DC: National Press Club Press Conference Announcing "Black Day", Petition Against Pakistan Blasphemy Law

August 10, 2009

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)
Contact: Jeffrey Imm, realpublic@earthlink.net

http://www.realcourage.org/2009/08/press-conference-challenging-blasphemy-law/

On August 10, 2009 in Washington DC, the Pakistan Christian Congress' Dr. Nazir S. Bhatti and others condemned the recent attacks against Christians in Pakistan, the ongoing religious oppression in Pakistan, and Pakistan's blasphemy laws. They spoke in front of a black banner which read: "Pakistan Independence: Stop Killing Innocent Christians." Dr. Bhatti announced that August 11, 2009 would be recognized as "Black Day" in Pakistan in recognition of the religious discrimination, oppression, and murder of Pakistani Christians and other minorities. In addition, Dr. Bhatti announced the plans for a protest outside of the United Nations building in New York City on August 12 from 11 AM to 2 PM.

(Note: we are working on processing digital video from this press conference. When it is available in an online format, we will update this web site with the press conference online video links.)

: August 10, 2009 - National Press Club Conference - Speakers -- from left to right: ICC's Jeremy Sewall, Pakistan Christian Congress' Dr. Nazir S. Bhatti, R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm, AFB's Ahmar Mustikhan

Other speakers included International Christian Concern's (ICC) Jeremy Sewall, American Friends (AFB) of Baluchistan's Ahmar Mustikhan, and Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)'s Jeffrey Imm. AFB's Ahmar Mustikhan stood in solidarity with those Christians oppressed in Pakistan. International Christian Concern's (ICC) Jeremy Sewall spoke of the continuing history of oppression of Christians in Pakistan and demanded that Pakistan President Zardari take action. Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)'s Jeffrey Imm called for Pakistanis and other to reject the institutionalized hate of supremacism and accept the universal human rights of Pakistani Christians and other religious minorities, and announced the creation of an online petition to empower people around the world to share their concerns with the Pakistan government.

: August 10, 2009 Press Conference - National Press Club

Dr. Nazir. S. Bhatti spoke for the Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC) recounting the attacks and murders of Christians over the past two months in Pakistan, and called for an end to the blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

Dr. Bhatti began by quoting the "Founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah to the legislative Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947. 'You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State. Now I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.'"

Dr. Bhatti stated that Pakistan "is not a Pakistan you dreamed of but a country of Muslim militants where rights of religious minorities are crushed... where Muslims are burning Christians alive, killing innocent peaceful Christians, attacking Churches, forcing conversion of Christian women, gang raping teenage Christian girls, and persecuting under Islamic law."

Dr. Bhatti further stated that the "Christians in Pakistan are observing 'Black Day' on August 11, 2009 to revive the declaration of the founder of Pakistan of August 11, 1947, instead of Minority Day announced by the government or Independence Day on August 14, 2009. Today's press conference is a token of solidarity with our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters and to provide a voice for their equal basic democratic rights in Pakistan... Christians are treated like slaves...".

Regarding recent attacks on Christians, Dr. Bhatti stated "I will draw your kind attention on the barbaric act of burning alive of women and children... this cruel, sad, and horrific incident happened on August 1st, 2009, at Gojra city in Punjab when Muslim militants used chemicals to set on fire homes and burned alive, crying for mercy, 4 Christian women and one child in broad daylight in the presence of law enforcement agencies. The armed militants... opened fire on innocent Christians who were trying to hide to save their lives after hearing slogans as 'Kill infidel Christians,' 'Allahu Akbar', by a mob of more than 2000 Muslims. The sixty homes of Christians were burnt down and 11 Christians were martyred on accusations of blasphemy law."

