Study-Islam.org

Pakistan’s Laws are Blasphemous

Updated January 24, 2011 because of the new developments

Blasphemy (shirk) is the only unforgiveable sin within the teachings of Islam. It is akin to idolatry or establishing equal partners alongside of Allah. However, according to God’s Law, as recorded in the Ten Commandments by Moses, blasphemy is limited to taking the name of the LORD GOD in vain. God is unique and unlike any other being. It would be idolatrous to elevate a mere creature to the level of God. Hence, the divine law against blaspheming applies only to God and not to a prophet.

"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Exodus 20:7

"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Deuteronomy 5:11

Say to the Israelites: 'If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death. Leviticus 24: 15-16

The glorious and exalted name of God is unique, majestic, wondrous, and alone. The reason why it is blasphemous to use God’s name in vain is because He is the Creator (al-Khaliq), the Truth (al-Haqq), the Everlasting One (Al-Hayy), the All-Knowing (al-Alim), the Ruler (al-Malik), the Judge (al-Hakam), the All-Powerful (al-Qadir), and the Most Merciful (ar-Raheem). No prophet or messenger of God has these divine attributes.

Yet, Pakistan’s penal code exalts the name of Muhammad, punishing any individual who uses Muhammad’s name in a vain manner. Essentially, the religious laws of Pakistan elevate Muhammad to such an extent that he is placed on the same level as Allah or perhaps even higher. In other words, Pakistani law considers it blasphemous to misuse Muhammad’s name, as if he himself were divine. Does the misuse of Allah’s name deserve the same punishment as the misuse of Muhammad’s name? Is Muhammad also the Creator (al-Khaliq), the Truth (al-Haqq), the Everlasting One (Al-Hayy), the All-Knowing (al-Alim), the Ruler (al-Malik), the Judge (al-Hakam), and the All-Powerful (al-Qadir)?

295-C. Use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet: Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine. ¹

It can be argued that, in Pakistan, Muhammad is superior to Allah, because Pakistan’s penal code ignores the misuse of Allah’s name while the misuse of Muhammad’s name is a federal crime in the nation's constitution. Muhammad is more honored in Pakistan’s legal code than Allah is. The only conclusion we can draw is that Pakistan’s religious laws codify shirk as their national legal policy, because Muhammad is legally superior to Allah.

In the Holy Scriptures, the name of God is the only name that is protected by divine Law. There is nothing in divine Scriptures where a government or a people were given a special law to protect the name of a prophet or a messenger of God. It is God’s duty to protect his own prophets. There have always been prophets and apostles who loved power, prestige and who claimed they were the divine messengers. Elijah challenged some of these prophets.

Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” I Kings 18:19

Elijah bravely taunted these false prophets, telling them that their god may need to be awakened.

At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 1 Kings 18:27-28

Business Card Blasphemy

Very recently, a Pakistani medical doctor in Hyderabad was arrested on suspicion of violating the country’s blasphemy law. He was charged because he tossed a medical salesman’s business card into a dustbin. The salesman’s first name happened to be Muhammad. ² Dr. Naushad Valiyani will probably avoid punishment, because he is a Muslim. Still it shows the lunacy and idiocy of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, and the religious insanity its laws teach the Muslim populace.

Cup of Water Blasphemy

Asia Bibi, a poor peasant mother, has languished more than a year and a half in a prison on the charge of blaspheming Islam’s prophet, Muhammad. She was wrongly accused, dragged in the streets, and gang-raped. ³

What was her crime? Her Muslim co-workers in the field asked her to fetch a cup of water for them to drink. When she kindly obliged and returned with the water for them, they refused her, saying she was too unclean for them to accept a drink from her due to her being a Christian. They insulted her Christian faith, calling it a “religion of infidels.” After being demeaned, insulted, and ridiculed by her Muslim co-workers, she spoke back to them. Her crime was being a Christian and not cheerfully accepting being mocked for her faith.

In 2009, Asia Bibi, a 45-year old Christian woman with five children, was asked to fetch water while working as a farmhand. She was insulted by other Muslim women workers, who refused to accept it from her, calling her "unclean" due to her faith. Reportedly a dispute followed during which she was called names and her faith was branded a "religion of infidels.” ⁴

Her husband, Ashiq Masih, and children are in hiding because her whole family is now a target for death.

Ashiq Masih has the look of a hunted man - gaunt, anxious and exhausted. Though he is guilty of nothing, this Pakistani labourer is on the run - with his five children. His wife, Asia Bibi, has been sentenced to death for blaspheming against Islam. That is enough to make the entire family a target. They stay hidden by day, so we met them after dark. ⁵

Pakistan Penal Code XV: OF OFFENCES RELATING TO RELIGION

Since Mrs. Bibi’s co-workers offended her religious feelings, they violated Pakistan’s penal code section 298. If Pakistani law were applied impartially, the Muslim co-workers should have been arrested and imprisoned. Apparently, it is not a crime to drag a poor Christian woman through the streets and gang-rape her in Pakistan. It is only dreaming to think that Pakistani Muslims would have to obey their own laws when Christians are involved.

298. Uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings: Whoever, with the deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of any person, utters any word or makes any sound in the hearing of that person or makes any gesture in the sight of that person or places any object in the sight of that person, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both. ⁶

Murder for Hire

Rather than promoting peace and harmony between people, Pakistan’s blasphemy laws encourage murder by religious thugs. A Pakistani maulana has offered a reward of half a million rupees for someone to murder this mother of five children. This is her reward for offering a drink of water to her co-workers!

Maulana Yousef Qureshi made the announcement Friday at a rally in the northwestern town of Peshawar. He said his mosque would give $6,000 to the person who kills Asia Bibi. "We will strongly resist any attempt to repeal laws which provide protection to the sanctity of Holy Prophet Mohammad," Qureshi told a rally of hardline Islamists. "Any one who kills Asia will be given 500,000 rupees in reward from Masjid Mohabat Khan," he said referring to his mosque. ⁷

Tears of Joy over the Mother’s Death Sentence

A local imam, Qari Mohammed Salim, had tears of joy at the guilty verdict of the mother of five children. He promised that, even if she were pardoned by the government, they would take the law into their own hands and punish her.

At the village mosque, we found no mercy for her. The imam, Qari Mohammed Salim, told us he cried with joy when sentence was passed on Asia Bibi. He helped to bring the case against her and says she will be made to pay, one way or the other. "If the law punishes someone for blasphemy, and that person is pardoned, then we will also take the law in our hands," he said. ⁸

The town cleric, who made the initial complaint against Bibi, called her death sentence one of the happiest moments of his life. "Tears of joy poured from my eyes," Qari Salim told CNN. ⁹

Shari'a Law is a Pathway to Hell

Instead of Shari'a being a "straight path to an oasis" of refreshing water, it is "straight path to a hell" of eternal fire and brimstone. God created humans to be His representatives on the earth. So, to murder a human being is to commit a crime against God's Himself. The Ten Commandments were given by God and written in stone, and they expressly forbid murder. The divine penalty for committing murder is to spend eternity in hell, a lake of fire and brimstone. Imam Qari Mohammed Salim may proudly boast that he is willing to ignore God's Law and take the law into his own hands; but, if he were to commit this murderous crime, he will be terrified when comes face-to-face with hell and the wrath of Almighty God.

"You shall not murder." Exodus 20:1

He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9

Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. Genesis 9:6

But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. Revelation 21:8

Betrayal and Murder

Ghazi Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, 26, was trained and paid to protect the life of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer. Now, by betraying and murdering the very person who was under his care and protection, he has become a national hero in Pakistan. He has been garlanded with red rose petals. Furthermore, many educated Pakistani lawyers justify this killer's crime by claiming that it was necessary for him to kill Governor Taseer, because popular Punjab province governor sought to have Asia Bibi pardoned for her alleged crime of blasphemy. ¹⁰ What was their legal reasoning? Firstly, the Pakistani lawyers claim correctly that the Pakistani Constitution protects governors from any court of justice. Hence, in Pakistan there is no legal process to charge a governor with a crime. The lawyers cite article 248 of Pakistan's constitution to make their point.

248. Protection to President, Governor, Minister, etc.
(1) The President, a Governor, the Prime Minister, a Federal Minister, a Minister of State, the Chief Minister and a Provincial Minister shall not he answerable to any court for the exercise of powers and performance of functions of their respective offices or for any act done or purported to be done in the exercise of those powers and performance of those functions:

Secondly, these lawyers know Shari'a law permits, in special circumstances, an individual to carry out the punishment of a person who had committed a hudud crime (a crime stated and fixed by Allah in the Qur'an and by Muhammad in the hadith). The Qur'an (Islam's scriptures) and hadith (the record of the sayings and actions of Muhammad) mention various crimes and their punishments. Hudud laws are viewed as the divine laws of Allah. What should happen when a government does not punish a hudud crime? According to interpretations of Shari'a law, when the government does not or will not act, an individual has the legal right to carry out Allah's punishment. The foundation principle is that Allah's divine law supersedes any man-made law, and a faithful Muslim has an obligation to fulfill Allah's law, when it is not fulfilled by a government's human justice system.

"An apostate is one who abandons Islam and embraces another religion. According to the Shariah an apostate is open to homicide. Hence if some one kills him of his own accord he will not be accountable as a wilful murderer whether he kills him before or after allowing him the option to repent. For every excess in the state of apostasy is warrantable." — Adbul Qadir 'Oudah, Criminal Law of Islam, Vol. IV, . p. 19-20.

Consequently, the Pakistani lawyers argue that Ghazi Mumtaz Qadri had the legal right, according to Shari'a law, to kill Governor Salman Taseer, because Mr. Qadri believed the governor was defending someone who had blasphemed Muhammad.

His crime was not motivated by robbery, jealousy, greed, etc. It was motivated by faithfulness to Islam's Allah. Mr. Qadri must be a faithful Muslim who takes his prayer (salat) seriously, because his forehead appears to have a prayer scar (zabiba). Islam is why this murderer is such an adored hero by millions in Pakistan.

