Witness lied, Defence failed to cross-examine: Pakistan Supreme Court judgement in Asia Bibi case

Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, was falsely accused of blasphemy in Pakistan. In the lower courts she was convicted and sentenced to death. She spent eight years on death-row waiting for her appeal to be heard and eventually the Supreme Court of Pakistan found her innocent of all charges. Yesterday, they also threw out a petition for review of their decision. We salute the Supreme Court judges for their brave decision to stand up to extremism and intolerance, and hope this sets a precedent for the future.

There is no punishment for blasphemy in Islam. At the conquest of Makkah, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) forgave and set free all those who had been persecuting and killing Muslims. Muslims are required to follow the Sunnah, or the example of the Holy Prophet (s), and this example shows that he embodied forgiveness and mercy for all living things.

We must also remember that rule of law is a fundamental principle of Islam. This means that the matter should end with this decision of the Supreme Court. There is no point in having courts if mobs are going to take to the streets when the mob does not like a judgement.

It is sad to note that Asia Bibi is not safe, despite being found innocent, and this is a sad indictment of Muslim society. It is even sadder that the blasphemy law will continue to be misused to settle personal scores and bring the name of our beautiful religion into disrepute.

The Ahmadiyya Association for the Propagation of Islam (Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaʻat Islam) was established in Lahore in 1914 to promote the informed understanding of Islam in the West. In the UK it operated the Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking until the early 1960s. Its new headquarters is at Dar-us-Salaam, 15 Stanley Avenue, Wembley, HA0 4JQ, UK. In 1924, in Berlin, it built the first mosque in Continental Europe of the modern era. The German Government recognises the Berlin Mosque as part of the German national heritage. From its European and other centres around the world this organisation has taught that Islam promotes peace, harmony and mutual respect between all communities and nationalities.

Submissions in 2016 to UK Parliament Inquiries:

• Countering Extremism
  • Our submission: pdf • html
    
• Sharia Councils:
  • Our submission: pdf • html