World Council of Churches slams Pakistan's blasphemy law

(July 27, 2010) The World Council of Churches (WCC) has joined the Catholic bishops of Pakistan and other international institutions around the world in calling for the repeal of Pakistan’s infamous blasphemy law. In a letter to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, the WCC pointed to the recent killing of two Pakistani Christians as the latest evidence that the blasphemy law is being used as a pretext for assaults on the country’s Christian minority. The WCC said that the blasphemy law seems to be “arbitrarily applied” and complaints of violations are often “founded on malicious accusations against individuals and groups." The World Council of Churches based in Geneva represents 349 different Christian Churches and communions, for a total 560 million Christians in 110 countries, and operates "in unity of faith, witness and service for a world of justice and peace". The two Christians, pastor Rashid Emmanuel and his brother Sajid Emmanuel, were arrested after being charged with blasphemy, but their trial appeared to be moving towards acquittal for lack of evidence. Nevertheless, handcuffed and without a chance to defend themselves or escape, they were shot dead by masked gunmen on July 19 just outside the courthouse in Faisalabad.