Home Latest News Clerics Propose Amending Blasphemy Law

Clerics Propose Amending Blasphemy Law

by AFP
Ahmad Gharabli—AFP

Ahmad Gharabli—AFP

Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology wants to add the death penalty for people convicted of making false accusations.

Top religious clerics Wednesday suggested amendments to Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, proposing the death penalty for people convicted of making false accusations.

Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the population is Muslim, and insulting Islam’s Prophet can be punished by death under the country’s penal code. Even unproven allegations can provoke a violent public response, and critics say the law is often used to settle personal scores.

The country’s Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) suggested the government should bring in the death penalty for people convicted of making false accusations of blasphemy. “All the religious scholars agreed to put an end to the misuse of blasphemy laws,” said scholar Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi. “Keeping in view the suggestions of human rights activists and civil society members, the Council of Ideology has decided to fix the same penalty for the person who falsely accuses of blasphemy as the accused,” he added.

Ashrafi said the proposed amendment would ensure that “nobody dares to use religion to settle personal scores.”

“The amendment will also silence critics of the blasphemy laws,” he added.

In 2011, Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer and minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti were assassinated for demanding that the blasphemy law be reformed.

Aasia Bibi, a Christian mother of five, remains in prison after being sentenced to death in November 2010 after other women claimed she had made derogatory remarks toward Islam’s Prophet.

The council also reversed an earlier decision about the use of DNA as evidence in rape cases, which it had refused to accept. “The council has now left the matter of DNA evidence for the courts,” Ashrafi said.

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3 comments

snl4 September 19, 2013 - 9:16 pm

May Allah give wisdom and strength to Pakistanis to follow the true teaching of Islam. Blasphemy law is not in Holy Quran or Sunnah. There is not any evidence of punishment under blasphemy law in the life time of Holy prophet Mohammad (peace and blessing of Allah upon him) and his successors (Khulfa-a-Rashideen). Please visit http://www.alislam.org to get the true teaching of Islam that is love, peace and tolerance.

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ahmad September 19, 2013 - 10:05 pm

Its important that those who make false allegations are punished bec they are doing blasphemy through this action. But I doubt it will change the ground reality. People have such strong sentiments when they hear anything on blasphemy in Pakistan that reasoning and judgements are never waited. Accusing person will always get the benefit of doubt in any case.

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Amfarooq September 20, 2013 - 1:49 am

This really would be great news for the minorities in Pakistan if the people of the country really follow through, and I completely agree with
SNL4 about the law that it’s only the law of the Land and Blasphemy laws have absolutely nothing to do with the Teaching of the Holy Quran or the Prophet (PBUH) of the Islam. According to the Holy Prophet adding anything to the Perfected Islam by God Almighty is a sin
Alisam.org

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