Bizarre, Free Speech, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Court Sentences Married Couple And Network Owner To A Total of 104 Years For “Blasphemous” Television Program

Screen Shot 2014-11-26 at 10.12.15 PMVeena Malik, along with her husband Asad Bashir Khan Khattak and former network owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman to a total of 104 years in jail in the latest absurd blasphemy prosecution based on Sharia law. Malik, an actress, was given 26 years in jail by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court for “malicious acts” of blasphemy for reenacting the marriage of the Prophet Mohammed’s daughter.


Malik, her husband and Shakil-ur-Rahman reportedly live in the United Arab Emirates and were given 26 years behind bars for the religious offense. The host of the show Shaista Wahidi was punished earlier.

The basis for the charge is difficult to understand outside of the twisted logic of blasphemy jurisdictions. A morning show broadcasted the live scene of Malik dancing with her new husband while a group of Sufi musicians sang a devotional song about the wedding of the Prophet Mohammad’s daughter. That’s it.

The blasphemy case was brought on May 26 in Gilgit by a hardline Sunni cleric Himayatullah Khan, deputy chief of the Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat formerly known as Sipah-e-Sahaba.

Moreover, in a bizarre twist, the verdict can only be enforced in the city of Gilgit which is in shared control between the India-claimed Kashmir region and Pakistan. Since it is not considered a proper part of Pakistan, it can only be enforced in that jurisdiction.

For many years, I have been writing about the threat of an international blasphemy standard and the continuing rollback on free speech in the West. For recent columns, click here and here and here.

Much of this writing has focused on the effort of the Obama Administration to reach an accommodation with allies like Egypt and Pakistan to develop a standard for criminalizing anti-religious speech.  We have been following the rise of anti-blasphemy laws around the world, including the increase in prosecutions in the West and the support of the Obama Administration for the prosecution of some anti-religious speech under the controversial Brandenburg standard. Fortunately the effort of Hillary Clinton and others in the Administration to reach a compromise on blasphemy failed, though there continue to be efforts to create an international standard.

The absurdity of this case captures the abuse and extremism inherent in such laws. It also shows why the United States has to resist efforts to convince the West to embrace blasphemy as a legal concept.

Source: Daily Mail

41 thoughts on “Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Court Sentences Married Couple And Network Owner To A Total of 104 Years For “Blasphemous” Television Program”

  3. Over here in America if you say that Prophet Mohammed was a pedophile you can get away with it. If you say that Jesus porked children under age you will get blasted. It is all where you stand. You gotta stand your ground on this censorship thing. That is why itchinBayDog resorts to Pig Latin. And by the way. If you go to Rome and talk about Latins being pigs they really will tear you a new ahole.

  8. I am a bit confused by the ‘civility rule’ established by JT for this blog, yet this article like many others by JT when pulled out from other sources do not give credit to the original writers and if they are edited by JT as this seems to be, does not mention the editing done. I would like JT to clarify this if he does not mind. What is his actual stance on this both legally and ethically as a well renowned Lawyer?

    1. Is he sharing this news with us or are JT’s intentions to juxtapose Obama Administration every chance he gets with the world news?

    He himself said here: “Much of this writing has focused on the effort of the Obama Administration to reach an accommodation with allies like Egypt and Pakistan to develop a standard for criminalizing anti-religious speech. We have been following the rise of anti-blasphemy laws around the world, including the increase in prosecutions in the West and the support of the Obama Administration for the prosecution of some anti-religious speech under the controversial Brandenburg standard. Fortunately the effort of Hillary Clinton and others in the Administration to reach a compromise on blasphemy failed, though there continue to be efforts to create an international standard.”

    2. What is JT’s agenda about this news and his deliberate link with the Obama Administration above?

    3. Does it show the appearance of conflict after he filed a suit against the Obama Administration on behalf of GOP?

    4. Why can’t we discuss the news in this article on its own merit without bringing Obama in the picture?

    5. What is the playbook that JT holds?

    6.What purpose does it all serve?

    Now, let’s talk about the article where JT writes,” former network owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman” does not seem to be accurate. He is still the owner but not according to JT,”former network owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman “. Fact checking is very important.

    Some other things JT forgot to mention which in the article are:

    1. However, the order is unlikely to be implemented because the Gilgit-Baltistan region is not considered a full-fledged province by Pakistan and verdicts by its courts do not apply to the rest of the country.

    2. The broadcast by Geo TV set off a storm of controversy on social media, though similar routines by other channels in the past have largely gone unnoticed.

