On Wednesday, April 2, the Catholic Church in Pakistan held a day of prayer and fasting on behalf of Sawan Masih, recently sentenced to death for blasphemy, and Asia Bibi, mother of two and stepmother of three, who has already been in prison since 2010, sentenced to death. Both are victims of the country's controversial blasphemy laws.
They are both waiting for their appeals to go to court. Meanwhile, several civil society organizations and ordinary believers have joined the initiative "for the benefit of persecuted Christians".
Activists and religious leaders joined various peaceful demonstrations in Lahore and Islamabad as "signs of cohesion and solidarity."
Asia Bibi has become a symbol of the fight against the "black law." Since being sentenced to death in November 2010, she has been on death row in prison, where she is kept in solitary confinement for her own safety. After many postponements and much hesitation, her appeal has finally been set to begin on April 14.
Sawan Masih, a 26-year-old Christian from Lahore, was recently convicted in a lower court on false charges made by someone with whom he had a disagreement.
His alleged actions led to a targeted attack on Christians in Joseph Colony in Lahore, where Islamic extremists set hundreds of homes and two churches on fire.
His appeal will be heard by the Lahore Supreme Court on July 25 this year.
Priest Asher Arshad of the Lahore Archdiocese noted in an interview with AsiaNews the "encouraging response" in recent days from civil society groups who had decided to respond positively to a call for prayer and fasting "for Asia Bibi and Sawan Masih, both persecuted for their faith."
"As we pray and fast" for the two victims, "we join our Christian brothers and sisters in solidarity," said Aqeel Mehadi, a human rights activist from Lahore. "As a Muslim," he added, "I am disgusted by what has happened and continues to happen."
Talking about Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, he said that he always emphasized the principle of religious freedom in his speeches. He envisioned a liberal and multicultural nation where all citizens have "the right to practice their religion and not to be imprisoned for their faith."
"It's really sad to see what Pakistan has become," said Reverend John Barkat, a pastor and activist in Lahore. "Unfortunately, a handful of fanatics have promoted intolerance and paved the way for religiously motivated violence. As a result, we have seen incidents like those in Shanti Nagar, Gojra and Joseph Colony. Let us therefore fast and pray for the persecuted in Pakistan."
The Masihi Foundation and Life for All Pakistan charity said in a statement: "Blasphemy remains a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan. The blasphemy laws in Pakistan are being used for personal revenge (...) We peacefully protest Masihi's sentence and demand justice for Asia Bibi."
Source AsiaNews
