Asia Bibi: One Step Closer to Freedom
Yesterday, the Pakistan Supreme Court thankfully rejected a petition seeking to revisit the acquittal of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who had been convicted of blasphemy and spent eight years on death row before being exonerated by that country’s high court in October of last year.
Yesterday, the Pakistan Supreme Court thankfully rejected a petition seeking to revisit the acquittal of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who had been convicted of blasphemy and spent eight years on death row before being exonerated by that country’s high court in October of last year. However, radical Muslims fueled public riots demanding her execution and filed an appeal of the court’s exoneration. With this latest (and hopefully last) development in the case, Bibi (who has been through so much) will hopefully be able to finally leave the country and live safely elsewhere.
This long and unfortunate case all began when Bibi had a dispute with Muslim co-workers over drinking from the same cup of water, which led to an allegation and conviction for blasphemy against Islam — an offense which is highly politicized and used against religious minorities in Pakistani society. In recent years, other unfortunate individuals have been wrongly accused and put on death row for blasphemy, with many others being extrajudicially executed. Even their defenders — some high-profile individuals and leaders — are not safe. Pakistani leaders like Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti and Punjab governor Salman Taseer who have taken a public stand for Asia Bibi have been assassinated (Taseer by his own bodyguard). Due to threats, even Bibi’s lawyer had to flee to the Netherlands for asylum, which he relinquished by returning to assist her during this latest episode of the case.
Public pressure from Islamists calling for her execution has been a constant. In recent months it has reached a fever pitch. The radical Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) party, which has fixated on Asia’s conviction and execution — and is now fixated on assassinating her despite her acquittal — led mass protests which virtually paralyzed the country after her acquittal in October. A number of party leaders were arrested after the melee, during which one of the TLP co-founders openly called for revolt against the military, for the murder of the Supreme Court judges who acquitted Bibi, and branded the Prime Minister Imran Khan (not exactly a foe of Islamists) a “son of Jews.” The TLP is the same party which gave Salman Taseer’s bodyguard assassin a hero’s welcome home, even after he had been convicted by the Pakistani government for the murder. After the assassin’s execution by the government, his funeral was attended by an estimated 100,000.
The fact that the hardliners continue to call for her death despite the fact that there was no blasphemy here is illuminating, and oft overlooked in discussions of the case. In its October ruling, the Supreme Court did not overturn or throw out the blasphemy law itself (despite the real problems with these laws for human rights and religious freedom), but only said there was no evidence that Bibi committed blasphemy. So why the continued indignation from Islamists? It would seem that the blasphemy ideology is so deeply rooted in Pakistani society, in particular hardline elements in sync with the TLP and others like them, that there is a simple refusal to accept any other result but an execution upon even a whiff of an allegation of blasphemy. While it is difficult to know for sure, the sad reality is that they appeared to be using Asia Bibi as a scapegoat for their “purification” of Pakistani society.
Let us pray for a transformation in Pakistani society, and let us thank God for Asia Bibi’s defenders. May they continue to give religious freedom a glimmer of hope in Pakistan.
Originally published here.
The True Depravity of NY’s New Abortion Law
Many across the nation are rightfully outraged by the signing of the abortion expansion bill in New York. In response to fears that the Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade, the New York legislature, and Governor Andrew Cuomo, teamed up with the abortion industry to further tighten their grip on the Empire state following the 2018 midterms.
The bottom line is that the recently signed “Reproductive Health Act” goes way beyond a simple expansion of abortion in New York. As is typical with the Left, it takes some digging to bring the true intentions of this ghastly bill to light. It turns out that existing common-sense protections for women and children are stripped away in the name of late-term abortion expansion. This bill fulfills every wish that a late-term abortionist could have, and I have no doubt it will set the stage for the next Kermit Gosnell.
The new law expands the list of medical professionals able to commit abortions (including late-term abortions) from physicians to practically any healthcare professional authorized under New York’s education law (physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives, for example). This endangers women by allowing less experienced, less trained, and less qualified medical professionals to commit abortions.
The new law also removes requirements related to late-term abortions. Specifically, it repeals a requirement that abortions after 12 weeks be done in hospitals, thus increasing the likelihood that late-term abortions are done in less than safe facilities. The bill also removes a requirement that an additional physician be present in the event that an unborn child survives an abortion, as well as legal protections for born alive infants in the state’s social services law, civil rights law, and penal code. Eliminating these common-sense and popular protections for abortion survivors means that abortion survivors can be denied life-saving treatment in the moments following their live birth.
What is most disturbing is that the new law also eliminates the authority previously granted to coroners to examine the cause of death in criminal abortions. Earlier this year, Dr. Robert Rho plead guilty to criminal negligence after his actions resulted in the death of a 30-year-old woman who bled out following a botched abortion. Even more disturbing is the fact that this bill strips “personhood” out of the penal code, which means if a pregnant woman is assaulted and it results in the death of her unborn child, the perpetrator can no longer be charged with murder. By preventing coroners from investigating deaths as a result of botched abortions and assault, it is not only women’s health that is in danger, but it is a travesty of justice for the loved ones of patients who are killed by abortionists and of mothers whose unborn children are killed by an attacker.
The new year has brought a new level of desperation for the abortion lobby. They’re demonstrating a willingness to go beyond simply defending Roe v. Wade. Long gone are the days when their abortion mantra was “safe, legal, and rare.” It seems “abortion, on demand, without apology” is even giving way to a new mantra for big abortion. They now want license to strip away any and all protections meant to ensure women aren’t harmed in late-term abortions, as well as eliminate rights for abortion survivors and assault victims.
Originally published here.
A Deal with China on Religious Freedom?
China has been in the news a lot lately. After a top corporate official from powerhouse Chinese firm Huawei technologies was detained in Vancouver on criminal charges last month (she was wanted in the United States), the country engaged in a tit-for-tat with Canada and detained several Canadian citizens in response. Monday, Huawei was indicted by the Department of Justice on charges including money laundering, fraud, conspiracy, and obstruction, even as the Trump administration prepares to receive a trade delegation from China this week.
These developments come during a larger pattern of President Trump pressuring China to treat the United States fairly on economic matters, one aspect of which are ongoing trade talks with a deadline of March 2.
An area where China has some of its most negative press is in the area of religious freedom, with some media beginning to report on its persecution of Uyghur Muslims in its Western province, and the harassment and detention of Christian church leaders (and others) elsewhere in the country. China has even directed that displays of the 10 Commandments be modified, and that the Bible be re-written to accord with the government’s long-term goals.
The question for us is: Can all these developments be linked? As trade and economic issues are being raised with China, should we also raise religious freedom? Is the time ripe to push for religious freedom requirements to be included in any agreement we make with China?
These are the questions we will seek to answer at a panel discussion Family Research Council is hosting in D.C. next Wednesday, February 6. To join us in discussing this timely topic, be sure to tune in to FRC’s live webcast panel discussion on Religious Freedom, Trade Talks, and China, including Bob Fu, Founder and President of China Aid and other special guest experts. They will discuss what can be done to advance religious freedom in China through the Trump administration’s ongoing trade talks.
Originally published here.
This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Tony Perkins’ Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC Action senior writers.
