In Pakistan, for example, Asia Bibi, a poor Christian woman and mother of five, ... for "apostasy" for allegedly convert
P.O. Box 741 • Amherst, New York 14226-0741 • (716) 636-4869 • Fax (716) 636 1733 www.centerforinquiry.net United Nations Human Rights Council: 26th Session (10th – 27th June 2014) General Debate on Item 8, Tuesday 24th June 2014 Speaker: CfI Representative, Josephine Macintosh Mr. President, The Vienna Declaration sets out the need for states to take “all appropriate measures […] to counter intolerance and related violence based on religion and belief, including practices of discrimination against women […] recognizing that every individual has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, expression and religion”1. Despite this, we have witnessed cases where the rights of vulnerable women to free expression and belief have been denied in the most extreme of ways. In Pakistan, for example, Asia Bibi, a poor Christian woman and mother of five, has been waiting on death row since 2010, having been charged with blasphemy offences. Her appeal has been postponed five times2. Although Pakistan has never executed anyone under the law, vigilantes frequently entrap and sometimes kill adherents of minority religions accused of blasphemy3. Meanwhile, in Sudan, Meriam Ibrahim along with her newborn baby and 20-month old son languished in jail for "apostasy" for allegedly converting to Christianity from Islam 4 until she was released yesterday5 following international pressure. While we are delighted to hear this, the fact remains that apostasy and blasphemy laws in Sudan have long been used to target minorities. Section 125 of the Sudanese Criminal Act makes it illegal to insult anyone’s religious beliefs; punishment can include imprisonment, fines, or up to forty lashes of a whip6. Blasphemy and apostasy laws are cruel and inhuman and target vulnerable people, such as women in these societies, and can be used as forms of control or means of settling personal scores7. They contravene the laws that both Sudan and member state Pakistan have willingly signed up to. Through this Council, we call on Pakistan to comply with its obligation to realize freedoms for women under CEDAW, and urge Sudan to ratify that Convention and protect the women living within its borders. We also call on both states to fulfill the rights guaranteed by articles 18 and 19 of the ICCPR. Thank you.
1
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, §B.1.22 http://www.christiantoday.com/article/asia.bibi.appeal.postponed.for.a.fifth.time/37701.htm. Also, Salman Taseer, Governor of Punjab who tried to speak out about repealing the Blasphemy law, was shot and killed. See http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12111831. 3 Vigilantes have also created a climate of fear, forcing frightened judges into holding court sessions inside jails and keeping witnesses from coming to the defence of those on trial. See, http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/01/29/pakistan_vigilantes_use_blasphemy_law_to_target_religious_minorities.html and http://www.christiantoday.com/article/asia.bibi.death.sentence.appeal.fifth.time.lucky.for.christian.mother.accused.of.blasphemy/37686.htm 4 http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/sudan-apostasy-case-meriam-ibrahim-must-be-released-30322486.html 5 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/23/sudan-announces-release-meriam-ibrahim-death-row 6 http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/resources/essays/national-laws-on-blasphemy-sudan 7 In Meriam Ibrahim’s case, her husband claims that those accusing her want to gain access to Ibrahim's business interests, which reportedly include a hair salon, shopping mall and agricultural land. See: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/12/meriam-ibrahim-convictioncontradictory-claims-lawyers and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/10877279/Meriam-Ibrahimshould-be-executed-her-brother-says.html 2
