verses from the Quran, BosNewsLife monitored Tuesday, June 27.
In a published statement the Germany based International Society for Human Rights (IGFM) said it honored Ranjha Masih, still serving his life sentence, with the newly established Stephen Endowment award for his "steadfastness in maintaining his Christian beliefs."
Masih was unable to accept the award in person at the IGFM annual conference in Frankfurt, Germany on May 6, Christian news agency Compass Direct said, adding that he remains behind bars "thousands of miles away" in Faisalabad Central Jail.
His wife, Rasheeda, told reporters that she and her husband, who critics claim has been forgotten by the Pakistani justice system, "always respect all the prophets of God and would not disrespect religious scripts."
REFORMS DEMANDS
Despite international calls for reform, Pakistan`s Religious Minister Ajaz-ul-Haq has insisted that even if 100,000 Christians lost their lives, the blasphemy law would not be repealed, Pakistani media reported.
Three years after filing an appeal before the provincial High Court, the Christian has not been given a hearing.
IGFM has reportedly said it hopes the award, including 500 Euros (US$629), would “raise Ranjha and his family’s morale, helping them financially and improving Ranjha’s fate through greater publicity."
LIFE IMPRISONMENT
IGFM Director Karl Hafen presented Masih’s award to Wasim Muntizar from the Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) to deliver to Masih’s family. CLAAS lawyers have been pursuing Masih’s appeal since a district court sentenced the Christian to life imprisonment in April 2003.
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws stipulate life imprisonment for defamation of the Quran and the death sentence for blasphemy against Muhammad. No blasphemy convict has been executed since the law was established in 1986, but extra-judicial killings of blasphemy prisoners are common, Compass Direct said. Human rights organizations claim that Christians and other religious minorities are disproportionately targeted under the blasphemy law.
At least 23 people involved in blasphemy cases have reportedly been murdered in Pakistan. A quarter of the victims were Christians, although Christians constitute less than 2 percent of the country’s population, human rights groups claim.
MORE VIOLENCE
Cleared of blasphemy charges last month after spending eight years in prison, Christian brothers Amjad and Asif Masih have reportedly been forced to live in hiding due to threats from radical Muslims.
Most blasphemy charges in Pakistan are leveled against Muslims. In unrelated incidents, two Muslims in Punjab province were killed on June 15 and 16 for their involvement in blasphemy cases, news reports said.
An angry mob in Hasilpur killed elderly school teacher Mohammad Sadiq when he tried to save a Muslim leader whom the mob was torturing on charges of blasphemy. The next day, blasphemy suspect Abdul Sattar was knifed in Muzaffargarh while on his way to court in police custody, Compass Direct reported. (With reports from Pakistan).