    3. “Many observers at the time suspected Pakistan’s military establishment of engineering the blasphemy campaign against Geo TV.
    The channel was then caught up in a struggle with the all-powerful military.
    The blasphemy case was registered on May 26 in a police station in Gilgit by a hardline sunni cleric Himayatullah Khan, deputy chief of the anti-shia organisation Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) formerly known as Sipah-e-Sahaba.
    No lawyer appeared on behalf of any of the accused. However the court had arranged a state lawyer to defend them.

    JT forgot to mention or eliminated from the article that this Sunni Cleric is Anti Shia and we all know the rifts between the two sects of Islam, Sunnis and Shias through ISIS and Iraq/Iran.

    4. Is the couple Shia or Sunni? Does JT know anything about it?

    Number 3 above also states that, “Many observers at the time suspected Pakistan’s military establishment of engineering the blasphemy campaign against Geo TV.The channel was then caught up in a struggle with the all-powerful military”.

    5. So, who is really behind this?

    6. The presence of Sufi dancers mean the “mock marriage” was performed under Shia laws not under Sunni, the cleric who had filed the case.

    Clarifications of these things are of utter importance which should be made by the author

    Lastly, I would like to know if JT wants us to discuss these bizarre Islamic laws and the harsh punishment or talk how Obama is at fault about all this?

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2850018/Glamorous-actress-handed-26-year-jail-sentence-blasphemy-Pakistan-appearing-mock-TV-wedding-religious-song-played-background.html#ixzz3KHyD9UgB
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    1. Teji – I know that you are new to this site, but the reference to his source is at the bottom under the video as a link. If someone sends the article to him he usually kudos them as well.
      I see that you continue to use the WH line to attack JT.

      1. Paul writes:

        [Teji – I know that you are new to this site, but the reference to his source is at the bottom under the video as a link. If someone sends the article to him he usually kudos them as well.
        I see that you continue to use the WH line to attack JT.]

        ” I know that you are new to this site”

        Paul- are you trying to use the same trickery of claiming having read 5000 pages before you got caught lying?

        Sadly, it would not work here. 🙂

        How new is new and how new I am on this site? As you claim to know everything even in a dishonest manner about yourself, please tell how new I am here. 🙂

        If you do not know, ask JT, He can find out from the records of this blog when I started participating here. It is better for you to know things rather than jumping to conclusions. It becomes rather embarrassing when the truth comes out, not the one you concoct. 🙂

        I have no idea what you mean by “use the WH line to attack JT” nor do I care to know because you showed your dishonesty quite gallantly in another thread.

        Lastly, JT is very smart and fair person. Please allow him to respond. Try not to be anyone’s spokesperson. 🙂
        Thanks

        1. Teji – JT does not respond on this blog and you would know that if you were on here enough. The WH line is the one you listed to attack JT. As you have seen we have had a thread on Thanksgiving and buying hitmen today. Neither were connected to Obama.
          I do appreciate the neat ad hominem attacks you have slipped in. Very Saul Alinsky in their style. Get back to me when you finish the 5000 pages.

  9. JT , thanks for writing about such issues . For those who may think oh that’s just some remote area and nothing to worry about , they are just so wrong . In Pakistan a blasphemy accused is usually killed on the street or if he/she is lucky get thrown in jail for life ( Google Asia Be Be) to be eventually killed by a guard . It is one of the other reasons I do not like this president that he elevates cultures like that and never fails to degrade the one that has elected him twice . maybe that’s why he surrounds himself with people who also think that we are all “stupid or racists”.

    Karen , Richard Gere was totally inappropriate at that occasion , you do not kiss a person like that even here during an award ceremony on the stage , to me appeared drunk .

  10. And may I add that I am a total Bollywood geek. I hear they’ve finally allowed the actors to kiss on the mouth, which was taboo in the tradition.

    When Richard Gere clowned around and kissed one of the Bollywood actresses presenting an award, there was a huge outcry in India and the surrounding area. He had no idea it was such a taboo.

    1. Karen – the S. Korean mini-series don’t show any skin. Kissing is practically taboo unless they are engaged. They are really fun.

  11. If I understand correctly, Gilgit is an area controlled somehow by both India and Pakistan, in the Kashmir region. This arrest warrant is only applicable in Gilgit, but I don’t know if they’re going to pick her up and take her back. She’s a public figure.

    According to blasphemy laws, you cannot draw a picture of the Prophet, no matter how lovingly done, nor do a play about him, or reenact him, and on and on. They charged her with reenacting the marriage of Mohammed.

    I oppose blasphemy laws on the grounds that they stifle free speech and abuse human rights. I adamantly oppose Hillary Clinton’s efforts to cater to extremists and create an international blasphemy standard.

