Comparative politics

In the UK we call for a resignation when a government minister swears at a member of the Constabulary: Andrew Mitchell under mounting pressure in 'police insult' row.

In Pakistan, a $100 000 dollar bounty is offered by a government minister for the murder of the maker of a film in another country: Anti-Islam film: Pakistan minister's bounty condemned . Today's news reporting indicates that politicians of all parties in Pakistan, including the relevant ministers own party, are distancing themselves from his offer. But does not a society that, as a question of its culture, makes a call for a bounty like this even appear a reasonable, rational option need to deeply examine its conscience in order to make sure that it does not happen again?

[In the interests of balance: the extra-judicial nature of American drone attacks against  terrorists/fighters in Pakistani territory leaves the developed nations in a morally weak position in terms of speaking out against an equally extra-judicial $100 000 bounty.]

Rimsha Masih: latest reports

From John Pontifex at Aid to the Church in Need UK: PAKISTAN: Top Catholic human rights activist says blasphemy case against Rimsha Masih is "engineered"

From Fides News Service: ASIA/PAKISTAN - The verdict on the case of Rimsha has been postponed; for doctors she is a minor and mentally disabled

Fides also report on the actions of Pakistani Christian organisations in Italy and the UK in support of Rimsha: ASIA/PAKISTAN - Pakistanis in Europe are mobilizing for Rimsha Masih

Rishma Masih: further reports

La Croix is carrying coverage of the aftermath of the arrest of Rishma in a suburb of Islamabad - under the worrying title: « Les chrétiens doivent s’en aller, sinon ça va dégénérer » ["The Christians must leave, otherwise it will get worse"].

La Croix's report gives a claimed account of the arrest of Rimsha, and describes the departure of many Christian families from the Mehrabad quarter of Islamabad since the incident.

Perhaps most worrying is the following paragraph of the report:

A quelques pas de lui, se tient debout Hafiz Mohamed Zubair, l’un des deux mollahs de la mosquée. Lui ne perd pas son sang-froid mais explique avec calme : « Oui, c’est vrai, aujourd’hui les chrétiens doivent partir. Nous ne pouvons plus cohabiter, ce ne sont plus nos frères. Ce n’est plus possible de vivre ensemble. » [Nearby we met Hafiz Mohamed Zubair, one of the two mullahs at the mosque. He did not lose his composure but explained calmly: "Yes, it is true, today the Christians must go. We can no longer co-exist, they are no longer our brothers. It is no longer possible to live together".]

There is further reporting here: Imam accuses Christian girl of 'conspiracy' (this is an agency report from Agence France Press). Sources such as the British Pakistani Christian Association view these claims as completely false.

Church, Government, imam committed to save Rimsha, a Christian girl accused of blasphemy

Fides news service carries two updates on the case of the young Downs Syndrome girl imprisoned in Pakistan facing an allegation under that country's blasphemy law.

Church, Government, imam committed to save Rimsha, a Christian girl accused of blasphemy

Rimsha: Hearing for the release, the focus is on the Medical Commission

Particularly noteworthy is the following, taken from the first of these reports:

Muslim leaders have not accepted, as requested by the radicals, to launch anathemas from the pulpits of mosques and "incite the assault of Christians": this has prevented a bloodbath. Nevertheless, the situation is tense, and the police ensure the safety of Christians living in the suburb, in Rawalpindi, where, among about 700 families, Rimsha’s family lived.

The last paragraph of the second report raises a completely different aspect to the case:

Bhatti [Paul Bhatti, president of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister for National Harmony] also condemns the behavior of the NGO "World Vision in Progress Foundation," which yesterday presented at the same court a request for bail, but without the official commission from the victim’s family, creating "ambiguity and confusion." According to Bhatti, the judge annulled the previous request from the NGO. "These organizations try to exploit and commercialize these tragic cases," he adds. Also according to Fr. Emmanuel Yousaf, Director of the Commission "Justice and Peace" of the Episcopal Conference, "The request of bail is not a good idea, since it exposes the girl to the danger of a small extrajudicial killing." A final release, however, would also open the possibility of her transfer abroad.
 

UPDATE: reporting here of the protest at the Pakistani High Commission in London, organised by the British Pakistani Christian Association.

Pakistan: New blasphemy low - Downs syndrome girl arrested!

Report here, with link to original source. H/T to Fr Tim, who refers to other news reports: see here.

A BBC news report can be found here.

Salman Taseer

For background to events affecting Christians in Pakistan, see Aid to the Church in Need's page about Pakistan. You can follow the links at the right hand side of this page to explore ACN's coverage. Of particular significance to this post is the link to Pakistan's Blasphemy Laws.

A couple of year's ago, at an ACN event in London, I recall the Bishop of Faisalabad talking about the response to an attach that had taken place on Christians and on their homes and property. He talked about the solidarity and practical support given to the victims of the attacks by members of the local Muslim population, through organisations like businesses and business federations. It is important to recognise that moderate Muslims do not wish to see the extremist violence, the "mob rule", that all too often turns itself onto Christians in Pakistan, in the name of Islam.

One of the worst incidents of violence against Christians took place in the Punjab in August 2009. A Mass celebrated to mark the first anniversary of that atrocity is reported by ACN here, and Bishop Coutts' remarks give some indication of the background to the anit-Christian violence in Pakistan.

This background illustrates the significance of the assassination of the Governor of Punjab, and of the reaction to his funeral. BBC coverage is here and here. Salman Taseer died because he spoke up for the truth about the dignity of the human person, and especially the right of people to follow a religious faith in accord with their own conscience, even when that places them in a minority in their country.

While we pray particularly for those communities in Pakistan that are the specific target of violence, we should also pray for all the citizens of Pakistan at this time of great uncertainty about the future of their country. Everyone is the victim of violence and fear in their society, even though they might not themselves be the direct targets of violence.