Pakistani sentenced to death for blasphemy

[FYI]

Pakistani sentenced to death for blasphemy

By Susannah Price in Islamabad

A court in Pakistan has sentenced a medical lecturer, Dr Younus Shaikh, to death for blasphemy.

He had been accused of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammad by suggesting he did not become a Muslim until he was 40 years old and that his parents were not Muslims either.

The case was registered by a local Mullah, after a complaint by some students.

It has renewed the controversy about Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

Shock verdict

The guilty verdict and death sentence came as a shock to the supporters of Dr Younus, who had been expecting an acquittal.

The judge gave his verdict inside the prison where Dr Younus is being held, rather than in open court, to prevent any attack from religious extremists.

He is accused of making the blasphemous remarks about the Prophet Mohammad during a lecture at the homeopathic college in Islamabad last year.

Some students complained to a religious leader, who lodged a complaint with the police, and Dr Younus was arrested.

The doctor had maintained his words were twisted and he could not conceive of saying anything blasphemous.

His lawyers say he will appeal.

According to human rights groups, Dr Younus is the third Muslim to be sentenced to death for blasphemy.

They have called for a change in the law, which stipulates the death sentence for those found guilty, although no one has yet been executed up till now.

Minority religious groups have complained that the blasphemy legislation is being used to persecute them.

Once a blasphemy charge is laid, police have to make an immediate arrest.

Last year the government did try to alter the law to allow for an inquiry before any arrest in an attempt to curb false blasphemy charges, but they pulled back under pressure from religious hardliners.

BBC, August 19. 2001.

[FYI]

Sentenced to death for blasphemy

By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (DAWN): The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Islamabad, Safdar Hussain Malik, on Saturday awarded death sentence to Dr Mohammad Younas, a lecturer of a local homoeopathic college, on blasphemy charge. Prosecutor Syed Mohammad Tayyab advocate told Dawn that the judgment was announced at 4:30pm in the Adiyala jail on Saturday.

The accused, Dr Shaikh Mohammad Younas, was convicted under Section 295(c) of the PPC which prescribes death sentence if charges of blasphemy are proved along with a fine. A fine of Rs100,000 was also imposed on Dr Younas.

The Section 295(c) was added to the Pakistan Penal Code in 1986 which provided that whoever made derogatory remarks in respect of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) "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 Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."

The Section 295(c), however, was amended in 1992 by the Nawaz Sharif government because of the pressure of the religious organizations, deleting the proviso under which life imprisonment could also be awarded.

A leader of the Majlis-i-Tahafuz-i-Khatam-i-Nabuwat, Maulana Abdur Rauf, had reported to the Margalla police station on Oct 2, 2000, that Dr Mohammad Younas, while delivering a lecture at the Islamabad Homoeopathic College, G-9, Islamabad, had made blasphemous remarks. He said a group of students had lodged a complaint with him in this regard.

The accused was arrested immediately and detained at the Adiyala Jail since then. The accused denied the charge and submitted before the court a written statement declaring that he had full faith in Islam and could not even think of committing blasphemy. After conducting hearings in the open court for some time, the court later decided to start hearing in the jail premises, fearing a violent reaction as a number of religious leaders and activists of religo-political parties were tending the hearings.

DAWN News

[indian_2001_2]

A whole religion is shaken by what one man says, isnt it sad. Just shows how weak Islam is, its insecurity that makes ppl issue fatwas and death sentences on ppl for speaking the truth.

[FYI]

One bank branch is robbed and the robber is punished, I wonder why?

Bank is so insecure!

[indian_2001_2]

All this man said was Prophet Mohammad's parents were not Muslims and he himself became Muslim only after age of 40. Is this not the truth? Didnt he declare himself to be prophet at age 40 and then started religion of Islam? Why should then this man be sentenced to death for telling the truth?
I am just horrified by the way barbaric way Muslims are behaving in the 21st century.

[FYI]

Originally posted by indian_2001_2
All this man said was Prophet Mohammad's parents were not Muslims and he himself became Muslim only after age of 40. Is this not the truth? Didnt he declare himself to be prophet at age 40 and then started religion of Islam? Why should then this man be sentenced to death for telling the truth?

-Prophet (SAWW) did not start a new religion.
-Prophet (SAWW) was a born Muslim.
-Previous Prophets like Jesus (AS) and Ibrahim (AS) were also Muslims.
-Yes he told people that he was a Prophet at age 40, but this does not mean that he was a non-believer before.
-His parents were the followers of the religion of Prophet Ibraham (AS) which was Islam.


Let you give you some examples from our book (Quran):

"Ibrahim was not a Jew nor a Christian but he was (an) upright (man), a Muslim, and he was not one of the polytheists. al-Quran 3:67

Jesus (AS) and his disciples were Muslims:

"When Jesus found Unbelief on their part He said: "Who will be My helpers to (the work of) God?" Said the disciples: "We are God's helpers: We believe in
God, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims." al-Quran 3:52

[Abdur_Rahman]

Hey the Wahhbabis also maintain that the parents (a) of the holy Prophet (saw) too were disbelivers!