Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is facing a possible death sentence in Pakistan for hosting the “Draw Muhammad” day contest. Pakistani police have opened an investigation under a section of the penal code that carries the death sentence for blasphemy against the “prophet” Mohammed. Tragically, President Barack Obama can be cited by the Pakistanis as supporting such blasphemy laws — and their enforcement.
On May 19, Pakistani officials blocked access to Facebook and only lifted the ban on May 31 when Facebook removed the page in Pakistan and other countries.
Lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique filed an application for a First Information Report (FIR), under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code. Here is the code provision:
Use of derogatory remark etc, in respect of the Holy Prophet, whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable for fine.
We have previously discussed the Obama Administration appeasing Muslim allies by dropping the long opposition of the United States to an international blasphemy law. As noted in this earlier column, the Administration agreed to the concept of punishing those who insult religion. Western nations have been enforcing such principles with alarming regularly under discrimination, defamation, hate speech, and blasphemy laws. For earlier such example, click here, here, here, here, and here.
Siddique said he expects the police to contact Interpol about making arrangements for the arrest of Facebook’s owners.
An earlier death threat against the creators of South Park led the executives at Comedy Central to cave into demands and censor the show.
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Isabel Darcy:
just because you teach something, doesn’t mean you know or understand your subject. Or maybe he just has a different interpretation of the law, since it seems to be so fluid.
Off topic, but this guy is the spitting image of Rand Paul.
I agree with the Prof. Why isn’t the administration fighting against these blasphemy laws? If the Moslems don’t like this activity, they should just turn away. I thought the 1st amend. requires the gov’t to be neutral towards religion. Honoring this kind of persecution is facilitating Islam.
Why is Obama turning into such a disapointment on so many levels? A guy who taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago should know better than this.
Buddha:
Good point(s).
Byron,
The key difference in this issue of stupidity and most is that Holocaust deniers use their denial as an excuse for bigotry and persecution. This kind of historical revisionism is manifestly dangerous. History can only teach us lessons if we know as much of the truth as possible. And the truth is that the Holocaust happened. We have physical evidence and testimony of both survivors and their liberators. Stupid as a class of behavior has no business being outlawed as that interferes with natural selection and natural selection has been interfered with quite enough, thank you. As evidence of the last part of that assertion, I present you with both W. and Glenn Beck. 150 years ago, neither of those half-wits would have survived to adulthood.
Well hey, serves us right for fighting the war against ‘islamofascism’ on military grounds while the Mid-East seems to be using the law against the West. Needless to say who’s got the better tactic.
I’d like to ask Interpol they arrest anyone issuing death sentences on religious grounds of so-called ‘religions of love’. Seems they have a different meaning to the word. If that’s Muhammed’s love, I’ll do without thank you… morons.
Buddha:
if we could imprison people for stupidity, over half of this country would be in jail serving 10 to life.
André Kenji,
Perhaps that’s because one is a historical fact (the Holocaust) and the other is simply a religion (Islam). Denying the value of Judaism is your religious freedom in action. The freedom to disbelieve or not follow a religious tradition is the corollary to the right to follow a religious tradition. Denying that the Nazis killed 6 million Jews, Roma, objectors and the mentally ill and/or physically handicapped is simply stupid in light of the overwhelming evidence that that is exactly what they did.
Roland:
” … this idiots right to disrespect, insult, ridicule and incite other people’s religion will bring the reaction he’s looking for. I HOPE THEY FIND THIS IDIOT.”
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Oh, come now, Roland, it’s a religion of peace. if they find him, they will likely invite him to share in the fullness and bounty of their divine revelations and gently nudge him into the light of their being(s) .. or some other meaningless drivel, double-speak that religion has given us. Why would they hurt another of god’s creatures. That’s right they’re dogmatic religionists aren’t they?
That´s more complicated, because more people other than Muslims complains that in European countries anyone that denies the Holocaust can go to jail, while attacks against Islam are defended on the grounds of freedom of expression.
Okay … well … let’s have a “Draw Muhammad Azhar Siddique Day” … maybe doing all sorts of friendly things with his dead buddy.
Is there still a depiction of Mohammed on the North Frieze of the Supreme Court building in DC?
Personally, I’ve found that ridiculing not just religion but damn near everything has worked out just fine as long as one follows the sage advice of Elsa Maxwell: “Laugh at yourself first, before anyone else can.” And always remember these two bits of wisdom. First, Ted Loder’s statement, “Laughter is a holy thing. It is as sacred as music and silence and solemnity, maybe more sacred. Laughter is like a prayer, like a bridge over which creatures tiptoe to meet each other. Laughter is like mercy; it heals. When you can laugh at yourself, you are free.” And secondly, a bit of homespun guidance I say quite often, “Humorless people suck. They’re usually known by their other names of ‘terrorist’ or ‘tyrant’.”
Woosty, according to Wikipedia, it’s actually the Sunni that tend to have a problem with images of Muhammad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depictions_of_Muhammad
So I suppose the pun should be, “Now look here, Sunni!”
Roland,
If radical fundamentalists/terrorists threaten to kill people for drawing pictures, it behooves all lovers of freedom to show them that their threats will not work by drawing even more.
Good! Just as calling a Black Man Ni**ger is freedom of speech (eventhough its used to incite or ridicule) this idiots right to disrespect, insult, ridicule and incite other people’s religion will bring the reaction he’s looking for. I HOPE THEY FIND THIS IDIOT.
Holy Shiite Batman…now what?
” … shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable for fine.”
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Since one absurdity deserves another, I ask, does one pay the fine post-mortem or pre-mortem?
I think it is blasphemous to consider any joke about any religion a criminal matter. WWJD? WWMD? WWBD? & WWGD? Am I missing any?
Come on, another government suppressing information. Damn. I am glad I live here, no, wait, they are looking for Julian Assange, the originator of Wikileaks. has he been found yet? If not, I wonder if he is still alive?