"The months of July and August of 2009 will ever be remembered as constitutional genocide of Christians in Pakistan, when under cover of Article 295B and C PPC, Muslim mobs ransacked Christian property and killed Christians on alleged accusations of blasphemy. The Muslims extremists attacked and burnt down 110 homes and looted valuables of Christians in the village of Bahamin Wala, district Kasur on July 1st, while hundreds of Christian women, children, and men fled to take refuge in the fields. The police registered cases against 9 Christians under blasphemy, but amazingly none was registered against Muslim rioters. On July 2, 2009, Imran Masih, a Christian youth shopkeeper in Hajweri Town, Faisalabad city was attacked by Muslims on accusations of burning pages of the Holy Quran but was saved by police and sent to judicial custody. On July 31, 2009, Muslims after announcements in a mosque gathered and attacked Christians on allegations of blasphemy by Mukhtar Masih, Talib Masih, and Imran Masih of village Korian in district Toba Tek Singh, and about seven kilometers from Gojra city. The Muslim mob torched 75 homes, two churches, and looted valuables. Three are numerous incidents of attacks on Christian worshipers and desecration of the Holy Bible, but I shall record the burning of the village of Shanti Nagar with chemical fire like Gojra city, Korian, and Bahamin Wala in the province of Punjab. The Muslim extremists also used the same chemical fire ingredients to burn churches and schools in Sangla Hill, Bahawalpur, Islamabad, Chianwali, Toba Tek, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and in many other villages. The government also failed to protect Murree School, Taxila Hospital, Bible Society, and Justice and Peace Organization at Karachi from attacks of extremist Muslim groups."

: Dr. Nazir Bhatti speaks at Press Conference

Dr. Bhatti pointed to the history of Pakistan's blasphemy law and how it has been repeatedly used to justify attacks on Christians, as well as the support by Lahore High Court Justice Nazir Akhtar who "publicly stated that anyone accused of blasphemy should be killed on the spot by Muslims as a religious obligation."

Dr. Bhatti urged "Christian organizations and the Pakistani Christian diaspora to raise their voices in international forums against persecution in Pakistan. Dr. Bhatti also urged the government of Pakistan to be responsible to its commitments to international pacts, such as the Liaquat-Nehru Pact to "safeguard the minority's rights in the neighboring states," as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Dr. Bhatti also appealed to the United Nation's Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon "to take notice of the Gojra incident of burning alive Christian women and children."

Regarding the Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC) and other groups plan to recognize August 11 as "Black Day," Dr. Bhatti stated that "the Pakistan government is harassing the PCC and other civil society activists to create a serious situation of violence. We ask the government of Pakistan for necessary security measures of peaceful protests on August 11, 2009, instead of threats to impose section 144. "

Dr. Bhatti also called for the repeal of the Pakistan blasphemy laws, stating "to secure life and property of Christians, I will demand that the government of Pakistan repeal blasphemy laws and free all detained under this Islamic law. I will also appeal for an amendment in Article 2 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan which states 'Islam shall be the state religion of Pakistan' to end Islamic extremism, terrorism, and Talibanization in Pakistan. I will appeal to the United States administration and the EU to press upon the government of Pakistan to repeal blasphemy laws to secure life and property in Pakistan."

AFB's Ahmar Mustikhan spoke in solidarity with the PCC and other Pakistani Christians stating that "I condemn the massacre of Christians in Gojra," demanding that Pakistan "ensure the safety of Christians in the future. Christians in Pakistan live like slaves. They do the dirtiest jobs and are called bhangees, which literally means dirty. Muslims do not eat in the same plate in which a Christian eats. Christians mostly clean gutters for peanuts and live in slums. Their women are routinely raped and they suffer in silence as raising a voice would mean death. They are kidnapped and forcibly married off to Muslims as no court does anything for them. For security, they are forced to adopt Muslim names. They are one of the meekest communities, the proverbial lambs of God. According to the premier Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the attacks in Gojra that left eight dead, scores injured, and 100 homes burnt were planned and not spontaneous. On the day of the attack in Gojra, the religious zealots announced Muslims should make mincemeat of the Christians. The scenes were akin to Germany under Hitler."

International Christian Concern's (ICC) Jeremy Sewall spoke of the continuing history of "faith-based discrimination" and religious oppression of all religious minorities, and especially Christians in Pakistan. Like Dr. Bhatti, Mr. Sewall also pointed to the 62nd anniversary of Mohammad Ali Jinnah's statement that if Pakistan citizens have "equal rights, privileges, and obligations... there will be no end to the progress that we can make." Mr. Sewall stated that "sadly the people of Pakistan have forgotten this admonition from the founder of their country."

