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WASHINGTON, DC (May 31, 2007). The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) deplored today the continued intransigence of the Pakistan Government and Legislature regarding needed reform of the country’s draconian blasphemy laws that effectively make non-Muslims second class citizens of the country.
The Foundation’s soon to be released annual report on human rights abuses against Hindus has highlighted the draconian anti-blasphemy laws of Pakistan that are selectively applied against the Hindu, Christian and Ahmadiya communities. Most recently, the Pakistani National Assembly dismissed a Bill proposing changes to the country’s blasphemy laws. The motion by Hindu Member of Parliament, Bhandara, sought to amend Pakistan’s Penal Code (1860) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (1998).
Section 295 of the Pakistan penal code metes the death sentence for blasphemy against the Prophet or the Quran. Currently, there are several pending cases, in which the accused have undergone long imprisonments without trial. Bhandara proposed to widen the definition of what constitutes an offence of religion to include attacks upon religions other than Islam. Section 295-B, which addresses the “defiling of the Holy Quran,” was amended to state the “defiling of the Holy Quran or any other Holy Book held sacred by any class of person.” Section 295-C extends defamation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad to “any other Holy Prophets.” Bhandara’s changes additionally provide punishment to those who bring false charges of desecration.
The Assembly rejected the suggested changes, charging that they were “repugnant to the injunctions of Islam.” All laws must be in conformity with the Quran and the Sunnah. Opposition to the Bill was led by the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (United Council of Action), a coalition of Islamist parties that are currently in power in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). It is reported that Bhandara was immediately booed by the Muslim clerics of the MMA opposition parties, and was rudely scolded by Sher Afgan Niazi, Pakistan`s Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.
The Minister said, “The sacredness of our way of life that is more than mere religion must not be touched upon by anyone. This is the parliament of an Islamic State, not a secular one. No one can dare to present a bill here which hurts the sentiments of Muslims,” effectively reiterating the second class status of non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan.
“We at HAF join with the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) in urging that Pakistan remove all blasphemy laws that today are used as nothing more than a weapon of social ostracization and political advantage,” said Ishani Chowdhury, Executive Director of the Foundation. “We are commenting on this issue in detail in our soon to be released 2006 Hindu Human Rights Report, and insist that the Pakistani government conform to due process and fair court appearances for those imprisoned under blasphemy laws.”
Although Pakistan provides for the religious freedom of its citizens in its Constitution (Articles 20, 21, and 22), in reality, religious minorities face many legal and political barriers. Until 2002, there were separate electorates for Muslims and non-Muslims. This lead to institutionalized marginalization of religious minorities in the National Assembly. In early 2005, Pakistan revived the practice of mandating a disclosure of the religious affiliation of individuals on all new passports. Urgent action is necessary to provide real and substantive protections for all citizens of Pakistan.
The Hindu American Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3), non-partisan organization, promoting the Hindu
and American ideals of understanding, tolerance and pluralism.
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