Early Day Motion opposed to Blasphemy Laws to be presented to UK Parliament by MP Andrew Stephenson.

Here is a copy of the Early Day Motion to be presented by MP Andrew Stephenson to UK Parliament on 2nd March 2012, the anniversary of Shahbaz Bhatti's death.  The text was built by the BPCA in collaboration with Church in Chains from Ireland.  The Motion will be presented to Parliamentary leaders in 5 countries including the USA, Holland, Canada,  and was born out of a discussion between Jason Campbell of Christian Action Network (USA) and Wilson Chowdhry in November 2011:

On the first anniversary of the murder of Shabhaz Bhatti, Pakistani  Federal Minister for Minorities, this House supports the international human rights of freedom of religion and freedom of speech in cases of accusations of blasphemy;

notes that it is a violation of international human rights to imprison or put to death any person, such as Asia Bibi in Pakistan, for an alleged crime of blasphemy;

further notes that Articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledge the rights of freedom of religion and freedom of speech;

further notes that recognition of a crime of blasphemy offends the basic human rights of freedom of religion and speech;

further notes that all governments have a duty to protect their citizens from violent religious extremists, and, indeed, to protect their own officials who support freedom of religion, such as the assassinated Pakistani State Governor Salman Taseer and Federal Minister for Minorities Shabhaz Bhatti;

and urges that all persons imprisoned for blasphemy anywhere in the world be immediately released and protected from extremist retribution;

this house further notes that the UK gives significant aid to nations such as Pakistan where many minority communities suffer injustice under the blasphemy laws,

and calls on the Government to ensure that such aid is not used indiscriminately to perpetuate the resultant inequality, and in particular that it is does not facilitate educational material and teaching that denigrates and slanders minority religions and communities.

Don't forget to join our protest on the 10th March 2012 which is followed by a 3 hour peace concert in Trafalgar Square:

http://britishpakistanichristian.blogspot.com/2011/11/protest-march-and-trafalgar-square.html