Asia Bibi: Will Not Be Granted Asylum In The UK.
Fear of Protests.
Asia Bibi a Christian Pakistani woman who was a farmworker has been on death row for 5 years for allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed. However the other day she was acquitted and released from prison and this has caused outrage amongst Muslims in the country. However, Prime Minister and ex-cricketer Imran Khan has defended the high court's decision to overturn the blasphemy charges against her. Blasphemy carries the death penalty in Pakistan. The Khan government is currently putting Bibi into hiding to protect her from Islamic extremists in the country.
Asia Bibi and her family had wanted to seek asylum in the UK but this has been turned down. Turned down on the grounds that Bibi entering this country would cause riots and strife with British Muslims who are mostly of Pakistani descent.
The British government working with British Christian Pakistanis in this country say they are doing all they can for Bibi and her family. Italy may be a country that Bibi can flee along with her family. The mother of 5 according to her lawyer would like to seek asylum in Germany and the lawyer himself for fear of his own life has fled to the Netherlands.
The prosecution of Asia Bibi was met with disbelief by western countries. The western nations urged the conviction of Bibi be overturned. Pope Francis has taken an interest in the case and has met some of Bibi's family. Bibi herself is Christian of the Catholic faith.
Damian Green a strong Catholic Christian together with 19 other MP's has written to Theresa May asking that Bibi is allowed to come to the UK.
Many in Pakistan both Muslim and non-Muslim have said the Blasphemy laws should be updated. These laws were imposed in Pakistan by Zia-Ul Haq who ruled Pakistan like a dictator in the 1980's. He died in an air disaster also in the same decade.
The UK has a grand tradition of accepting fleeing migrants whether it be the Jews fleeing persecution in Europe during WWII or the 20,000 Syrians fleeing the conflict in their country. It seems sad that we as a country that used to be a Christian country cannot accept and give Asia Bibi the asylum her and her family seek. The reason given for not accepting her is for fear of upsetting Muslims. It seems the UK has no backbone any more though the government's response would be "We are trying to be helpful on one hand while trying to keep the Muslim community happy on the other". We used to be a Christian country because now everything Christian in modern British society has gone out of the window. Modern Britain with its secular society and tolerance of other faiths has become in many ways a hostile environment for Christians to operate in. It shows how a once proud nation like Britain (with its Christian traditions whether you believe them or not) has sunk when we are afraid of upsetting Muslim extremists in this country.
Pakistani Prime Minister: Imran Khan.
Petition, Vigil and International Pressure.
A petition asking Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to intervene and allow Asia Bibi to leave the country has received 100,000 signings.
While Asia Bibi and her family are languishing in hiding opposition forces opposed to Asia Bibi's acquittal could launch an appeal to the high court to have the acquittal overturned.
Though under tight security in Islamabad Bibi could still face actions against her (even the security forces supposedly protecting her could harm her) this is why she and her family should leave Pakistan post haste.
On a daily basis though allegedly given rights of freedom of faith in Pakistan Christians can sometimes have a hard time in the majority Muslim nation. There is a list of attacks on Christians and their places of worships by Muslims for alleged blasphemy against their Prophet and desecration of their holy book the 'Quran'.
Pakistan is a land of Muslim extremists whether it be political parties or the Pakistani Taliban.
Today at 3.00 pm the 'British Pakistani Christian Association' along with other Christians will hold a vigil outside the Pakistani embassy. To highlight the plight of Bibi and her family and to bring to the attention of all interested parties the suffering Christians have to endure in this Islamic nation of 187 million.
The UN, Frederica Mogherini of the EU and US President Donald Trump are all engaged in pressurising Imran Khan to act and allow Bibi to leave the country.
