Blasphemy Charges against Christians Shafaqat Masih and Shagufta Bibi in Pakistan, Muslims Condemn these charges.

Evil exists because good people do nothing about it – all it takes for evil to subside is for the good people to speak up.

The formula is simple: The evil people (in all nations and all religions) are less than 1/10th of 1% - if 5 of them scream, all we have to do is get 10 of us from a lopsided pool of  99% to speak up,  and I have seen them run – realizing that there is no support for them.

The latest is the SMS blasphemy charges, the good news is that the Deobandi Ulema have promised the Christians to bring amendments to blasphemy charges in Pakistan, it would be good to see them keep their promise.

Blasphemy and Apostasy are tools of tyrants to suppress people; it is not Islamic in any sense.  Prophet showed the right way by example, but the Muslim monarchs, dictators and a handful of ulema (it is shame that we call them Ulema instead of Jahil) like all damned fascists erected the apostasy and blasphemy charges to oppress.

Besides, these fanatics are dumb people, if they really want to convert other people, pray for them, like the Prophet, instead of pushing them. Don't kick the beehive if you want to gather honey.  

The Muslims of today – I mean the 99% of Muslims are civilized and cultured,  and we should not let 1/10th of 1% of Jahils (brutes) dictate the nature of Islam.

As a Muslim I condemn these shameful and ugly acts against Christians, and as Muslims, it is our duty to stand up for the oppressed. 

Please remember, Islam is not going anywhere; prophet is not going anywhere, and by opening ourselves up to criticism, we will learn a lot more about our faith than we would ever know. We need to move away from intolerance to acceptance of a different point of view without having to agree with it. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) lived through it and Muslims can learn from his examples.

Criticism can fade away or rain on us depending on how Muslims respond to it.  Lack of conviction in one's faith breeds intolerance towards criticism, whereas firmness in faith can lead us to learn from criticism, explore the infinite wisdom and realize the strength of our faith (Imaan); a worthy feeling to have, instead of living in doubt and shooing criticism away.

Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.net 

www.WorldMuslimCongress

and WorldMuslimCongress@yahoogroups.com

BLASPHEMY CHARGES

ASIA/PAKISTAN - "Technological Blasphemy": Christian couple arrested for insulting Muhammad via SMS

Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) - A new "front" of blasphemy seems to be opening in Pakistan after the life sentence of a man accused of having sent a blasphemous SMS (see Fides 15/07/2013), cases and complaints of blasphemy via SMS increase. As reported to Fides, another blasphemy case was registered against a Christian couple in the town of Gojra, in Punjab. Shafaqat Masih, 35, and his wife Shagufta Bibi were arrested by the local police because accused by the Muslim Rana Mohammad Fiaz for having sent a blasphemous SMS on the Prophet Muhammad. The police traced the SIM card and arrested the couple.

A court of first instance validated the arrest, placing further investigation. Shafaqat Masih is disabled and his wife is a waitress in a local school. Their two teenage children are now being taken care of by the NGO "World Vision in Progress", which also aims to provide legal assistance. Gojra is a place which is "religiously sensitive" since 2009, when, due to a case of alleg ed desecration of the Koran, the Christian area of the city was set on fire, causing 8 deaths, destroying 40 homes and a church.

Currently the debate on blasphemy through new technologies, mobile phones, computer resources is alive in Pakistan. The Telecommunications Authority and the government are discussing technical solutions to the problem of the presence of blasphemous material on the Internet, on YouTube, on social networks. Many are calling for a law to limit and censor blasphemous Internet sites.

Another issue is the abuse of the law of blasphemy, sometimes used instrumentally to hit opponents. As reported to Fides, recently a delegation of 15 ulema in Karachi, of the Islamic school of thought "Deobandi," assured its support to the Christian community to propose an amendment to the blasphemy law: the goal is to stop their misuse against members of religious minorities.

Among the cases reported by Fides is that of a Christian 15-year-old from Karachi, Ryan Brian Patras, accused of having sent blasphemous SMS to some peers (see Fides 12/10/2012) and the victim of a plot. The boy and his family escaped by miracle from the murderous rage of a few extremists. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/07/2013)