ICC Note: The blasphemy laws of various countries throughout the world are drawing attention and concern from the international community. Some countries have repealed their blasphemy laws after outcry against them from other countries, but Pakistan, a country of significant persecution, has yet to repeal theirs. These laws are grossly misused in order to persecute minorities, such as Christians. Many people are aware of what will earn them the death penalty according to the blasphemy laws, but there are still many people dying because of them. Pakistan has refused to repeal theirs, despite that fact that according to international law, they must. These laws are a concern for countries throughout the world because of the fact that they blatantly restrict religious freedom and freedom of expression through their misuse.

07/28/2016, Pakistan (Daily Times) – While the continuous misuse of the blasphemy law has become commonplace in Pakistan, and Pakistan’s government pays no attention to this urgent matter, the world seems more concerned. Recently, the US Congress Human Rights Commission conducted a hearing on this law’s implications, and Malta is the latest country to have repealed its blasphemy law. Although 71 countries have this law on their statute books, five are considered amongst the worst-scoring. Pakistan is among those where this law is being relentlessly misused, especially against minorities. Now the majority of Pakistanis are aware of the consequences, so only somebody insane would commit such a crime that could cost him his own life. But surprisingly, such cases continue to occur, and their authenticity is always questionable.

If a case is registered against any Christian, it is likely to attract publicity not just in the country but also in international media, as we have seen in the recent case against Nadeem James. He was accused by a Muslim friend of committing blasphemy by posting a derogatory poem on WhatsApp. His case received international attention, and even the BBC has published his story on its website. There is a dreadful history of treatment of Christians in such cases. Although a case is registered against an individual, the whole Christian community comes under attack, as people flee their homes fearing for their lives. And in some cases, even the police encouraged them to flee instead of providing them protection.

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