The evidence against Asia Bibi smelled rotten, like a false charge often does, yet three Pakistani judges set her free on Oct 31. Asia spent 8 years in a Pakistani prison after a Muslim crowd accused her of blaspheming Mohammad which requires severe penalties, even death. Five days prior, an argument had broken out when she drank from a cup that belonged to a Muslim co-worker. Asia defended her faith in Jesus Christ during the argument, and that seems to be the trigger for the false claim of blasphemy.
The odds against her getting freedom were quite high. Two people who help defend her were later murdered. The hard-liners kept asking for her death penalty to be carried out. After Asia Bibi’s release from prison, certain rally organizers got so many protestors and rioters out onto the street, that schools and roads were shut down. Bibi’s family and her lawyer received death threats too.
My friend told me about this woman, and how the protesters took offense at Bibi’s release. It seemed so unreal. Pakistan is a majority Muslim nation which has been known to lynch anyone who insults Mohammed. In their minds Bibi did insult their religious leader, and nothing has dissuaded them from that idea. The large number of people on the streets is stunning for what amounts to an argument between a Christian and a Muslim.
I take my freedom for granted, and this story has me shaking my head. This culture is so foreign, and is also so hateful. We’ve been enduring so much mudslinging in all directions here in America, that to see a women nearly die because she happened to touch a Muslim woman’s drinking cup is beyond the pale.
