Imagine spending 3 years in prison here in America because a neighbor told police you said something blasphemous, like there are only two genders.
Oh wait, we might be living that reality soon (you Canadians already are), so maybe this won't take a lot of imagination after all!
A Pakistani court has granted bail to Stephen Masih, a Christian who has already spent three years in jail after a Muslim neighbour accused him of committing blasphemy in March 2019. The accusations followed an argument between Masih, his family members and some neighbours on 11 March 2019 regarding a pigeon.
After a reported exchange took place about whether a neighbour was trespassing on Masih's terrace to collect his pigeon, Masih was accused of having "blasphemed" during the altercation. He was subjected to mob violence, and then arrested and charged with blasphemy under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.
That's right. A neighbor came onto Stephen's property to grab his runaway pigeon and Stephen (who suffers from bipolar disorder) was apparently a bit upset at the man's trespassing without asking permission.
The neighbor decided to get even with Stephen by leveling a charge of blasphemy against Islam, which carries the possibility of death if convicted.
Stephen was arrested, where he waited in jail without bail for 3 years (those guys who put their feet on Nancy Pelosi's desk are on their way to that goal!).
After he was arrested, his older sister and bedridden mother were forced to flee for fear of their lives, kinda like those people who had their businesses burned down because they didn't say "black lives matter."
In August 2021, a court rejected his previous application for release on bail, even though the Punjab Institute of Mental Health determined that he suffers from bipolar disorder and is therefore unfit to even stand trial.
The court rejected the petition on 5 August 2021 saying his life was "seriously threatened" in public and that the risk of flight could not be ruled out. It decided to postpone the trial until Mr. Masih "regained his mental health". The courts concluded saying: "If the accused is a lunatic or mentally unfit person incapacitated to stand trial; surely, he cannot engage any counsel to make application for bail."
Aw, isn't that nice. The State simply said it could keep him indefinitely. I'm sure it was all actually for his best interest. I hear Pakistani jails are nice.
In October 2021, a group of UN human rights experts urgently appealed to Pakistan to release Masih, stating: "It is deeply alarming that a mere disagreement between neighbours could lead to the judicial harassment of an individual, based on his religious or other beliefs, and by the use of anti-blasphemy laws which may carry the death penalty."
The Alliance Defending Freedom is working with others to get Stephen released from the charges entirely.
Unfortunately, more and more Christian minorities are being arrested under Canada – I mean Pakistan's – blasphemy laws.
Pakistan's "blasphemy" laws include sections 295-A, B, and C of the Pakistan Penal Code. However, only the charge of "desecration of the name" of Muhammad (295-C) is punishable by death. So far, no one has been executed under this law, but Christians and members of other religious minorities have been sentenced to death, and violence against those accused of blasphemy is common.
But speaking of Canada's C-4 Bill...
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