Featured Prisoner - Asia Bibi
- Location: Pakistan
- Arrested: June 2009
- Days Imprisoned: 152
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Asia Bibi, a 37-year-old Pakistani woman from the village of Ittanwali, was arrested by police on Friday, June 19, and faces possible blasphemy charges. Asia is the wife of 50-year-old Ashiq Masih, and their family is one of only three Christian families in a village of more than 1,500 families.
Many of the local women work on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees, including Asia. During their work many of the Muslim women have pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. In June, the pressure became especially strong.
On Friday, June 19, there was an intense discussion among the women about their faith, with the Muslim women telling Asia about Islam. Asia responded by telling them about her faith in Christ. Asia told the Muslim women Christ had died on the cross for our sins, then asked them what Mohammed had done for them, according to VOM sources. She told them Jesus is alive, but Mohammed is dead. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly told them, “and yours is not true.”
Upon hearing this response the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia Bibi. Then some men came and took her and locked her in a room. They announced from mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey. Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. She is currently being held at the police station in Nankana city. Christians there urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed that they must go forward due to pressure from local Muslim leaders.
The Voice of the Martyrs urges Christians around the world to pray for Asia Bibi and her family. Further, we call on the Pakistani government to insure that the rights of Christians like Asia are protected.
Write to this PrisonerMany of the local women work on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees, including Asia. During their work many of the Muslim women have pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. In June, the pressure became especially strong.
On Friday, June 19, there was an intense discussion among the women about their faith, with the Muslim women telling Asia about Islam. Asia responded by telling them about her faith in Christ. Asia told the Muslim women Christ had died on the cross for our sins, then asked them what Mohammed had done for them, according to VOM sources. She told them Jesus is alive, but Mohammed is dead. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly told them, “and yours is not true.”
Upon hearing this response the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia Bibi. Then some men came and took her and locked her in a room. They announced from mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey. Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. She is currently being held at the police station in Nankana city. Christians there urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed that they must go forward due to pressure from local Muslim leaders.
The Voice of the Martyrs urges Christians around the world to pray for Asia Bibi and her family. Further, we call on the Pakistani government to insure that the rights of Christians like Asia are protected.
This is nonsense,its common in most asian countries except japan,korea ,china, singapore,malaysia where u are free to do be of any religion,they should just free her
ReplyDeleteI hope she gets through this.
ReplyDeleteI cannot even begin to imagine what she is going through... I just pray God keeps her...
ReplyDeleteHmmmmmmmmmm! I can only but imagine the trauma she is passing thru. I know my God will see her thru this. Remember the 3 Hebrew boys & the drama wit Nebucadnezzar!!!!!!!!!!!! - Suleimanu Usaini
ReplyDeleteFrankly, she should be burnt on the stake for blasphemy..
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad.i pray her faith in Christ remains strong cos God can never forget His own.God Almighty will keep and protect her and her family.
ReplyDelete@Azazel & others: Blasphemy? c'mmon pls find sumthin else to charge her with and stop actin like u all are saints.afterall she didnt start the conversation.if only y'all can keep ur opinions about ur belief to urselves and stop tryin to convert everyone to Islam she wouldnt be in this situation.its surprising that when christians air their views about islam then they are blasphemous but when the muslims say all sorts abt christianity, rainin insults on them and their religion then itz normal aint it.think hard.now who should really be burnt on a stake? what we wouldnt like being done to us we in turn shouldnt do to others.