Jeremy Sewall pointed to numerous examples of where the ICC was trying to alert the Pakistan government to the oppression of Pakistani Christians, while little was being done to protect them or to protect their human rights. Jeremy Sewall stated "the officials from Pakistan constantly tell us when we call the embassy that Christians and Muslims live in harmony with each another and that any violence within them is merely personal. This is a bald-faced lie. Discrimination against Christians is pervasive and debilitating. It began almost as soon as Pakistan gained its independence, when Muslim refugees from India flooded the country and took away Christian homes. It increased in 1970 when Christian institutions were nationalized, and missionaries forced out of the country." Jeremy Sewall indicated that this led to the Christians' lack of education and impoverishment in Pakistan.

Jeremy Sewall spoke of the need to create Christian ghettos due to the lack of protection of Christians from violence. He stated that "Christian women are raped and no one cares, Christian girls are kidnapped and forced into accepting Islam or prostitution or both."

Regarding the recent attacks on Pakistani Christians, Jeremy Sewall indicated that these conditions of religious oppression make Pakistani Christians "especially at risk of blasphemy accusations which can create a flash lynch mob as happened in Gojra and Korian." He pointed out these were not "isolated incidents," but such mob attacks have happened repeatedly in Pakistan. Jeremy Sewall challenged Pakistan President Zardari, stating "President Zardari, you have no excuse for continuing to allow these atrocities against the Christians living in Pakistan. I urge you to take immediate action to provide assistance to the victims as you promised and prosecute the attackers forcefully so that you will end the atmosphere of impunity that currently rules in Pakistan."

Responsible for Equality And Liberty's (R.E.A.L.) Jeffrey Imm announced the creation of an online petition for citizens of Pakistan, the United States, and the world to demand that the Government of Pakistan and its supporters (including the United States) end the religious discrimination and blasphemy laws in Pakistan. Jeffrey Imm also pointed out that such blasphemy laws in Pakistan not only oppressed Christians, but also oppressed other religious minorities in Pakistan as well any Muslim who happened to be a target, pointing to the recent cases of the Pakistan plant manager killed for taking down a calendar which had some Quranic verses and setting it on a table, or the recent case of a 60-year-old woman's house being attacked.

Jeffrey Imm pointed out that such religious supremacism is based on the denial of the universal human rights of others, and resulted from institutionalized hate. He stated that "you can't love your fellow human beings and deny their human rights of equality and liberty," and that challenging such institutionalized hate required a "change in thinking." He pointed to the history of racial supremacism in America and how those states and groups that rationalized and legitimized hatred against those of other races as "inferior" were, in fact, institutionalizing hate, that was used in violence as well as oppression of such racial minorities. He stated that there was no real difference between the hate in 1960's America that resulted in lynchings, segregation, and other forms of racial violence and oppression -- and the hate in 21st century Pakistan based on religious discrimination that justified such blasphemy laws and such mob violence against others. He said that all forms of institutionalized hate is wrong, and that we must defy such institutionalized hate by supporting the universal human rights of our fellow human beings, and urging others to choose love, not hate.

In the petition calling for the end to Pakistan's blasphemy law, R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm stated:
-- "We call for an end to the unjust and discriminatory "blasphemy laws" in Pakistan that are used to rationalize religious discrimination, oppression, violence, and murder of others. Such 'blasphemy laws' are used to justify violence against both non-Muslims and Muslims throughout Pakistan today."
-- "We believe that such institutionalized oppression of our fellow human beings is against our universal human rights and must be rejected by all people who support any religion of peace."
-- "We call on the government of Pakistan to abandon these 'blasphemy laws' today, review the deep divisions within its nation that has allowed such hate against its own citizens, and defend the universal human rights of all of its citizens."
-- "We also call on the government of the United States of America, which has given millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to Pakistan, to demand that the Pakistan government end these 'blasphemy laws' and support the universal human rights of its citizens. Finally, we call on our fellow human beings on our shared Earth to call upon all organizations and nations of the world that seek to use such unjust forms of religious discrimination to end such practices and recognize our universal human rights."