Widespread support for our protest!

Message of Greeting from David Alton (Rt. Hon Professor the Lord Alton of Liverpool KCSG)

To the friends of the persecuted minorities in Pakistan I would like to say a warm thank you for coming to support BPCA’s march. With parliamentary colleagues I have striven to raise the plight of Pakistan’s minorities in the House of Lords. It has been our hope that this would help to encourage the UK Government to put the human rights of all the citizens of Pakistan at the heart of its negotiations with Pakistan’s authorities, especially at this important juncture where the situation appears to be worsening and a large aid package recently announced.

It is essential that the UK Government see the rightful outrage we all feel at what some have labelled a “culture of impunity” in Pakistan towards its religious minorities. You are here today to stand resolutely with those who suffer for their faith – whatever their faith might be; to demand that the international community does everything possible to ensure that the human rights abuses we witness regularly at the hands of extremism in Pakistan are put a stop to; and to call upon the Government of Pakistan to honour the vision of Muhammad Ali Jinnah: that minorities “will be, in all respects, citizens of Pakistan without any distinction of caste or creed”. The way in which a nation honours and respects its minorities determines its right to call itself truly civilised or just.

David Alton (Rt. Hon Professor the Lord Alton of Liverpool KCSG)
House of Lords,

................................................................................................................................

A message from David Turner (director, Church in Chains, Ireland)

I am delighted to be associated with today’s march in protest against the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan. Our group which seeks to be an Irish Voice for Persecuted Christians has campaigned for many years on this issue. We have held meetings with successive Pakistani Ambassadors in Dublin – pointing out the many injustices that have been visited on Christians and other minorities as a result of the law.

This year, we have been campaigning in Ireland on behalf of Asia Bibi and are grateful to have had opportunities to raise her case in Irish national newspapers, radio and television. 3,000 postcards have gone out to our supporters to post to the Pakistani Ambassador in Dublin. We have recently contacted members of the Irish parliament and 25 parliamentarians have signed an appeal letter calling for Asia’s release which we plan to present to the Ambassador in Dublin later this month.

I look forward to working together with the British Pakistani Christian Association, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and other groups until Asia is released from prison.

...........................................................................................................................................

Dear Wilson,

I very much regret that I shall be unable to attend today's protest over the unjust and unfair blasphemy laws in Pakistan as I have other engagements in the constituency.

All too often these laws are misused to persecute Christians and other religions.  As there is no penalty for false accusation, the law is often exploited to settle personal disputes. The individuals accused of such 'crimes' find themselves held in prison for months or even years without the opportunity to state their case.

We must all unite to make sure that religious freedoms in all countries are not restricted and Christians and others must not be persecuted. The international community must come together to demonstrate that such activity is utterly unacceptable.

Lee Scott.

MP Ilford North