Catholic magazine presses for Bhatti as man of the year

The Italian Catholic magazine Cultura Cattolica has responded to Time Magazine's making an anonymous protester 'man of the year' by calling for martyred Federal Minister Shabhaz Bhatti to be named 'man of the year' instead, arguing that he is a far better candidate. Specifically they note that his staunch defence of religious freedom in the face of extreme intimidation, in the full knowledge that his life was likely to be forfeit means he should be greatly honoured. They quote his spiritual testament where he said :

'Many times the extremists have tried to kill me and imprison me, I have threatened, harassed and terrorized my family . The extremists, a few years ago, they even asked my parents, my mother and my father, to dissuade me from continuing my mission to help the Christians and the needy, otherwise I would lose. But my father always encouraged me. I say that as long as I live, until the last breath, I will continue to serve Jesus and this poor, suffering humanity, Christians, the needy, the poor.'

They have launched a petition to this end, which currently (9pm GMT 02 Jan 2012) stands at well over 1000 signatures. Add yours, even if - like me - you can't understand the Italian!

+++++ UPDATE. We have contacted the magazine and they have put up an English Translation too. Now up to 1450 signatures. Add yours! +++++

Action : SIGN THE PETITION

Asia Bibi tortured by prison officers

According to a Pakistani newspaper, the Express Tribune, Asia Bibi, the poster-victim of Pakistan's wicked blasphemy laws has been tortured by one of wardens at the Sheikhupura jail where she is imprisoned in solitary confinement awaiting a death sentence for defending her Christian faith. The warden Khadeeja allegedly tortured her after claiming he found 'prohibited items' in her cell. Other prison staff watched and did nothing to stop the attack. (Well, she's only a kuffir Christian, after all.....) Thankfully, it appears that (eventually) the culprit has at least been suspended from duty (for how long, we shall have to see).

Don't forget to pray for Asia Bibi and also her family, who are being threatened and isolated by Islamic militants.

Also, spread the word - facebook this article, etc, and if you haven't already, sign our petition to free Asia Bibi and repeal the abominable blasphemy laws.

And remember your taxpayers money is being used to fund education in this country without adequate (or any?) controls to make sure that it is not used to further marginalize minorities. If that outrages you - and it should - also sign our petition calling on the Foreign Office to actually use aid to promote desperately needed Humanitarian reform in Pakistan

Source

Another Asia Bibi petition - as well as ours

I hope that you have signed our Asia Bibi petition. Every signature counts. If you have not already done so, please do sign

There is also another petition at the new Christians in Pakistan site here, which we would also urge you to sign if you have not already done so. And also a whole site dedicated to mercy for Asia Bibi, with rather a large petition here

In case you don't know her story, here is a brief recap. Asia Bibi is a poor Pakistani Christian woman, a mother of 5 children, including a disabled girl, who was working in the fields. Her Muslim work'mates' heaped abuse on her when she brought them drinking water, on the grounds that it was 'contaminated' because she, a dirty Christian, touched it. There was a heated debate in which Asia vigorously defended her faith in Christ, in particular referring to Jesus dying for her sins and being resurrected, and compared this to Mohammed, when the Muslims women put intense pressure on her to convert to Islam. The women then accused her of blasphemy when she refused to convert, and local people and Imams attacked her and her daughters.

She was arrested, charged, tried and convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death. Initially it appeared that she would be pardoned, but the governor of the province, Salman Taseer, who campaigned against the blasphemy law and wanted to free her, was assassinated by one of his own bodyguards, to great praise from many in Pakistan, including so called 'moderate' religious groups. The president of Pakistan seemed like he might want to pardon her, but after this assassination and intense pressure and volatile demonstrations, he has backed away from all moves to abolish, repeal or reform the wicked blasphemy laws. (Just recently his son was kidnapped by religious extremists).

Later on, the other primary campaigner against the blasphemy laws, the only Christian minister in government, Shabhaz Bhatti, was assassinated - in March of this year.

Asia Bibi remains in jail on death row, and Muslim extremists in the area are putting intense pressure on her husband and family, trying (quite effectively it seems) to keep them isolated from any messages or actions of support from the outside world. They all need your prayers, and support, and one means of support is to sign these petitions - this one, and this one, as well as ours