True Divine Law

God's true divine law states that murder is a wicked crime worthy of the punishment of death. In fact, murder is a direct crime against God Himself, because man is God's special creation, meant to be God's representative on earth.

Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. Genesis 9:6

Furthermore, it is irrational to think that any human being is above criticism, even if a person were to claim to be an apostle or prophet. What would happen if it were legal to murder any Muslim who criticised Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India? Murdering someone who criticises a prophet is really a law of Satan (Shaytan). Mr. Qadri acted as a slave of Satan, not of God.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44.

One of the dangers of Shari'a law is that it perverts the natural law written on the human heart by God Almighty (Romans 2:15), and makes murder seem heroic and divinely sanctioned.

Governor Salman Taseer's Beautiful Example

The Lord Jesus Christ said that, at the Judgment of the Living Nations, those who were not loving and helpful to those who were poor, naked, hungry, sick, and imprisoned will be eternally punished. Here the returning king's judgment is based upon the kindness and practical pity towards those of his helpless and destitute followers.

The king will answer them, ‘I tell you with certainty, since you did it for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who are accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! Here’s why: I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn't welcome me. I was naked, and you didn't clothe me. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Matthew 25: 40-45

Governor Salman Taseer's beautiful example reminds me of the convicting words of Jesus Christ to those who persecute and imprison poor and destitute people. His words are found in Chapter 25 of the Gospel (Injil) as recorded by the Apostle Matthew. The governor had the amazing courage to visit Mrs Asia Bibi in her jail where he pleaded her cause. She is just a poor, insignificant, hated-minority, peasant woman. He had nothing to gain by pleading her cause, except the anger, threats, and bullets of those who idolize Muhammad. Governor Salman Taseer's kindness cost him his life.

Heros - Villains

Who are the true heros and villains in the case of Mrs. Asia Bibi? From an Islamic perspective, Mr. Mumtaz Qadri is the amazing hero, because he murdered someone who was defending a woman charged with defaming Muhammad. From the perspective of the followers of Jesus Christ, Mr. Salman Taseer is an amazing hero, because he was willing, at great risk to himself, to plead the cause of a poor destitute woman. Heros in Islam shed blood, while heros in Christ save life. There is a radical difference between murder and salvation and between Islam and Christianity. It is the difference between life and death. Please choose life.

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 20:19

Abul A'ala Maududi

The nation of Pakistan, in Urdu Pakistan means the Pure Land, was established to be a flourishing Islamic state where the nation would be a marvellous beacon showing the world the benefits of Islamic governance. Maulana Maududi wrote extensively on the ideological principles of an ideal Islamic state governed by Shari'a law. According to Muslim propagandists, the failure of Muslim nations has always been there was no country that truly followed Islamic law. Well, establishing the brand-new nation of Pakistan was to solve that problem. It would be established as a true Islamic nation. It would be the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Instead of being a model nation for the world to follow, it has become intolerant, dangerous, radicalized, corrupt, immoral, and terrorized. Thanks you, Maulana Maududi. Your teachings amazingly missed the mark. Tragically, your writings are still being used by the imams in Pakistani madrassas, where your Islamic ideology continues to destroy the future prospects of the younger generation.

Pakistan needs Jesus!

Muslims have rejected the amazing sacrifical love of Jesus Christ and have embraced the bloody sword of Muhammad. It is no wonder that Islam has no true peace, since it has no true knowledge of the love of God. Our desire is that you would read and believe the true account of Jesus Christ in the gospels and that you would come to the faith as taught by the true prophets of God. God really does love you and wants you to be guided in the straight path to his blest eternal, heavenly home. Come to Jesus and be more than an abject slave, become a true and secure child in God's dear family. Your friends may hate you, and they may even try to kill you. It is because they follow Muhammad, and they have no true knowledge of God's gracious and sacrificial love. Mr. Mumtaz Qadri thought that he was serving God's, when he killed Mr. Taseer. Jesus spoke of people like Mr. Qadri when he said,

In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. John 16:2

Conclusion

Pakistan Penal Code Section XV has laws regarding Muhammad that should only apply to Allah. Thus, Pakistan’s legal code commits shirk by setting Muhammad on par with Allah. Secondly, Pakistan’s judiciary is blind to the offences of Muslims toward non-Muslims. Thirdly, it is a law that encourages murder. Fourthly, legal authorities should worry more about Pakistan’s serious problems with drug, alcohol, prostitution brothels, and homosexuality rather than enforcing bigotry against non-Muslims. Fifthly, Pakistan’s blasphemy laws should only apply to the misuse of Allah’s name. Doing this would remove the shirk and idolatry that is in their current laws. Sixthly, if Allah were the Majestic Lord of the Universe, as claimed by Muslim scholars, He should not be so weak and ignorant that He is unable to protect the honor of His own prophets. Lastly and most importantly, Muslims need to read the Gospels and to learn what Jesus Christ really taught and did. Jesus' sacrificial death upon the cross is what Muslims need most of all to change from hatred to God's love and salvation.