Blasphemy is a profoundly sensitive issue in the Islamic republic and can rouse even moderates. At its most extreme, even unproven allegations have sparked mob lynchings and vigilante murders.
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| Protesters beat a police officer during a clash in Islamabad (Photo credit AP) |
Source/Credit: The Australian
By AFP | November 29, 2017
An obscure Islamist group in Pakistan has brought down a federal minister and humiliated the government with the help of a blasphemy law that authorities have long used as a tool of repression.
Law minister Zahid Hamid resigned on Monday, caving to a key demand from Islamist protesters who paralysed the capital for weeks over a hastily abandoned amendment to the oath sworn by election candidates.
Mr Hamid’s surrender marked a disturbing new precedent after the fringe Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLY) tied the amendment fiasco to blasphemy charges.
Blasphemy is a profoundly sensitive issue in the Islamic republic and can rouse even moderates. At its most extreme, even unproven allegations have sparked mob lynchings and vigilante murders.
But it is enshrined in the legal code, where it carries the death penalty, with analysts warning the charge is unanswerable. “You’re looking at a law that can’t be defined ... anything can be blasphemy, so it’s very broad,” said lawyer Yasser Latif Hamdani.
Activists have long called for reform, saying the legislation is abused to settle personal scores and target religious minorities.
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Read original post here: Pakistan: Blasphemy law a weapon for fringe Islamists
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