November 26, 2014

A 26-year sentence for a TV show with a song and dance about the wedding of Muhammad's daughter.

The sentence of Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, owner of Geo News, the largest media group in Pakistan, will be appealed.

From the end of the linked article:
Pakistan's blasphemy law allows anyone to file a complaint alleging their religious feelings have been hurt for any reason. The punishment for blasphemy is death. Rights groups say the law is increasingly being used to settle personal scores. This year has seen a record number of blasphemy cases and increasing violence against the accused.

20 comments:

MadisonMan said...

Hmm. Using the Law to harass your enemy. Where have I seen that before here in Wisconsin?

Paco Wové said...

The great innovation of 21st-century jurisprudence – the right not to feel bad.

PatHMV said...

Who cares the motive behind individuals who are using the law. The law itself is unjust and tyrannical. OF COURSE it is being abused. Any use of the law is abuse. To care about the motive of those invoking it is to give legitimacy to the law itself, as if there were any non-abusive uses of the law.

Lyle said...

Pakistan, as a Pakistani friend of mine might say, is still a beautiful country.

It's like a Mississippian telling someone how great Mississippi is in the 1950.





CWJ said...

"The great innovation of 21st-century jurisprudence – the right not to feel bad."

Wedded to 7th century tribal mores and feuding.

Perfect!

LYNNDH said...

Seems like we are getting a lot like Pakistan here. So PC and so anti religious (except of course the one we can't mention).

Ann Althouse said...

"Pakistan's blasphemy law allows anyone to file a complaint alleging their religious feelings have been hurt for any reason."

That reminded me of some of these university speech codes we have in America.

Mark said...

The blasphemy laws are very good at keeping religious minorities 'in line' as well. Just get an accusation out and you can count on an angry mob descending on a neighborhood or religious center.

If the law doesn't work, the mob violence and torching a couple buildings at the initial accusation normally gets thr point made.

garage mahal said...

Using the Law to harass your enemy. Where have I seen that before here in Wisconsin?

Act 10 comes to mind.

mccullough said...

Punish our enemies

BarrySanders20 said...


PatHMV is right. Any use of the law is abuse.

Althouse says the law reminded her of some of these university speech codes we have in America. Same can be said there, but, of course, the penalties differ.

The religion of peace and American universities -- shared approaches to addressing hurt feelings, differing only in the penalty for violations.

BarrySanders20 said...

"All I said was that piece of halibut was good enough for Jehova himself."

"Blasphemer! He said it again!"

Smilin' Jack said...

"Pakistan's blasphemy law allows anyone to file a complaint alleging their religious feelings have been hurt for any reason."

That reminded me of some of these university speech codes we have in America.


Except in America we have to strike the word "religious." Yay for the Constitution!

bbkingfish said...

A neighbor of mine did 5-1/2 years for a joint. Incarceration rates are way higher in the US than in Pakistan (like 10 times higher).

bbkingfish said...

A neighbor of mine did 5-1/2 years for a joint. Incarceration rates are way higher in the US than in Pakistan (like 10 times higher).

jr565 said...

"Pakistan's blasphemy law allows anyone to file a complaint alleging their religious feelings have been hurt for any reason"
That sounds an awful lot like lefty speech codes.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Veena Malik was just given a 25 year sentence. She is a Pakistani actress who has been the longtime target of Muslim clerics for her "immodesty". Haven't heard of any American feminists speak out in her defense, ever. Maybe they, like hypocrite old cow Bette Midler, support dress codes and penalties for women who are younger and more attractive than they are.

averagejoe said...

bbkingfish said...
A neighbor of mine did 5-1/2 years for a joint.

LMAO! Bullshit! When? Where? What were the complementary charges? Weapons violation? A & B on a peace officer? Nobody gets jail time for a joint, much less a 5 year hitch. You're full of shit, as usual.

Charlotte C said...

Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to hang for blasphemy makes last appeal

Gary Rosen said...

"Incarceration rates are way higher in the US than in Pakistan"

They need to even it out by imprisoning people for "blasphemy". That'll do the trick.