{"id":763,"date":"2018-10-31T07:51:53","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T12:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?p=763"},"modified":"2018-10-31T07:51:53","modified_gmt":"2018-10-31T12:51:53","slug":"pakistan-acquits-christian-woman-facing-death-for-blasphemy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?p=763","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan acquits Christian woman facing death for blasphemy"},"content":{"rendered":"

via FOXNews.com<\/a> October 31, 2018 at 02:18AM<\/p>\n


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    Pakistani police officers stand guard outside the supreme court in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. Pakistan’s top court acquitted a Christian woman who has been on death row since 2010 for insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. In Wednesday’s verdict, the court ordered authorities to free Asia Bibi. (AP Photo\/Anjum Naveed)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n

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    Pakistani lawyers who are contesting the case against Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman convicted of blasphemy, speaks to media outside the Supreme court, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. Pakistan’s top court in much-awaited landmark ruling on Wednesday acquitted the Christian woman who has been on death row since 2010 for insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, a defense lawyer and her family said. (AP Photo\/Anjum Naveed)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    ISLAMABAD – <\/span>Pakistan’s top court on Wednesday acquitted a Christian woman who was sentenced to death in 2010 on blasphemy charges, a landmark ruling that could ignite mass protests or violence by hard-line Islamists.<\/p>\n

    Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar announced the verdict to a packed courtroom and ordered Asia Bibi released. She has been held at an undisclosed location for security reasons and is expected to leave the country.<\/p>\n

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    The charges against Bibi date back to a hot day in 2009 when she went to get water for her and her fellow farmworkers. Two Muslim women refused to drink from a container used by a Christian. A few days later, a mob accused her of blasphemy. She was convicted and sentenced to death.<\/p>\n

    The mere rumor of blasphemy can ignite mob violence and lynchings in Pakistan, and combatting alleged blasphemy has become a central rallying cry for hard-line Islamists. Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, was shot and killed by one of his guards in 2011 for defending Bibi and criticizing the misuse of the blasphemy law. The assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, has been celebrated as a martyr by hard-liners since he was hanged for the killing, with millions visiting a shrine set up for him near Islamabad.<\/p>\n

    Ahead of the verdict, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, a hard-line cleric who has brought tens of thousands of people into the streets for past rallies, called on his supporters to gather in all major cities to express their love for the prophet and to protest if Bibi is released. Authorities have stepped up security at churches around the country.<\/p>\n

    Shortly after the ruling, hundreds of Islamists blocked a key road linking the city of Rawalpindi with the capital, Islamabad. Islamists in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi and in the northwestern city of Peshawar were also gathering for the protests. Similar rallies were held elsewhere. Police urged demonstrators to disperse peacefully.<\/p>\n

    Bibi’s family and her lawyer say she never insulted the prophet. In previous hearings her attorney, Saiful Malook, pointed to contradictions in testimony from witnesses. The two Muslim women who pressed charges against Bibi denied they quarreled with her, saying her outbursts against Islam were unprovoked.<\/p>\n

    Critics of the blasphemy law have said it is used to settle personal scores or to attack minority communities. Bibi’s case was closely followed internationally amid concern for Pakistan’s religious minorities, who have frequently come under attack by extremists in recent years.<\/p>\n

    Bibi’s husband hailed Wednesday’s verdict.<\/p>\n

    “I am very happy. My children are very happy. We are grateful to God. We are grateful to the judges for giving us justice. We knew that she is innocent,” said Ashiq Masih.<\/p>\n

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    Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    <\/body><\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    via FOXNews.com October 31, 2018 at 02:18AM next Image 1 of 2 Pakistani police officers stand guard outside the supreme court in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018. Pakistan’s top court acquitted a Christian woman who has been on death row since 2010 for insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. In Wednesday’s verdict, the court ordered authorities […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[46,45],"class_list":["post-763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-feedly","tag-ifttt"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":11,"label":"News"}],"post_tag":[{"value":46,"label":"Feedly"},{"value":45,"label":"IFTTT"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Darren","author_link":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?author=1"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":11,"name":"News","slug":"news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":11,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":88,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":11,"category_count":88,"category_description":"","cat_name":"News","category_nicename":"news","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":46,"name":"Feedly","slug":"feedly","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":46,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":68,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":45,"name":"IFTTT","slug":"ifttt","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":45,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":68,"filter":"raw"}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7GQ5E-cj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":759,"url":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?p=759","url_meta":{"origin":763,"position":0},"title":"Pakistan court clears condemned Christian","author":"Darren","date":"October 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"via BBC News - Home October 31, 2018 at 12:45AM After eight years on death row for blasphemy, a Christian woman in Pakistan has her sentence overturnedThis breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. 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The South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lifenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/baby82.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lifenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/baby82.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lifenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/baby82.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":80,"url":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?p=80","url_meta":{"origin":763,"position":3},"title":"Court: No need for state to check prez’ eligibility","author":"Darren","date":"March 18, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Court: No need for state to check prez' eligibilityPosted using ShareThis","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15,"url":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?p=15","url_meta":{"origin":763,"position":4},"title":"HOMESCHOOLERS WIN LANDMARK CASE","author":"Darren","date":"August 8, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"In a 3-0 decision the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District reversed its earlier ruling which would have required homeschoolers to be certified teachers in order to homeschool in California. \u201cThis is a great victory for homeschool freedom,\u201d said Michael Farris, one of the team of attorneys\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Homeschooling"","block_context":{"text":"Homeschooling","link":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11,"url":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?p=11","url_meta":{"origin":763,"position":5},"title":"Set Me Free","author":"Darren","date":"July 18, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"via GodTube.com @ http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/684zc2 Very similar to the Lighthouse Everything video @ http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/2b56om","rel":"","context":"In "Christian"","block_context":{"text":"Christian","link":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=763"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":764,"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763\/revisions\/764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dandc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}