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Confronting Religious Persecution at the IRF Summit

Feb. 10Stories That Demand Action:

Last week I spoke on a panel at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, D.C.—a global gathering that brings together advocates, policymakers, and legal experts from around the world who are on the front lines of defending religious freedom. The Summit provides a rare forum to share firsthand experiences, expose ongoing...More

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Save Shahzad Masih From Death

An innocent young Christian has been sentenced to execution by hanging under Pakistan’s barbaric blasphemy laws. Shahzad was just 16 when he was arrested and maliciously accused of blasphemy by an angry mob.

The authorities in Pakistan conducted an investigation and concluded that no blasphemy had occurred. No actual evidence of the alleged offense was presented to the court. Even witnesses testified that Shahzad had not committed any blasphemy. And yet, while this sounds like an easy acquittal, Shahzad was pronounced guilty and sentenced to die for his Christian faith.

It’s as clear a human rights violation as there’s ever been; and unless we stop it, there will be a tragic ending to Shahzad’s story. We cannot stand by and let that happen.

Our legal team on the ground in Pakistan has appealed his wrongful conviction. And I personally traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to deliver two vital oral interventions directly before the entire U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC), demanding Shahzad's release.

During one of these oral presentations, which you can view here, I pointed out how Pakistan’s archaic blasphemy laws seem aimed to specifically punish Christians and don’t require proof to do so:

It seems that when it comes to falsely accusing a young Christian boy of blasphemy, rules and laws simply don’t apply. This innocent young man has languished in prison for over five years and is facing death for something he did not do and the prosecutor could not prove. Pakistan has a duty to right the injustice that runs rampant with its blasphemy laws. It should start by honoring its obligations to this body and repeal these unjust laws. Until that happens, a good faith step would be to make sure justice is done in cases like Shahzad’s. This innocent young man deserves his life back. His wrongful conviction should be overturned. And the rule of law, not the mob, should prevail.

But Shahzad is not alone. Christians in Pakistan face growing mob violence, beatings, enslavement, and extrajudicial hangings. Being a Christian in Pakistan can literally be a death sentence. This is the stark reality. And it appears that judges in Pakistan’s legal system are caving to religious zealotry rather than upholding the law and the sanctity of human life.

In Shahzad’s case, religious mobs were threatening to take the law, and Shahzad’s life, into their own hands if the judge did not deliver the ruling they demanded. As I pointed out in another presentation before the HRC:

Before the conviction, a religious leader from the same group, in yet another act of completely premeditated and public religious hatred, posted a video threatening that if Shahzad was not convicted, they would kill him with their own hands. This body is right to condemn premeditated and public acts of religious hatred, but it must make sure that it is condemning the egregious acts that wrongfully take or destroy human lives.

This is not justice. This is not how civilized societies uphold justice. Pakistan’s laws are in need of a desperate overhaul, and the U.N. Charter requires they do so immediately. Until the international body puts pressure on them to make those changes, more lives will be placed at risk. But right this moment, Shahzad Masih is in grave danger. He will be killed by hanging because of his faith in Jesus unless someone takes action now. This is why we fight.

We have filed multiple reports to the U.N. to shine a light on the multiple Christians who’ve been arrested, convicted, and even sentenced to die in Pakistan under its outdated laws. Pakistan also has to take a drastic stand to quell the entitlement of mob justice among its people. Though a predominantly Muslim country, Pakistan must protect the rights and safety of all of its people, regardless of faith.

We know we need the entire global community behind us to enact any effective change. That’s why while in Geneva, I also had the privilege of hosting an event through our international affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), which also partnered with the Jubilee Campaign. As we previously reported, joining us in the critical event was U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Nazila Ghanea, who is a key official in combating persecution globally.

The event focused on two countries in particular where Christian targeting and abuse is rampant: Pakistan and Nigeria. The focus was specifically on violence against Christians in Pakistan and Nigeria, dangerous blasphemy laws in both countries, as well as highlighting the plight of Shahzad Masih.

As you see, we are not just talking about violence against Christians in Pakistan, but we are taking action – even traveling to Switzerland to speak before the U.N. to urge action to put an end to the deadly violence against our Christian brothers and sisters and change these dangerous laws before it’s too late.

I can tell you that our presentations are having an impact as we are hearing from foreign dignitaries in a very positive way. We have had a number of very successful meetings in Geneva, as we are able to have a direct audience with member states’ U.N. delegates who have been very receptive to our information and request for action.

We will keep you updated as we continue to fight for Shahzad’s freedom.

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Signatures

Shaheryar Gill  //

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