Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) - Islamic groups are orchestrating the release of Mumtaz Qadri, former Governor Salman Taseer’s murderer (see Fides 1/10/2011; 3/10/2011).At this juncture, NGOs, Bishops and moderate Islamic leaders raise the request for "Asia Bibi’s salvation and freedom". The two cases are intertwined: Mumtaz Qadri, self-confessed, was sentenced to death three days ago for the assassination of former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer; the Christian Asia Bibi, a mother was sentenced to death for blasphemy in November 2010 by a court in Sheikhpura in Punjab, and is currently in prison. Governor Taseer was killed just for supporting the innocence of Asia, and had put in a good word for her release and for the repeal of the "blasphemy law".
Today, radical Islamic groups that consider Qadri a hero, gathered in the "Tahafuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat" network (Alliance to defend the name of the Prophet) are studying the legal mechanism to obtain his liberation. As reported by Fides sources in Pakistan, the path chosen is the "diyat" (the so-called "price of blood"), as required by the Islamic law, so the murderer can compensate the victim’s family with a sum of money, obtaining the "forgiveness" and therefore freedom. It is a practice that only the Islamic courts may endorse legally. The network "Sunni Tehreek" has already said that it has collected 200 million rupees to be allocated to Taseer’s family as "diyat". The family - albeit wealthy - will be forced to accept, undergoing blackmail, because the fate of Shabhaz Taseer, the governor’s son, who is still in the hands of a group of kidnappers is at stake. By accepting the "diyat" - explain sources of Fides - the son would be returned to the family.
The only step required is that the President of Pakistan passes Qadri’s jurisdiction case from a civil anti-terrorist court to an Islamic court.
The formula of "diiyat" has been applied (and used as a solution to a thorny affair) in the case of Raymond Davis, an American Cia agent, jailed in late January for having killed two men in Pakistan. The court in Lahore set him free in exchange for compensation to the family, as provided by the Islamic penal code.
"The plan of the extremists is clear", says Haroon Barkat Masih to Fides, the leader of "Masihi Foundation", which deals with Asia Bibi’s legal and material aid. Today, the Foundation has gathered around it other NGOs like "Life for All" and "Breaking Bonds," some Bishops, such as His Exc. Mgr. Rufin Anthony, Catholic Bishop of Islamabad, and Mgr. Ijaz Inayat, Protestant Bishop of Karachi (of the "Church of Pakistan"), and even some moderate Muslim leaders and scholars, to launch an appeal: "We ask once again, with force, Asia Bibi’s freedom and salvation. Her history is linked to Taseer’s. If a murderer like Qadri were released, all the more an innocent like Asia is to be released. If the president of Pakistan grants the change of jurisdiction, he can also grant mercy on an innocent person and free Asia Bibi immediately, a mother who is rotting in jail. Or work on an immediate revision of the trial, which was totally distorted, and a revocation of the sentence". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 04/10/2011)
