Blasphemy in Pakistan

Two Christian leaders, Bishop Pervaiz Joseph and Rev Baber George, have become the target of a blasphemy law which forced them into hiding with their families in Pakistan.

Bishop Joseph and Pastor George have both been working on Interfaith Harmony and Peace promotion for the last seven years.

Global Christian Voice says that in order to promote religious harmony, they have been meeting frequently with Muslim religious and political leaders to discuss issues of common interests.

In a meeting on interfaith harmony with Sunni Tehreek in Lahore, in October 2011, the misuse of Pakistan's blasphemy law was also discussed. Apparently, this was not appreciated by Islamic leaders.

The Muslim religious leaders, who were also working with them while they were discussing the misuse of blasphemy laws, during an exchange of communications, claimed that Bishop Joseph used some derogatory remarks against Mohhamed.

However, the truth is that Bishop Joseph and Pastor George never made any derogatory remarks against their Prophet and did not make any such remarks or words against any Prophet, Global Christian Voice stated in an e-mail to ASSIST News.

According to sources, the International Peace Council for Interfaith Harmony leader Rana Tahir Rahmat, who is the Chairman of IPCIH, and Mulana Mukhtar Ahmad Qadri Zei the Muslim leader of Ahlae Sunat wa Al Jamat( Suni Terreek) and other groups started blackmailing and harassing Pastor George for carrying out evangelism through Interfaith Harmony and Peace Promotion by uplifting the voice of the Christian community rights in Pakistan.

Bishop Joseph and Pastor George have been reported to be in hiding with their families when Islamic leaders announced the blasphemy case would be filed against them.

Pakistan's leading arts college has sparked an uproar in Pakistan. A series of paintings depicting Muslim clerics in scenes with strong homosexual overtones has led to the inevitable threats of violence by muslim extremists..

The National College of Arts in Lahore shut down its Journal of Contemporary Art and Culture, which published the paintings, pulled all its issues out of bookstores and dissolved its editorial board. The controversial pictures were a series of paintings by artist Muhammad Ali.

A court is now considering whether the paintings' artist, the journal's board and the school's head can be charged with blasphemy.

Two works were claimed to have insulted Islam by mixing images of Muslim clerics with suggestions of homosexuality. One titled Call for Prayer shows a cleric and a shirtless young boy sitting beside each other on a cot. The cleric fingers rosary beads as he gazes at the boy, who stretches backward with his hands clasped behind his head.

A second painting shows the same cleric reclining in front of a Muslim shrine, holding a book by Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho in one hand as he lights a cigarette for a young boy with the other. A second young boy, who is naked with his legs strategically crossed to cover his genitals, sits at the cleric's feet. The painting has caused particular uproar because verses from the Quran, appear on the shrine.

Mumtaz Mangat, a lawyer who petitioned the courts to impose blasphemy charges, argued the first image implied the cleric had fun with the boy before conducting the traditional Muslim call for prayer.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa, widely believed to be a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, issued a statement after the paintings were published demanding the college issue a public apology and withdraw all issues of the journal.

College staff members also began receiving anonymous text messages threatening violence, said a member of the journal's editorial board.