Multi-Faith Group Calls for the Repeal of Blasphemy Laws – In the Name of Religious Freedom – Global Issues
NEW YORK, September 12 (IPS) – In countries lacking certain religious freedoms, becoming a bold multi-faith member of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable Campaign to Eliminate Apostasy and Blasphemy Act, will be banned.
This ancient and sometimes violent reality is prompting a biblical body of justice, an international activist and a group of culturally and religiously diverse advocates to speak out to the nations. members, just before world leaders arrive at the high-level segment of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly that begins in New York City on September 20.
The trip will highlight the twelve countries currently imposing the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy, calling for immediate abolition.
Freedom of religion or belief is considered by all to be a fundamental human right and is protected by international treaties and national constitutions.
However, courts continue to issue unprovoked long prison sentences and even the death penalty to individuals for non-violent, victimless behavior such as blasphemy or apostasy.
Recently, Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala was sentenced to an unthinkable 24 years in prison for an allegedly blasphemous Facebook post he posted expressing his distrust of an afterlife.
Although the death penalty is not actually imposed on a convicted individual in the majority of cases, the sentence itself exposes convicts to prison sentences that last for many years and many years. decades on death row inmates, denial of medical care while in prison, no legal counsel, and countless interrogations.
Previously, Asia Bibi, a Pakistani woman, was sentenced to eight years in prison for blasphemy for drinking water from a canteen while picking fruit with a group of Muslim women.
After being freed and acquitted in 2019, Asia was forced to leave her home country for fear of retaliatory attacks by Islamic extremists.
In 2014, a pregnant Sudanese woman Mariam Ibrahim – who was jailed for apostasy for marrying a Christian man, and who was born to a Muslim father teacher – was forced to give birth to a second child while his legs were still shackled. prison floor.
As a follower of Christ, I remember the times God showed his heart for justice through stories like those of Esther, who was strengthened to boldly intercede for a minority group. oppressed religion.
The time has come for the Member States of the United Nations to do the same, through their convictions, in their efforts to create thriving and safe human communities for those persecuted for their right to religious freedom. or creed.
Speaking of Islam’s stance on blasphemy, there is ample evidence that the Prophet Muhammad forgave his worst critics. Blasphemy laws and inhuman punishments for blasphemy have no legitimacy in the Quran.
The Quran does not command Muslims to kill blasphemers. Surah (verse) 4:140 of the Quran says – “If you hear people deny and mock the revelation of God, don’t sit with them unless they start talking about other things. ..”
Has nothing to do with killing and releasing fatwas.
Even if death penalty provisions exist, religious minorities and individuals who express views and views that differ from those of the majority religion could be in great danger.
Mauritania, which has had a ban on the execution of the death penalty since 1987, convicted blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir of apostasy and sentenced him to death as recently as 2014 for an article he wrote criticizing the use of religion. to justify the caste system in his country. Fortunately, Mkhaitir was released from prison in 2019.
In Pakistan, where the death penalty is often issued to blasphemers – often Christian minorities and Ahmadi Muslims – but not enforced – laws criminalizing apostasy and blasphemy make state and non-state organizations that commit acts of violence against innocent civilians.
In July 2021, a policeman slashed and killed a man named Muhammad Waqas, who had previously been acquitted of blasphemy; the perpetrator has clearly stated that blasphemy is considered the motive of the crime.
A few months later, in December 2021, Priyantha Kumara, a Sri Lankan national, was surrounded by a mob and burned by an angry mob in the Pakistani city of Sialkot.
Kumara is a garment factory manager who has been charged with blasphemy after removing an Islamic poster from the factory wall in preparation for a renovation project.
These non-state actors, underpinned by lack of legitimacy, seriously interfere with human rights, freedom of expression and dignity, creating a system in which religious leaders are sometimes enshrined in government. Supporters also called for the death penalty and other inhumane punishments.
A recent and equally horrifying incident occurred in Sokoto Nigeria, when young Christian university student Deborah Samuel Yakubu was stoned to death and set on fire by her Muslim classmates.
A few days ago, Yakubu angered the perpetrator by questioning why the WhatsApp chat in her course was being used to discuss controversial religious issues rather than focus on issues. academic.
Currently, twelve countries maintain the death penalty for apostasy, blasphemy, or both; including Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. *
In addition, about 40% of the United Nations Member States – some of whom hold seats on the Human Rights Council – criminalize apostasy and blasphemy, even though they do not carry the death penalty. for such ‘crimes’.
However, it has not been without criticism and attention from human rights and religious freedom activists and even representatives of the United Nations, who have emphasized the inhumanity of religions. apostasy and blasphemy laws and call for their repeal.
This includes the UN General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights Council and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, and on extrajudicial killings, corresponding.
Now, civil society is solving the problem on its own.
Efforts towards the abolition of the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy are a grassroots approach from the bottom up. Next week, a delegation advocating for human rights and religious freedom will travel to the United Nations to meet representatives from the missions of various UN member states, including Luxembourg, Canada, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Australia.
Their objective is to increase support among United Nations Member States for the inclusion of language in UNGA Resolutions on Extrajudicial Executions, summarizing or arbitrarily stating that “the punishment The death penalty is never applied as a punishment for apostasy, blasphemy, or other perceived violations of religion.
As a cornerstone for multi-religion, multicultural and multidisciplinary United Nations policy advocacy group, the group will hold a press conference on the issue to address the key proposed language, calling for the immediate abolition of the death penalty for apostasy and blasphemy.
The briefing, open to the press, will highlight survivors in their own voices. The development of resilient pluralistic communities that uphold fundamental human rights and enable people to thrive amid interdependent globalized societies inevitably depends on the unflinching action of those in power.
We call on all Member States to join us in this fight towards international religious freedom by supporting the language of the IRF Campaign today.” More information here.
Dr. Christine M. Sequenzia, MDiv. is Co-Chair, International Religious Freedom Roundtable Campaign to Eliminate Blasphemy and Apostasy
Soraya Marikar Deen, is a Lawyer, Community Organizer, International Activist; Human rights & gender equality campaigner. She is also co-chair of the Women’s Working Group @ Int. Roundtable on Religious Freedom and the Founder of Muslim
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