  12. A problem also lies in what would be considered extraditable even within Pakistan itself, since it was mentioned this only applies to one area. It would certainly be safe to say if acts such as these can lead to charges of blasphemy and terrorism that it is not something comforting to know that she would be safe elsewhere within Pakistan.

    Charges such as this can also serve to effectively exile a person, that is bring up severe punishments if a person returns to a particular area without labeling it as exile.

    There are times even in the US where this is performed. Individuals are brought up on felony charges and then the warrant is made to be not extraditable from other states. California is a frequent practitioner of this type of approach. Often the accused felon will simply leave the state, and not be their problem.

  13. If one is to take the post’s description of where the verdict ‘can only be enforced’ as in a city, Gilgit, which is not really in Pakistan but in a territory shared with India, not a Muslim dominated country and a place highly unlikely to enforce the verdict, it seems that the court did an end run around the hardline Sunni that caused all the trouble. Guilty, 104 years, but only enforceable in a place that won’t enforce it.

    Given the situation, with millions of Islamic extremist dangerous nut cases making up enough of the population to cause a real mess, not unlike the messes going on in Syria, Iraq, and Iran, this seems a very intelligent move on the part of the courts.

    Regarding Obama, foreign policy can outright refuse to deal with countries full of religious extremists or search for some route in. I find this post very poorly written, going nowhere, and somewhat of a fishing expedition. I do appreciate Turley giving me the opportunity to voice my opinion without fear of going to jail in some city where the verdict is enforceable but cannot be enforced.

  14. Well guys you can’t have it both ways!

    If you embrace “moral” relativism and the rule of law then what occurred “there” is what the sentiments of that culture believe is right and just. There are only two ways this sentence can be wrong.

    One, it could only be wrong if someone in a different culture were to be forced to obey the belief structure of a different culture!

    Two, it could be wrong is if the were fixed morals but then “who” would be able to say what is right and what is wrong.

    Personally coming from a different culture this infraction seems to be a bit much but then who am I to judge!

  15. I am thankful on this special day, and all days, that you continue to point out the despicable sharia law cases and that this Administration continues to try and appease these lawless people by trying to standardize blasphemy laws, something that should NEVER exist.

  16. I agree with Justice Holmes. My foreign policy would be to lay out a map of the world and lay out all the Pirate Territories. The Sharia Law places are the same thing. East of Corfu the Ten Commandments Don’t Apply and Hence Americans Go Not! No trade, no visits by Americans into those places, none of those idiots get to come here. Close the embassies for Christ Sake and we wont have these dumb Benghazi rants by Boner. I don’t know what the “EO” is but we already have a blasphemy law in the United States– look at the civility rules on this blog. Ya gotta use Pig Latin to get around the Blasphemy Word Press. itchinBay, itShay and the like. In Ferguson it is not fair for a white cop to police black people and guys like AL Sharptongue rant on to stir up arsonists not unlike those in Nigeria. The outfits are similar. I suggest that you all get tee shirts like my half blind guy wears as I guide him through life which says:
    “AL: Shut The F Up!” and second line: “I Love Ferguson”

    John Maynard Keynes or one of those political science philosophers coined a phrase and concept regarding the Communist Countries and the USA. He said that we would have Convergence. Well, we did and now we are having a Convergence with the Pirate Territories. When told of the Grand Jury decision the Brown step dad spun around toward the camera and screamed out for all to Burn the itchBays. The news media had it as B……. Word Press requires us to use Pig Latin. I think you all will agree that Pig Latin is better than the B letter followed by periods. Well, the pirates burned about twenty buildings in Ferguson and Dellwood along West Florissant Road. The media has time to devote hours to close ups of mommy Brown crying but has yet to drive down West Florissant with the camera rolling to show all the damage. Even Fox News spends too much time with the Crumpe guy and old lady Brown.

    Historians in 200 years will mark Ferguson in a similar breaking point as was Selma. We now live with constant BBs (Black Bigots) blaring at Whitey. BBs stirring up arsonists to burn and rape. The historians will say that we were preoccupied with the Pirate Territories like Nigeria and Pakistan and failed to see our same conduct here at home.

    You humans are slow to grasp. I know that there are dogs in NYC who this morning are pooping on the front steps of AL Sharptongue’s mansion. You humans need some guidance on this Tanksgiving and you need to look at the thugs and Pirates in your homeland and think about security.

    Nuff said, go eat your cooked turkey and watch your football while Rome burns.

  18. Shirley, you jest. The next EO is declaring a blasphemy law in the United States. This is to pay off CAIR.

  19. And these are our allies in the fight against “terrorism”? And our government is working to establish and international blasphemy law? We never learn.

    It is time to stop pouring billions into these theocracies and focus on this country. We have so many problems here.

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