Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan reportedly wants blasphemy laws passed globally in the height of violent protests in their country.
The International Christian Concern (ICC) reported last week that Khan has enticed countries who are a majority of Muslims to act together for the passing of blasphemy laws to pressure Western countries from speaking out against Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
According to ICC, Pakistan's blasphemy laws are one of the most notorious in the world due to its "harsh punishements." The blasphemy laws of Pakistan are actually used to persecute religious minorities in their country.
"Pakistan's blasphemy laws are among the world's most notorious for their harsh punishments and rampant misuse as tools for the persecution of religious minorities. The laws are systematically used to oppress Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and others, serving as a social, political, and legal muzzle on those who do not subscribe to the majority belief in Islam," ICC said.
"Khan's call for the expansion of blasphemy laws around the world comes as the TLP, a radical political party, is calling for the French ambassador to be expelled from Pakistan after French President Emmanuel Macron defended the free speech rights of a French magazine following its publication of a cartoon depicting Muhammed," ICC added. "The calls have turned violent, now being supported by protests reacting to Khan's refusal to eject the French ambassador."
As previously reported, Pakistani Christians were actually worried that they will experience persecution due to calls made by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan supporters to the Pakistani government to expel the French ambassador.
"Christians (could be) symbolically targetted in this unrest and in the violence that is going on. One of the challenges for Christians in Pakistan is that they are often seen as a Western religion. They (TLP) have animosity towards Western ideas, so Christians could potentially be caught in the crossfire of that, or they could be targeted," revealed by The Voice Of The Martyrs Media Relations And Message Integration Chief Todd Nettleton in an interview with Mission News Network last month.
In early April, two Christian nurses received death threats and faced blasphemy charges after being accused of scratching a sticker with Quran verses in Pakistan's Civil Hospital. The nurse, Maryam Lal, and a third year student, Navish Arooj, were accused by a Muslim co-worker for vandalizing the hospital wall that had Quran verses on it. The police arrested the nurses and then charged them with blasphemy.
Another Christian, Pastor Raja Warris, was actually charged with blasphemy in January for a post made in Facebook. Warris posted that "Muslims claim to be critical of Islam" and was bashed for it by the Muslim community. Although Warris removed the post and apologized for offending Muslims, police officials filed blasphemy charges against Warris for "deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings."
According to the ICC, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published recommendations last week to the Department of State to designate Pakistan as a "Country of Particular Concern for its severe and ongoing violations of religious freedom."
ICC highlighted that the blasphemy laws used to "oppress religious minorities" was one of the leading causes why the USCIRF recommended Pakistan's classification.
