In yet another bloody blow to the forces of moderation in the Muslim world, the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Salman Taseer, has been assassinated by a member of his elite security guard in Islamabad. Governor Taseer, a prominent member of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, was killed because he openly opposed the country’s draconian blasphemy law and called for the pardon of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five who was sentenced to death under the section 295c of the law by a Pakistani court in November.
Christians, Ahmadiyas, and other minorities constitute half of those accused under the blasphemy laws, even though they are only 5 percent of the population. Since their testimony counts for less than that of a Muslim in the country’s sharia courts, they can be convicted solely on the basis of the testimony of one or more Muslim accusers, and the law is very often used to settle personal grievances. Bibi’s case follows this pattern. Taseer, himself a Muslim, had called the blasphemy law a “black law” because of the many abuses it gives rise to. He was one of the few officials brave enough to speak out in the face of angry protest by the law’s Islamist supporters.
Within the United Nations, Pakistan has led an annual effort to promote an international blasphemy law, called an “anti-defamation” law, to protect Islam. Taseer’s murder is an important victory for extremism and should be recognized as such by U.S. policy makers.
— Nina Shea and Paul Marshall are senior fellows of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and co-authors of Silenced, a forthcoming book on Islamist blasphemy laws (Oxford University Press).
Dreadful people. Cancer in the heart of Islam.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWho will teach tolerance to the Muslim?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse/LoneWolf™
If Pakistan gets its wish, and there is an international "blasphemy" law, who will enforce it within U.S. borders?
And who would prosecute this "offense"? And what tribunal would preside over the prosecution? And in what jail would the convicted "blasphemes" be incarcerated?
I propose the answer: PAKISTAN! I propose that: 1) ALL US CITIZENS make an open admission to blasphemy against Islam; 2) we send the 300,000,000 confessions to the Pakistani government; 3) and then we ask the Pakistani government, through State Department Cables, "NOW WHAT?!"
Let their government come over here and arrest our blasphemes. Short of that, the Pakistani government is guilty of blasphemy against logical thinking.
I'd make a terrible politician.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMadisonian:
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHopefully by the time there is an Int'l blasphemy law, we'll have an American president who is sympathetic to American interests.
And we officially consider Pakistan our ally in the Global War on Terror, a moderate counterweight to Iran. It's useful to remember Pakistan is the only country in the world to have recognized the Taliban government of Afghanistan, and they continue to actively support the Taliban against us. That they would consider everyone else in the world as blasphemers and worthy of death is an indicator of where they are in their doctrine, and how hard we have to fight these animals. It's either us or them.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDidn't the UN just pass a resolution about defamation of religion particularly islam?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse....concern raised by both the article and responses are highly legitimate...i would posit the analogy w/ iran....terrible leaders, some horrible beliefs adhered to by a (large?) number of the populace...but, as w/ irans green (non enviro) movement, some good people therein (witness some superb cricketers and supporters thereof)...maybe the glimmer of hope is through these oppressed decent ppl w/in their midst..maybe we can connect w/ this/these, whilst maintaining a spine against their tormenting brethren...
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Taseer’s murder is an important victory for extremism"
No it isn't. Its a victory for Islam. This is what Islam is. The passions wax and wane thru the centuries. But any sober assessment of the last 1400 years can only conclude that such incidents are well within mainstream Islamic culture from Malaysia to Egypt.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"...another bloody blow to the forces of moderation in the Muslim world..." Again searching for "moderate Muslims"! As illustrated in this instance and almost daily occurrences here and abroad, according to the judgment of other Muslims, a "moderate Muslim" is a blasphemer and fit for killing.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhen are Americans going to get it into their head that there is no such thing as "moderate Islam". You are either a Muslim or a kaffir. Nothing in between. At least, so far, we haven’t gotten another propaganda blast from our "leaders" about "the religion of peace".
As for Pakistanis, we are busily loading up our country with these people and with Muslims from wherever we can get them, it seems. Blasphemy laws and other horrors are being imported into this country in the mind of every Muslim that gets off a plane here.
When are we going to learn? NEVER, as long as liberalism and political correctness are still the predominant ideologies in this land.
They have a better descriptor than "muslim moderate." Apostate.
A muslim has no defense and no muslim defenders against being the "most muslim" in the worst way. The religion doesn't do self-limitation although it expresses some of the trappings. Pakistan, a country formed solely because of violent religious differences, has been divided this way since its beginning. It is a good proxy for every muslim country. Money and edcuation does not relieve it of its deepest flaw, Islam.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Dreadful people. Cancer in the heart of Islam."
That's redundant. Islam is a cancer in the heart of the world.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse