In Pakistan, a Christian mother of five who was accused of blaspheming the Prophet Mohammed in 2009 awaits the decision that will mark her fate — but even if she is granted clemency, Islamic hardliners stand prepared to act on their threats against her life and that of the justices who will decide.
Asia Bibi was accused of saying that Jesus Christ died for her sins and “what did Mohammed ever do for you?” after she took a drink of water from a well and offered some to others, only to be told by her Muslim coworkers that the well was for Muslim women only and that they wouldn’t drink from a container used by a Christian. She was accused of blasphemy and has languished on death row since 2010.
This week, the world is awaiting the Pakistan Supreme Court’s decision in Bibi’s appeal of her death sentence, and many people, including her lawyer and husband, are optimistic that she will be acquitted. But if she is, radicals affiliated with extremist groups such as Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) will, they say, paralyze the country. They have encouraged protests and violence against the court’s justices should they ensure her release. [National Review] Read more
