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| Husband and Wife Burned to Death because They Were Christians - Religion of Peace |
Yesterday we shared the words spoken by President Obama’s special envoy on ISIS, retired Marine General Allen, who told a gathering on Monday in Kuwait, “we must also tell a positive story, one that highlights our respect – our profound respect for Islam’s proud traditions, its rich history, and celebration of scholarship and family and community.”
Sadly today I was emailed a copy of a letter sent by Catholic League President Bill Donahue to President Barack Hussein Obama on a most heinous and sickening incident in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan — relating to its archaic and barbaric blasphemy laws.
As reported by the Catholic News Agency, “The reported killing of a Christian couple in Pakistan by a mob on Tuesday has sparked calls for the nation’s government to protect its people, and especially its minorities.
“The burning alive of a Christian couple is a test case for our government. Our government must provide protection to all citizens and especially to the poor and downtrodden Christians,” Fr. James Channan, O.P., director of the Peace Center Lahore, told CNA Nov. 4 in an email interview.”
“That morning, Shahzad Masih and his wife Shama, a Christian couple, were allegedly killed and their bodies burned by a mob after they were accused of desecrating the Quran. The couple lived in Kot Radha Kishan, a city located nearly 40 miles southwest of Lahore. The wife Shama was pregnant, and the couple had three additional children.”
I challenged the politicized words of General Allen as bad policy and reiterate that position. A year ago in the summer I had the honor to meet a young Pakistani Christian woman named Julie Aftab who, because of her refusal to convert to Islam was attacked and had acid thrown on her and down her throat.
And even when taken to the hospital for treatment, she was shot because the rumor was spread that she had offended Islam — the Muslim doctors refused to treat her. Blessings of God that Julie was rescued from that horrific situation and brought to America. She now lives in Houston and I understand she’s about to be married and has finished her undergrad studies there.
What manner of barbarism is this? And what manner of cowardice refuses to denounce it, preferring games of political correctness? Another bad policy.
This recent story from Pakistan where the Christian community lives in constant fear is chilling. Here is a short synopsis, “Legal Evangelical Association Development, a Pakistani minority rights group, was told by Muhammad Rafique, one of the Masihs’ coworkers, that following the recent death of Shahzad’s father, Shama collected some of his things, burning them and throwing the ashes in the garbage.
According to Rafique, their employer noticed this, and charged that some of the burnt pages were from the Quran; he then detained them. They owed him money, and he refused to release them without being paid. It was then announced from local mosques that the couple had desecrated the Quran, and a mob forced their way into the room where the Masihs were held, beat them, and then burnt them alive in the kiln’s furnace.”
Here is the entire letter sent to President Obama by Catholic League President Donahue yesterday.
I suppose even presenting this story will once again earn me the label of “islamophobe” — feel free. I will not relent in reporting this savage barbarism that we believe can be conquered by appeasement, dismissal or calling a different name.
Is this a Pakistani version of “workplace violence?”
I encourage you all to copy this letter and send it to the White House, attention President Obama, State Department attention John Kerry, office of Senator Mitch McConnell, and office of House Speaker John Boehner, and demand cutting off all foreign aid to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan until they revoke their insidious blasphemy laws and also release the Pakistani doctor who identified Obama bin Laden ~ Dr. Shakil Afridi.
We must stand for human rights and I am waiting to hear from the women’s rights groups appalled at the heinous torture and murder of Shama and her unborn child.
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