Death sentence for Pakistani Christian who refused to convert to Islam
November 11, 2010
A Pakistani Christian mother has been sentenced to death for blaspheming the prophet Mohammed after she refused to convert to Islam.
Asia Bibi, a resident of Ittanwali in the eastern province of Punjab, was working at a local farm when the Muslim women with whom she was working called her an infidel and urged her to convert to Islam. Bibi refused, saying that Christianity was the only true religion.
“The Muslim men working in nearby fields also gathered and attacked Asia Bibi on which she fled to village in her home,” the Pakistan Christian Post reported. “The angry Muslims followed her and took her out of home and started beating her. They tortured her children also, but meanwhile someone informed police.”
Police then arrested Bibi on blasphemy charges. Following a lengthy trial, she has been sentenced to death.
In the past two months, five other Pakistani Christians have been falsely accused of blasphemy, according to Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the Pakistani bishops’ national commission for justice and peace.
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Further information:
- Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to Death on accusation of Blasphemy (Pakistan Christian Post)
- Blasphemy, nothing changes: new cases of Christians under fire (Fides)
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Posted by: dover beachcomber -
Nov. 11, 2010 7:56 PM ET USA
So, could someone suggest how Catholics around the world ought to respond to this outrage? Prayer, I hear already hear someone tapping out. Yes, by all means, prayer. But what else? If praying is all we do, aren't we a bit like the well-off man in the Gospel who sends sincere good wishes to the poor man, but gives him nothing to eat?
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Posted by: rpp -
Nov. 11, 2010 6:09 PM ET USA
This is so tragic. Perhaps there should be a link on this story to yesterday's news piece on the debate between Peter Kreeft and Robert Spencer.
