With God on our side
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 14 years, 2 months AGO
Until recently, I had not heard of Salman Taseer, the late governor of Punjab, Pakistan. His bodyguard assassinated him citing his employer's opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy laws which cover a wide range of insults to Islam and carry the death sentence. The assassin, on entering a courtroom for his first hearing, was showered with rose petals by supporters; he has been praised by some Pakistani clerics for his actions.
These same blasphemy laws were used to obtain a death sentence - by hanging - for a Christian woman, Asia Bibi. While she languishes in prison awaiting further legal action or execution, her husband and five daughters are in hiding, also under death threats. Her offense was to fetch water which her fellow workers refused to drink because the touch of a Christian had contaminated it. The details of her offense, the trial and subsequent events are shrouded in secrecy. One source reported, erroneously, that she had been pardoned; another said Bibi's fellow prisoners had sworn to murder her. It is interesting a municipal court can impose a death sentence in Pakistan.
Opponents of the law say it is often used to settle old scores that have little to do with blasphemy. The New York Times said the mere fact of being a Christian in Pakistan appears sufficient to support blasphemy charges. Some Muslim clerics have gone so far as to say that anyone supporting Bibi, even in their prayers, is also guilty of blasphemy which, I suppose, carries a death sentence, too. Theoretically if I say the wrong thing in this column someone will come looking for me and my family, maybe in a truck with a bumper sticker saying, "My mosque is insured by Smith and Wesson."
In an NPR interview about this story, a Pakistani shopkeeper said that he believed the United States was waging war against Islam. That sounded familiar; I know Christians who believe Islam is making war against the United States. Another Pakistani said in the same radio interview that Governor Taseer got what was coming to him and the assassin is a hero.
The world is filled with self-righteous individuals who know the truth. They call upon others to repent and change their ways; some are willing to use deadly force, if necessary, to force social change of which they approve. No matter what Asia Bibi said, no one was hurt or even threatened; her primary offense was in being a Christian in an overwhelmingly Muslim country. But before we in North Idaho get too smug, let us look at ourselves.
Recently I was driving north on Fourth Street and saw a group of demonstrators in front of a Mexican food stand; I am not sure what they call themselves but they reminded me of Richard Butler's followers at the Aryan Nations. Dressed in mock storm trooper uniforms and camouflage clothing, they were waving banners with slogans like, "Don't let them take over our town," and "Honk if you hate diversity." I presume their picketing was aimed at the owners who happen to be native born American citizens.
The picketers were quite young, about evenly divided between male and female, along with several small children. One later told an employee of the business that this was all about God and it is God's will to "send the Mexicans back where they belong." I think that is a good idea but in reverse. Instead, let's all chip in and buy these skinheads and their entourage one way tickets to Pakistan to commit blasphemy. I am pretty sure we can get a group rate.
Tim Hunt, the son of a linotype operator, is a retired college professor and nonprofit administrator who lives in Hayden with his wife and three cats. He can be reached at linotype.hunt785@gmail.com.