Blasphemy Campaigns
CLAAS Raises the Issue
The church and human rights groups have a strategic role to play in convincing national governments to take up the issue of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, both in terms of breaking the cycle of persecution, and in campaigning for new legislation that will uphold the equal rights of all religions - as enshrined in the Pakistani constitution.
With this in mind, CLAAS recently launched its ‘Abolish the Blasphemy Law’, which aims to gather the signatures of thousands of opponents of the laws over the next three years. The signatures will then be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and the Pakistani government.
CLAAS’ objective Simple! Religious freedom and equal rights for all. We want to see the international community play a greater role in speaking out against the blasphemy laws, and the Pakistani government to meet its international obligations by paving the way for genuine religious freedom and tolerance.
CLAAS struggles against Blasphemy laws
CLAAS is at the forefront of the struggle to free Pakistan’s Christians from the constant dread of the blasphemy laws. Not only does our legal team provide free legal aid to those falsely accused. Help (in the form of financial and practical assistance) is extended to relatives of the alleged blasphemer who, being guilty by association, often find themselves discriminated against and the target of rioting mobs.
Even if the accused is found innocent, the accusation alone is enough to make life unbearable for the victim and their family. Whole families may choose to go into hiding or seek asylum in another country just to escape the violence and persecution that can continue long after the victim has been cleared of all charges.
CLAAS has taken its concerns to the European Parliament, the United Nations, human rights bodies, national governments including the UK and church leaders as part of its ongoing campaign to increase the international pressure on Pakistan to repeal its blasphemy laws. We also support the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan as they continue to call upon the Pakistani government to repeal the laws.
We are active on a number of levels on behalf of Pakistan’s minorities:
- Members of the CLAAS team are regular speakers at events and conferences across the UK. We also run seminars and consultations to highlight the situation of Pakistan’s Christian community, particularly in the country’s border regions where the growing presence of the Taliban is intensifying persecution.
- CLAAS has launched a number of petitions and letter writing campaigns in protest of religious inequality in Pakistan. We also make sure that churches, Christian organisations and individual supporters are fully update with the issues by sending out regular email bulletins and publishing prayer guides on our website.
- We regularly brief key government and church leaders on persecution in Pakistan
- Reports and materials compiled by CLAAS are sent out regularly to the national media and international bodies as committed as we are to seeing a substantial human rights shake-up in Pakistan.
The CLAAS Blasphemy Law Campaign
The church and human rights groups have a strategic role to play in convincing national governments to take up the issue of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, both in terms of breaking the cycle of persecution, and in campaigning for new legislation that will uphold the equal rights of all religions - as enshrined in the Pakistani constitution.
With this in mind, CLAAS recently launched its ‘Abolish the Blasphemy Law’, which aims to gather the signatures of thousands of opponents of the laws over the next three years. The signatures will then be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and the Pakistani government.
CLAAS’ objectives are: Religious freedom and equal rights for all. We want to see the international community play a greater role in speaking out against the blasphemy laws, and the Pakistani government to meet its international obligations by paving the way for genuine religious freedom and tolerance.
Ending the abuse of Blapshemy law
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CLAAS Campaign Postcard
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