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Chrisitian Woman Saved From Death Penalty By President
by Joseph Ernest November 22, 2010
Newscast Media -- A Christian woman facing the death sentence for blasphemy against Islam has been freed today by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. Asia Bibi had already spent the last year and a half in prison after Muslim colleagues on the fruit farm where she worked accused her of blasphemy following a dispute between them over their different faiths.
Bibi became the first Christian woman in Pakistan to be handed the death sentence during a court hearing on November 8, and the 45-year-old was freed not long after President Zardari pardoned her today in the face of pressure from the international community.
The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), which provides free legal support to persecuted Christians in Pakistan, welcomed news of Bibi’s release.
Nasir Saeed, Coordinator of CLAAS in the UK, said: "This is the only acceptable outcome to what has been a travesty of justice from the outset. Asia Bibi should never have been charged with blasphemy, let alone found guilty and sentenced to death.
"We are relieved and overjoyed at Asia Bibi’s release but so long as the blasphemy laws remain in place there is no telling when another innocent Christian will face being executed because of something they said."
It
all started on Friday, June
19, during an intense discussion among the women about their faith,
with the Muslim women telling Asia about Islam. Asia responded by
telling them about her faith in Christ. Asia told the Muslim women
Christ had died on the cross for our sins, then asked them what Mohammed
had done for them, according to VOM sources. She told them Jesus is
alive, but Mohammed is dead. "Our Christ is the true prophet of God,"
she reportedly told them, "and yours is not true."
Upon hearing
this response the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia Bibi.
Then some men came and took her and locked her in a room. They
announced from mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having
her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey.
Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. She is currently being held at the police station in Nankana city. Christians there urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed that they must go forward due to pressure from local Muslim leaders.
Asia was arrested and prosecuted under Section 295 B and C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries a mandatory death penalty. Add Comments>>
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