Hege Storhaug, HRS
Forfølgelsen av kristne i Pakistan har eksaltert de siste årene. Slik sett er de ikke oppsiktsvekkende at ekstremistene i det islamistiske partiet Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam vil har et lovforbud mot bibelen. Det sies at partiet står klar med jurister som skal gå rettens vei for å få innført et lovforbud. Bibelen er både blasfemisk og pornografisk, heter det, uten at påstanden presiseres.
Christian leaders in Pakistan strongly condemned the demand to ban the Holy Bible by a radical Islamic party Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam (Samiul Haq Group). The party has launched a campaign asking to ban the circulation of the Bible, described as a «pornographic” and «blasphemous book.»
Church of Pakistan Bishop Dr. Alexander John Malik of Lahore strongly reacted in a press statement to the demand and said that agreeing to such a demand would be interfering in the religious matters of the Christian religion and violation of religious freedom fully guaranteed by the constitution. The Bishop further said that the demand is sowing seeds of discord among different communities.
During a press conference on May 30, Maulana Abdul Rauf Farooqi and other clerics of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam quoted “immoral Biblical stories” and demanded to ban the Bible. Maulana Farooqi said, “Our lawyers are preparing to ask the court to ban the book.”
Bruce Bhatti, a Christian human rights activist from Lahore, told Minorities Concern of Pakistan, “It is a dangerous move, and this demand is based on hate. It is totally against the human values and will further promote religious intolerance in the country where Christians have been persecuted because of their faith.”