We are petitioning the Ambassador of Pakistan on behalf of the Christian minorities who have suffered violence due to the country's blasphemy laws.

Aiming to protect Islam, Pakistan’s criminal code stipulates punishment including the death penalty or life imprisonment for blasphemy.

Article 295 section B of Pakistan’s criminal code stipulates:

“Defiling, etc, of copy of Holy Quran: Whoever willfully defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Quran or of an extract therefrom or uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose shall be punishable for imprisonment for life.”

And Article 295 section C of the criminal code states:

“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 Mohammed (PBUH) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.”

The introduction of the blasphemy laws has fueled the victimization of Christian minorities in the country, as a considerable number of Muslims have used the laws to accuse Christians of blasphemy even in cases of unrelated disputes.

In the past two decades, over eight hundred people have been charged with blasphemy. Even when they are acquitted by courts, the accused face risk of being killed by radical Muslims who take the law into their own hands. Twenty-five individuals have been murdered even when the allegations of blasphemy were found to be false.

Click here to read more details of the destructive nature of these blasphemy laws:

http://ow.ly/o8jx