Asif Pervaiz was detained along with two others in 2013. Like many other Christians, he’s been suffering for years under inhumane conditions….
Most of the prisoners on death row, who gradually develop ‘death row phenomenon’ or ‘death row syndrome’, are mostly so worn out mentally and physically that they don’t even understand the situation they are really in. … The condemned prisoners are locked in separate cells, away from the general barracks which, in itself is a mental torture… their families also suffer as they have to face the societal stigma of a family member being convicted.
The lawyers of the three men said in 2013 that they were arrested on “trumped up charges” of “blasphemy” against Islam. This is a common occurrence in Pakistan, where even a dispute with a Muslim neighbor can lead to such accusations and send a Christian to jail or worse.
Pervaiz says that “after quitting his job at a hosiery factory, his supervisor Muhammad Saeed Khokher tried to convert him to Islam,” and upon refusing to convert, blasphemy accusations were brought against him by Khokher.
Yet all too many Western leaders, many of whom identify as Christian, cave to political correctness and ignore the human rights abuses that are sanctioned under Sharia, and even aid the spread of Islamic blasphemy laws throughout the West.
“Christian is sentenced to death in Pakistan after being accused of ‘blasphemy’ when he refused his employer’s request to convert to Islam,” by Jack Newman, Mailonline, September 8, 2020:
A Christian man has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for sending ‘blasphemous’ texts to a former supervisor at work.
Asif Pervaiz, 37, has been in custody since 2013 for allegedly insulting Islam and was found guilty in Lahore on Tuesday but denies any wrongdoing.
He claims after quitting his job at a hosiery factory, his supervisor Muhammad Saeed Khokher tried to convert him to Islam.
But Asif says when he refused to change his beliefs, he was then accused of having sent blasphemous texts about Islam to his boss.
Asif’s lawyer Saif-ul-Malook told Al Jazeera: ‘The complainant was a supervisor in a hosiery factory where Asif was working under him.
‘He denied the allegations and said that this man was trying to get him to convert to Islam.’
The lawyer added Asif would appeal his sentence of a three-year prison term and a fine of 50,000 Pakistani rupees ($300) for ‘misusing’ his phone to send the derogatory text message.
The court order said Asif would be ‘hanged by his neck till his death’ after serving the jail time.
Asif spoke in his own defence during the trial, saying he was confronted by his boss after he quit the factory job.
But Khokher denies wanting to convert his Christian colleague, according to his lawyer, Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry.
He said: ‘He has taken this defence after the fact, because he had no other clear defence. That’s why he accused him of trying to convert him.’
Chaudhry added that other Christians work at the factory and none have accused Khokher of trying to convert them to Islam.
Pakistan has strict blasphemy laws which carry a death penalty for people who insult the Prophet Muhammad, Islam, the Quran or certain holy people.
There are at least 80 people in prison in Pakistan accused of blasphemy, with half facing life sentences or the death penalty, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom found….
Most of the prisoners on death row, who gradually develop ‘death row phenomenon’ or ‘death row syndrome’, are mostly so worn out mentally and physically that they don’t even understand the situation they are really in. … The condemned prisoners are locked in separate cells, away from the general barracks which, in itself is a mental torture… their families also suffer as they have to face the societal stigma of a family member being convicted.
The lawyers of the three men said in 2013 that they were arrested on “trumped up charges” of “blasphemy” against Islam. This is a common occurrence in Pakistan, where even a dispute with a Muslim neighbor can lead to such accusations and send a Christian to jail or worse.
Pervaiz says that “after quitting his job at a hosiery factory, his supervisor Muhammad Saeed Khokher tried to convert him to Islam,” and upon refusing to convert, blasphemy accusations were brought against him by Khokher.
Yet all too many Western leaders, many of whom identify as Christian, cave to political correctness and ignore the human rights abuses that are sanctioned under Sharia, and even aid the spread of Islamic blasphemy laws throughout the West.
“Christian is sentenced to death in Pakistan after being accused of ‘blasphemy’ when he refused his employer’s request to convert to Islam,” by Jack Newman, Mailonline, September 8, 2020:
A Christian man has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for sending ‘blasphemous’ texts to a former supervisor at work.
Asif Pervaiz, 37, has been in custody since 2013 for allegedly insulting Islam and was found guilty in Lahore on Tuesday but denies any wrongdoing.
He claims after quitting his job at a hosiery factory, his supervisor Muhammad Saeed Khokher tried to convert him to Islam.
But Asif says when he refused to change his beliefs, he was then accused of having sent blasphemous texts about Islam to his boss.
Asif’s lawyer Saif-ul-Malook told Al Jazeera: ‘The complainant was a supervisor in a hosiery factory where Asif was working under him.
‘He denied the allegations and said that this man was trying to get him to convert to Islam.’
The lawyer added Asif would appeal his sentence of a three-year prison term and a fine of 50,000 Pakistani rupees ($300) for ‘misusing’ his phone to send the derogatory text message.
The court order said Asif would be ‘hanged by his neck till his death’ after serving the jail time.
Asif spoke in his own defence during the trial, saying he was confronted by his boss after he quit the factory job.
But Khokher denies wanting to convert his Christian colleague, according to his lawyer, Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry.
He said: ‘He has taken this defence after the fact, because he had no other clear defence. That’s why he accused him of trying to convert him.’
Chaudhry added that other Christians work at the factory and none have accused Khokher of trying to convert them to Islam.
Pakistan has strict blasphemy laws which carry a death penalty for people who insult the Prophet Muhammad, Islam, the Quran or certain holy people.
There are at least 80 people in prison in Pakistan accused of blasphemy, with half facing life sentences or the death penalty, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom found….
