Call to Ban Bible Under Pakistan's Elastic Blasphemy Laws

Adam and Eve sans fig leaves, Lot getting drunk, Jesus stopping a stoning . . . This is all too much for Muslims represented in Pakistan's parliament by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party. They view Bible stories such as these to be "pornographic" slurs against the biblical figures whom they claim as their holy prophets. They are now demanding that the country ban the Bible because of such "blasphemy" and exact a "punishment." There seems no limit to what could be considered an offense against Islam under Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws.

At a press conference on May 30 in Lahore, party leader Maulana Abdul Rauf Farooqi informally petitioned the Supreme Court, complaining that the Bible includes stories about some of the biblical prophets that include "a variety of moral crimes, which undermine the sanctity of the holy figures." A newspaper reports: "Farooqi cited a number of [supposedly pornographic] scriptures from the Bible, saying such 'insertions' strongly offend the Muslims, who hold all prophets and holy books in high esteem, as part of religious belief and never even think of committing any blasphemy against them."

The verses in question are:

Genesis 19:33--36, 29: 23, 32--35, 38:18

Exodus 32:2--6

1 Kings 13:2--29

2 Samuel 11:2--27, 13:1--22

Matthew 1:13, 16:23, 26:14--47

As in many of Pakistan's blasphemy cases, political motives seem to be at the root of the complaint. Farooqi cited Pastor Terry Jones and said the party would not burn the Bible, as Jones has done with the Koran, but would formally lodge a petition if the high court failed to act on its own motion to ban the Bible. There would not be a clash between the two religions, Farooqi ominously promised, as long as the courts are functioning. Pakistan's Islamists are also agitated by the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by American troops in that country.

Christians and other religious minorities have been disproportionately prosecuted under these laws, which can carry the death penalty. Local Christians, estimated at 3 million, fear the call for a Bible ban is a sign of a trend of deepening persecution against them.

The definition of blasphemy under Pakistan's laws is vague and can include offenses that are committed "by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly." In Pakistan, blasphemy charges have been brought against Muslims as well -- in one recent case, for tearing off a page of a wall calendar that had a koranic verse written on it, and in another, for throwing away the business card of a person named "Mohammad." Attempts to repeal Pakistan's blasphemy laws have so far failed as extremists have become emboldened under them. Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer and federal minister for minorities Shahbaz Bhatti were murdered earlier this year for their opposition to the blasphemy laws.

Pakistan's governments have long advocated a universal blasphemy law. Every year for over a decade, the nation introduced a resolution in the UN's Human Rights Council and its predecessor body, calling for a worldwide ban against "defamation" of Islam. The resolution has routinely passed, but support decreased over time, and it was not introduced at the last session in March.

Iran Supports All Islamic, Anti-American Uprisings, Says Supreme Leader

Iran backs all Islamic uprisings excluding those stirred up by Washington, said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday. Khamenei's statement means that Tehran has very less support for anti-government protesters in ally Syria, Reuters reported.

"Our stance is clear: wherever a movement is Islamic, popular and anti-American, we support it," Reuters quoted Khamenei as saying.

Honoring the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Khamenei said the leader had made predictions about events in the Middle East over the last few months where Arabs have risen up against repressive regimes.

Non-Arab, largely Shi'ite Muslim Iran savored the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February, a U.S.-backed secularist who made peace with Israel, the Reuters report said.

Tehran also supported the pro-democracy movements elsewhere in the region, especially Bahrain, where Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates aided the Sunni monarchy Emirates to put down democracy protests led by majority Shi'ite Muslims.

Iran has not yet given any sign of backing for demonstrators in Syria where President Bashar al-Assad is a key regional ally. "If somewhere a movement is provoked by America and Zionists, we will not support it. Wherever America and the Zionists (Israel) enter the scene to topple a regime and occupy a country, we are on the opposite side", Khamenei said. However, he didn't mention Syria by name.

Mullahs In Bangladesh Clashes With Police Protesting Gender Equality Of Women

ISLAMIC BIGOTS along with students of Koranic schools in Bangladesh clashed with riot police on Monday while enforcing country-wide shut down protesting government’s decision of gender equality of women, which zealots interpret as anti-Islamic. Police said the day-long shut down turned violent when the Islamists and students sporting Koran and shroud, were armed with welding sticks, rocks and home-made bombs clashed with riot police in many towns and cities of Bangladesh. The clashes with law enforcers left nearly 250 injured and another 500 activists detained. Striking Islamic bigots supported by Islamist students went on a rampage and vandalized more than a hundred buses carrying hundreds of Muslim devotees in Chittagong and Khulna cities, blocked highway’s main artery between the capital Dhaka with the eastern region for several hours. Even the lawmakers came under attack. The activists stormed the vehicles carrying them separately in two towns, east of the capital. Lawmakers Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and RMA Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, however, escaped unhurt. Ruling Awami League general secretary and Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on Monday termed the strike enforced by an Islamic coalition as ‘politically’ motivated. The ruling-party leader instead blamed opposition alliance for instigating the Islamist. Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Shahjahan on the eve of the nation-wide strike by Muslim zealots termed Bangladesh as a secular country where people have been enjoying equal rights irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. He challenged the Islamist leaders into a debate to prove that the policy contradicts to the principles of Koran. Further he said the women development policy envisages equal opportunities for women and their share in property, employment and trading for all religion including Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist. Islamist parties including Jamaat-e- Islami have long been protesting the policy which mentions gender equality. Slamming the government for arresting anti-women policy supporters, Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini, chairman of a faction of Islamic Oikkya Jote (United Islamic Alliance) on Monday warned of a tougher anti-government agitation unless the arrestees are freed within 24 hours deadline. Amini, leader of Islamic Law Implementation Committee which called for the country-wide shut down told journalist that the “ strike was a perfect reply against the government’s anti-Islamic policy like High Court banning of Fatwa (Islamic edict), National Education Policy, and National Women Development Policy 2011 ,” he said. Police detectives raided a Koranic school in Brahmanbaria, founded by striking leader Amini, and recovered five home-made bombs and detained eight students. Earlier on eve of the shut down, the Muslim chauvinist Amini, also major partner of the opposition alliance threatened non-stop shut down if the government resisted the strike, called to protest the proposed National Women Development Policy 2011 , which recommends for gender equality and equal share by women in parental properties. The Islamist leader also announced countrywide agitation programme which begins from Apr 5 until May 27. He cautioned that nobody will remain in state power of this country after taking position against Koran and Sharia. Responding to a query regarding ongoing hearing on the banning of Fatwa in the apex court, he said: “ The whole country will be on fire if the court verdict goes against Fatwa.” Leader of the opposition Begum Khaleda Zia who returned from a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia on the eve of the strike called by her alliance partner United Islamic Alliance, cautioned the government not do anything that might hurt the religious sentiment of the people and create chaos. It needs time and it would not be wise to do something by applying force, she observed. Khaleda Zia who was twice prime minister of the country is apprehensive that any move hurting religious sentiments may lead to anarchy in the country. She, however, lauded that Bangladesh has made significant progress in women's development.