Death sentence for the Christian Sawan Masih: politics is deaf but dissent is increasing

April 5, 2014: "The Christian Sawan Masih was sentenced to death on false charges of blasphemy. But what happened to those who were found guilty? This question is still unanswered. Religious minorities in Pakistan would appreciate an appropriate response from the government": This is what was said in a statement sent to Fides Agency by Fr. Emmanuel Yousaf, President of the "Justice and Peace" Commission of the Pakistani Bishops, commenting on the case of Sawan Masih, the 26-year-old Christian jailed for blasphemy. Fr. Yousaf notes that Pakistani politics has so far remained deaf to the appeals raised by minorities and civil society: "Out of 342 members of the National Assembly, only two women parliamentarians of the opposition, Shazia Marri of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and Shireen Mazari of Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf (PTI), have had the courage to protest against the unjust sentence. The two have rightly called the fact that more than 3,000 Muslims, who burned the Christian district of Lahore and have been released on bail, 'a travesty of justice', while Masih has been sentenced to death".