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Why Are Blasphemy Laws Popular?

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By Lindsay Vessey
Executive Director

Blasphemy and Defamation laws are incredibly popular, particularly in Muslim-majority countries. While Americans were glued to the Zimmerman trial, a court in Pakistan sentenced a 29-year-old Christian man, Sajjad Masih, to life in prison on an alleged blasphemy charges. Most shocking is that this verdict was handed down despite “the complainant retracting the accusation and admitting police pressured him into making it” as reported by Morning Star News.

Extensive arguments have explained why the defamation of religion concept limits religious freedom and free speech. Over 200 non-profit organizations from diverse religious backgrounds signed a joint statement in 2010 expressing concern with it and with the efforts to formalize the defamation of religion concept through various avenues at the United Nations.

Countries most supportive of the defamation of religion or blasphemy concept are Muslim-majority countries, namely those who are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).  Pakistan and Egypt have been the main drivers pushing the international community to ban speaking against religions or religious personages such as Mohammed or Islam. On the surface, a logical reason to support this type of legislation would be that it might promote greater tolerance and decrease religious tensions. But reality proves differently.

A quick look at either of these countries demonstrates extremely high levels of restriction, both governmental and societal, on religious freedom. The PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life recently published data which showed that Egypt had some of the highest restrictions on religious freedom following Mubarak’s ouster.  And according to PEW “those restrictions were “coupled with a Muslim public that is considerably less tolerant of religious pluralism than Muslims elsewhere.” The verdict on Pakistan is equally dire. In the most recent annual report published by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the overview states, “Religious freedom violations in Pakistan rose to unprecedented levels due to chronic sectarian violence particularly targeting Shi’ite Muslims. The government continues to fail to protect Christians, Ahmadis, and Hindus. Pakistan’s repressive blasphemy laws and anti-Ahmadi laws are widely used to violate religious freedoms and foster a climate of impunity.”

Clearly these laws have not increased tolerance or decreased religiously motivated violence in Egypt or Pakistan. Does Islam face a threat in Egypt or Pakistan? Hardly. Egypt has an estimated 90% Sunni Muslim population and Pakistan has an estimated 96.4% Muslim population (85-90% Sunni; 10-15% Shia). Yet, somehow these laws remain incredibly popular Pakistan and Egypt.

What are the real motivations behind these laws? They appear to be the age-old allure of power and greed.

In both Egypt and Pakistan, blasphemy laws are used to shut down any political or religious belief that is not in line with a Sunni Sharia interpretation of Islam.  Any religious truth claim from a Hindu, Christian, Baha’i, or Ahmadi can be construed as blasphemy against Islam or Mohammed. These laws are actually being used by the political and religious establishment of both nations to maintain their power and control over the population.  Can you imagine if Sunni Muslims were able to ask hard faith questions? They might convert to a different faith if they could not find satisfactory answers. Or what if the people of these countries could openly question gender inequality? Women may want to make it illegal to be beaten by their husbands or divorced without receiving any financial compensation. One can imagine how the ability to question and follow logical answers could turn the existing establishments on their heads.

This oppression is not just theoretical. There are numerous examples in both Pakistan and Egypt of members of minority faith groups being targeted through blasphemy laws. USCIRF reported that there has been an increase in filing of these blasphemy accusations in Egypt since Mubarak was expelled. Atheist Alber Saber was convicted in Egypt for questioning the existence of God on Facebook. He was able to flee the country. Gamal Abdou Masoud, a 17 year old Christian in Egypt, received a 3-year sentence because he was tagged in a picture on Facebook that allegedly insulted Mohammed. Rimsha Masih, a 14-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan who reportedly had a mental handicap, was accused of blasphemy and originally charged as an adult. Later it became evident that a local Muslim cleric had planted evidence on her person of blasphemy. Rimsha and her family had to go into hiding until moving to Canada in order to avoid being killed by Muslim vigilantes. Sajid Inayat was charged with blasphemy in Pakistan for supposedly burning pages of a Koran. The young men who charged him had an argument with him two days prior over a billiards game. Asia Noreen Bibi in Pakistan received a death sentence and has been imprisoned since neighbors accused her of blaspheming Mohammed during an argument which they started.

For daring to urge the Pakistani government to reform the blasphemy laws, Minorities Minister Shabaz Bhatti, was murdered in 2011. He was well aware of the risk of speaking out and seems to have sensed his impending martyrdom in this video recorded shortly before he was murdered. Salman Taseer, the liberal Muslim Governor of Punjab Province, was murdered for supporting the abovementioned Asia Bibi and pushing for a reform of blasphemy laws. This is just a snapshot of the ways in which blasphemy laws are used to oppress minorities in Egypt and Pakistan.

It is understandable that religious and political leaders would want to keep these laws in order to maintain power. But why do so many Muslim citizens also want these laws? Is there really any reason to fear a little criticism of one’s faith? Does an omnipotent God really need human protection in the form of blasphemy laws?

Citing information from the The Price of Freedom Denied, a letter from the international religious freedom community to President Obama states, “where there is less religious freedom, there is less women’s empowerment, less economic development, and more political instability and conflict, violent extremism and terrorism.” Blasphemy laws are a major component of religious and societal restrictions on religious freedom. They have far reaching consequences. A country that represses innovation and critical thinking ultimately cripples their society socially and economically. Preventing citizens from improving their life circumstances and making national advances robs the rest of the world of their unique contributions.

Will Muslims living in countries such as Egypt and Pakistan remain content under this type of control, or will they take recent revolutions to the next level and also demand these freedoms? Venn Institute wants to hear from you! What’s your perspective on how blasphemy laws impact your life and society? Why do you think they are beneficial or detrimental to the governance of your nation?

The post Why Are Blasphemy Laws Popular? appeared first on Religious Freedom.


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