The Anti-Blasphemy Abuse Initiative.

PRLog (Press Release) - Sep. 7, 2012 - Compassion for Pakistan, Asia & (Middle East)

in partnership with

All Pakistan Christian League

A voice for those forced into silence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

Contact:   UK Head Office         Date:   6th September 2012.
Telephone:   ++44(0) 203 239 8754       Email: info@compassionpakistan.vpweb.co.uk


The Anti-Blasphemy Abuse Initiative
Average People - Global Impact.

Democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of expression and the right to express an opinion has been seen as a civil right in western society’s such as the United Kingdom, United States and Western European Countries since the post industrial times of the past and must be valued at all cost.

Unfortunately this is not the case in many Islamic countries that would claim to be taking a democratic path and would claim to support the civil, social, religious and political rights that are under United Nations legislation.  

Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws are viewed by many to be an example of a restriction on speech, freedom of expression and civil liberty that not just exposes an abuse of religious, civil and political rights and a refusal to enforce common UN values, but for many is used as a system of abuse and a very real potential for the loss of life of its citizens, especially those that are in minority communities such as Christian’s and Hindu’s.  

Compassion for Pakistan, Asia & (Middle East) www.compassionpakistan.vpweb.co.uk,  a UK based voluntary organization that upholds the rights of minority groups in Pakistan and the All Pakistan Christian League http://www.apclpak.com/index.html, have joined together to host its up and coming media campaign to create global public awareness, public discussion and dialogue with the media, political parties and all groups about the abuses of blasphemy law and the potential reform of the process of the laws in the way that they are implemented, to preserve human life and the human rights of all Pakistan citizens from all faith backgrounds.  The coalition of Compassion for Pakistan, Asia & (Middle East) and the All Pakistan Christian League will be contacting all global media channels, inter-faith forums, global political parties, human rights activists, labor unions, student groups and community leaders about reaching a common agreement about making relevant changes to protect the life and rights of all the citizens of Pakistan and especially its minority groups.  Most recently in the news we have the on-going case of a young disabled girl with Down Syndrome who was accused of committing blasphemy.  A disabled girl who was not able to read or write was and is being detained in a high security lockup for her own safety.  http://dawn.com/2012/09/03/bail-hearing-of-girl-accused-o....   http://dawn.com/2012/09/01/guilty-till-proven-innocent-fa....  It was later found that a local Immam Khalid Jadoon was arrested by authorities suspected of himself committing blasphemy by planting pages of the Holy Quran in the disabled girl’s bag.  He has been held under section 196 and under 295a of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Committing blasphemy in Pakistan requires little proof of the crime for a person to be detained and even a person being suspected of blasphemy can result easily in a loss of life due to anger from local communities, at the present time in the case of the disabled girl ‘Rimsha Masih’ the fear of local Christian residents is such that they are forced to live like animals in a local forest for fear of death, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/fearful-pakistani-christians-make-home-in-forest_n_1834630.html.  


Sign our petition!  http://www.change.org/petitions/media-political-groups-community-leaders-and-global-citizens-stop-the-abuses-of-pakistan-blasphemy-laws#

MORE INFORMATION:

Compassion for Pakistan respects the democratic right of all people to have their personal faith and beliefs.  However, Compassion for Pakistan, Asia and (Middle East) founder and APCL’s European Communications Director ‘Ken Wright’ and ACPL’s UK President ‘Asher Mall’ seek to  demonstrate the great difficulties that exist in Islamic nations with the abuse of blasphemy laws.  For example, religious blasphemy laws can lead to violations of human rights - penalties for lawbreakers typically include death and life time imprisonment.

The ‘All Pakistan Christian League’ or APCL represents the voice of all Christian Pakistini’s at grass roots level as well as persons of other faiths who want to have a Pakistan that is founded on the principals of equality, freedom, prosperity and the right of a democratic path based on the values of Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.  The APCL desires a Pakistan that is the envy of the world and an example of peace for the nations.

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