawyer, Naeem Shakir, said her accusers have contradicted themselves many times since first raising their complaint. Two witnesses allegedly involved in the incident did not appear in court. Human rights groups say Pakistans blasphemy law is increasingly exploited by religious extremists as well as ordinary Pakistanis to settle personal scores.The law does not define blasphemy and evidence might not be reproduced in court for fear of committing a fresh offence. There are also no penalties for false accusations.Those accused are sometimes lynched on the spot. If they are arrested, police and the courts often allow trials to drag on for years, as in the case of Bibi. PLEASE SHARE AND PRAY FOR BIBI.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 15:57:52 +0000
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