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Blasphemy laws a danger to Christians

Blasphemy laws a danger to Christians


Blasphemy laws a danger to Christians

An organization that exists "to bandage the wounds of persecuted Christians and to build the Church in the toughest parts of the world" says a Pakistani couple's recent acquittal highlights the need for countries with blasphemy laws to treat religious minorities more fairly.

One News Now has previously reported on the case of Shafqat Emmanuel and his wife, Shagufta Kausar, who were jailed separately for nearly eight years and sentenced to death for blasphemy against Mohammed.

William Stark of International Christian Concern (ICC) reports that the Lahore High Court has overturned their conviction, but that does not mean then two are safe from Muslim extremists.

"They can instigate violence. They can instigate lynching, especially when the accusation is against a religious minority like a Christian," Stark explains. "So in this particular case, as in many cases when blasphemy gets overturned in Pakistan, the safety of both Shafqat and Shagufta and their extended family members is still under threat."

Though some Muslims in the country understand the law is being misapplied against Christians, Stark says the best option for the couple right now is to seek asylum in a country that respects religious freedom.

"Unfortunately you have within Pakistani society fundamentalists and extremists who take basically this line that any criticism of the blasphemy law itself is actually considered blasphemy as well," the ICC spokesman details.

So he urges the nations in the free world to continue applying pressure to Pakistan and countries with similar laws to overturn those measures and give religious minorities a fair shake within their borders.