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Europe
Protest in Rome against blasphemy law
2011-01-27
[Pak Daily Times] ROME: Italian politicians and religious associations protested here on Wednesday against Pakistain's blasphemy law, calling for the release of a Christian woman sentenced to death under the legislation.

Catholic and Jewish associations joined human rights
... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you...
 group Amnesia Amnesty International and representatives of the Pak community in Italy in a 100-strong demonstration in front of the Italian parliament. "We want this law to be abolished," Pak-born Joseph Philip told AFP, explaining that his uncle, a Catholic bishop, had been killed for his religious beliefs. He said he had come to the protest along with 15 compatriots. Aasia Bibi, a 45-year-old, Christian mother-of-five, was sentenced to death in November after Mohammedan women labourers who worked with her in the fields complained she made derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad (PTUI!).

Umberto Bossi, head of Italy's anti-immigrant and populist Northern League Party and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's partner in the centre-right coalition, attended Wednesday's protest here. "We want to express our solidarity," he told journalists. A delegation from the protest also met Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. Last Thursday the European parliament urged President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari
... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who showed remarkably little curiosity about who actually done her in ...
 to pardon and release Aasia following calls from several countries, international organisations and an appeal by Pope Benedict XVI.

European parliamentarians also called on the Pak government to revise their blasphemy law and its application.

Their request followed the January 4 liquidation of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, who was rubbed out by his bodyguard after calling for reform of the blasphemy law used to sentence Aasia to death.
Posted by:Fred

#3  Wewant this law to be abolished," Pak-born Joseph Philip told AFP, explaining that his uncle, a Catholic bishop, had been killed for his religious beliefs. He said he had come to the protest along with 15 compatriots.

Should we read that as 15 Pakistanis, or 15 Christian Pakistanis? How much would the Pakistan Daily Times care about the opinion of a group of infidel expats?
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-01-27 20:01  

#2  These demonstrations are likely to anger and inflame our Afghan allies, provoking them to attack hostages Western troops in deployed in Afghanistan.

The organizers of these demonstrations have blood on their hands and (as Pat Buchanan suggested) the government should have arrested them preemptively!

Now that the damage has been done the least that could be done is issuing strong condemnations by Western governments, NATO leadership and by ISAF of course.

/sarc
Posted by: Herb Spuck1776   2011-01-27 13:27  

#1   "We want this law to be abolished" Italy will be abolished before 'this law' is.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2011-01-27 00:44  

00:00