SUBMMITED BY: GULSHAN GLORIAMASTERS IN GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND

SOCIAL JUSTICEST.JOHN’S UNIVERSITY

Blasphemy is irreverence toward holy personages, religious artifacts, customs, and beliefs.

History:

The word "blasphemy" came via Middle English blasfemen and Old French blasfemer and Lat Latin blasphemare from Greek βλασφημέω, from βλάπτω = "I injure" and φήμη = "reputation". From blasphemare also came Old French blasmer, from which English “blame" came.

Blasphemy in Islam is any irreverent behavior toward holy personages, religious artifacts, customs, and beliefs that Muslims revere. The Quran and the hadith do not speak about blasphemy. Jurists created the offence, and they made it part of Sharia. Where Sharia pertains, the penalties for blasphemy can include fines, imprisonment, flogging, amputation, hanging, or beheading. Muslim clerics may call for the punishment of an alleged blasphemer by issuing a fatwa.

The Qur'an speaks of punishment in relation only to those who make war and mischief in opposition to God and Muhammad:

The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter;

—Qur'an, sura 5 (Al-Maida), ayah 33

The Pakistan Penal Code prohibits blasphemy against any recognized religion, providing penalties ranging from a fine to death. However, in practice, it is only applied to Islam.

295-A. Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting Its religion or religious beliefs: Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the 'religious feelings of any class of the citizens of Pakistan, by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representations insults the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, or with fine, or with both.

295-B. Defiling, etc., of Holy Qur'an:Whoever wilfully defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Qur'an or of an extract therefrom or uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose shall be punishable with imprisonment for life.  

295-C. 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 Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine. (Christians are the victims of this section – 295-C)

Most of the time the blasphemy law is used against minorities e.g. Ahmedyies, Hindu and Christians. But the big number of the victims is Christians in the Pakistan. The reasons of this dilemma are that Christians are not very much empowered economically. The majority works in brick kilns and the women work as house- maids in the houses of land lords or rich Muslims. They treat them inhumanly. Most of the time they are forced to convert into Islam and if they refuse the blasphemy law’s article:295c is put falsely against them to punish them. Most of the times young girls are raped by the owners and then killed by them.

A whole village of the Christians was burnt by Muslim extremists and many Christians lost their lives and their homes.

www.wikipedia.com www.christianpost.com www.google.com/images

Thank you very much for your attention.