Politics, People and Prayer: Behind the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan

Introduction to a 4-part series.

The recent battle surrounding the blasphemy law in Pakistan has intensified in the wake of Salman Taseer’s assassination. Mumtaz Qadri has confessed to shooting Taseer, the governor of the province of Punjab. Qadri, a member of Taseer’s security detail, confirmed that Taseer’s opposition to the blasphemy law was the motivation for the assassination carried out on January 4.

Since November 2010, a new round of debate has ignited over the blasphemy law in the Pakistani Penal Code (PPC). Early in the month, a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, was sentenced to death for allegedly contravening the law. Taseer, an advocate for the abolishment of the blasphemy law, was also a supporter of Bibi, who is from the province of Punjab. This is not the first incidence of a public official being murdered as a result of their opposition to the controversial legislation.

In a nation with a population of over 175 million, with 95% self-identifying as Muslim, the threat of the blasphemy law being used against minorities has proven to be great. Even though the majority of cases are brought upon Muslim Pakistanis, the consequences for non-Muslims accused of this crime are often far more severe.

Among increasingly loud cries that Pakistani society is experiencing a resurgence in extreme values and attitudes, the sharp divide between those who advocate for the law and those who rally against it is becoming apparent. This divide is a result of the slow transformation of the intent of blasphemy law – from originally seeking to protect all religions from persecution, to its current use, where it appears to serve a particular (mis)understanding of Islam.