Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) has received the following report of a Christian woman in Islamabad, Pakistan being threatened to reject her faith and being accused of “blasphemy,” under the oppressive Pakistan penal code Section 295-C.
The report states that a “33 year old Christian government teacher Ms. Saiqa has been accused of blasphemy 295c. Ms. Saiqa is a very educated primary government teacher in Islamabad, who belongs to very poor family. Ms. Saiqa regularly taught Sunday school and has worked with Christian children ministry.”
R.E.A.L. has received a report that this Islambad Christian woman has been threated to deny her Christian faith, which she refused.
The report stated that “Molvi Razzaq approached [Christian woman] Ms. Saiqa on different occasions and asked her to stop practicing western religion and spreading Christianity. Local molvi Abdul Razzaq invited her to accept Islam and asked her to read KALMA. Ms. Saiqa refused. People of the mosque and Molvi Razaq has been chasing her and watching her activities. Molvi Razzaq sent a few women to her house to pass message and also that she needs to convert to Islam. Molvi Razzaq also sent red Shalwar kameez for as a wedding proposal. Molvi also went in her house with mosque’s elders to give her invitation to get her to marry in Islamic way after she accepted Islam. Ms. Saiqa refused everything in front of Muslim women and Molvi Razzaq. As a result, the local Muslim women told local people that Ms. Saiqa committed blasphemy and cursed on Islam and Muhammad.”
The report continues:
“Molvi Razzaq and few people from the mosque also went school and protested front of school administration that their children getting non Islamic education and school should terminate her employment. Molvi and few people also tried to kidnap her, but Ms. Saiqa left the city and went into hiding. The local mosque’s jammat and Molvi Razzaq filed a FIR to the local police station stating that Ms. Saiqa used dirty language against Islam and Muhammad. Molvi Razzaq also announced a Fatwa on loud speaker and put Fatwa posters in different areas to find her.”
R.E.A.L. is sharing this report with the public, to our friends in the human rights media to get help to Ms. Saiqa, and we challenge the Pakistan government to act to stop this oppression.
We especially challenge Pakistan Embassy spokesman Nadeem Hotiana who is very concerned about the image of Pakistan in the media. If the Pakistan government is concerned about its reputation, the way to make a difference is to act, not talk, to defend the human rights of religious minorities oppressed throughout Pakistan, in defiance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We call upon the Pakistan government, and we call upon Nadeem Hotiana to personally intervene to stop such oppression of religious minorities.
We call for the defense of this woman, Ms. Saiqa, in Islamabad, and we call for the defense of her human rights, freedom of conscience, safety, and human dignity, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) accepted by the United Nations over 60 years ago.
