Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 09-26-2002, 10:29 AM

This is an issue that should unite Christians and Atheists (and a lot of others.)

In the middle of this article (free registration required) on the execution of 7 staff members of the Institute for Peace and Justice, a Roman Catholic group trying to promote harmony between all religions:

<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-karachi26sep26,0,3346116.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines %2Dworld" target="_blank">Victims of Attack in Pakistan All Christian</a>

Quote:

(snip)

The office publishes a monthly magazine called Jafakash, or The Worker, and police suggested that the organization may have been singled out because the publication has opposed Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws.

Human rights activists have long accused Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf of undermining his own campaign against Islamic extremists by refusing to reform the laws, which have been used to have Christians, members of Muslim sects and other religious minorities sentenced to death for allegedly offending Islam.

Pakistan's government doesn't carry out the death penalties imposed in blasphemy cases, but the convicted prisoners often languish on death row for years while awaiting appeals. Several Pakistanis accused of blasphemy have been slain in prison or by mobs before they could stand trial.

. . .

"The victims were very great people," he added. "They were struggling for the downtrodden people of Pakistan. Mostly Christians were working here, but they were not working as Christians. Muslims worked with them."

Staff members never mentioned any specific threats but knew they could be a tempting target for terrorists, said Usman Baloch, a Muslim member of the agency's board. But they didn't have security guards because they thought that would contradict their message, he added.

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