Asia Bibi

Bl4ckGryph0n

I'm sure there are people with extreme views everywhere but it's good to see compassion being shown too;

UK imams join calls for Asia Bibi asylum

Also, according to the DM article at least, the fears of reprisals by the British Government are against British offices in Pakistan rather than violence by British Muslims;

Boris Johnson: Britain must help Asia Bibi in fear of lynch mob | Daily Mail Online

"Government sources say Mr Javid is keen to help but the decision is being held up by Foreign Office red tape. Some diplomats have urged caution as a result of fears that such an initiative could lead to attacks on UK Government offices in Pakistan."

It appears that a UK Campaign Group has suggested fear of attacks in the UK;

"On Sunday a UK campaign group in touch with the family said the British Government was concerned about attacks in the UK.

Wilson Chowdhry of the British Pakistani Christian Association said: 'They have not offered automatic asylum, whereas several countries have now come forward. They won't be coming to Britain.'

Home Office sources have dismissed claims that Mrs Bibi had not been offered asylum owing to security fears."


Although, looking at the full quote by Wilson Chowdry in another article, he appears to also be referring to attacks in Pakistan so there's some ambiguity and possible assumptions;

Asia Bibi: UK ‘is barring death-threat Christian over attack fears’

"Mother-of-five Asia Bibi, 53, is in hiding after Pakistan's supreme court acquitted her nearly two weeks ago. Hardline Muslims protested at her release, demanding she is hanged. Wilson Chowdhry of the British Pakistani Christian Association said: "Britain was concerned about potential unrest in the country, attacks on embassies and civilians."

Toko Black

Simple solution; kick those bastards out (where we can; i.e. where they have dual nationality). There is no place for such backwards thinking.

robel

I might be wrong, but from what I read, it was Whitehall worried about the security of UK consulate staff and contractors in Pakistan, there was no mention of any threat from any communities in the UK itself.

Bl4ckGryph0n

There is apparently and its called England....

Toko Black

I think you better expand on that and explain it, as at the moment it comes across rather offensive.

Cliff

The irony is, that:

a) The blasphemy laws in Pakistan are inherited from the British.
b) That within many peoples lifetimes, it would have been a not uncommon occurrence for British or American people to refuse to drink from the same water fountain as Black, Asian, Jewish or other 'foreign' person. Even today, some people refuse to eat or shop at certain places because they are owned or served by people of a different faith or ethnicity.

I can personally testify to this as I witnessed someone I refuse to have anything more to do with. They would not order food from a specific leading fast food chain restaurant location because it was run by 'Pakis' ... and demanded that the food be ordered from a location further away that was run by 'British people'.
Some people may joke that fast food restaurants make them feel sick, but all joking aside, I certainly did feel sick that day.

Toko Black

Of course different religions have variations on blasphemy, but the specific law under which she was prosecuted and jailed was established by the British in the 19th Century under the Raj.
The British further detailed the laws until the middle of the 20th Century when Pakistan gained independance from the UK as part/a result of the partitioning of India by the British.

That doesn't hold the UK or the British directly responsible what happens in Pakistan today, but we did have somewhat of a hand in it and our own history with prejudice and silly/abhorent  prosecutions and behaviour are not without blemishes including within living memory.

kilvil

then why where the muslim women not charged for blasphemy over the christian religion.

Bl4ckGryph0n

200 years is a fair amount of time to change

Toko Black

are you serious ?

It's quite clear that in Pakistan which is a massive Muslim majority country with every official, law maker etc being Muslim and only a minority of Christians, that any sectarian social issues are fundamentally only ever going to be in favor of the Islamic faith.

Under British law it was established that the official religion of the country was the only one protected by Blasphemy laws, and in the case of India, those laws by the British were establish with regards to the specific religions of those countries(ie Islam and Hinduism).

R v Gathercole (1838) - "a person may, without being liable to prosecution for it, attack Judaism, or Mahomedanism, or even any sect of the Christian religion (save the established religion of the country); and the only reason why the latter is in a different situation from the others is, because it is the form established by law, and is therefore a part of the constitution of the country. In the like manner, and for the same reason, any general attack on Christianity is the subject of a criminal prosecution, because Christianity is the established religion of the country."