Another blasphemy law highlight

ravage · January 30, 2011, 2:53pm

Thank God we have this law jailing off or killing villains thereby protecting good innocent people from the terror of a teenage student writing joke answers in his Islamiat exams.

Blasphemy case: Angered by exam, student fudges answers

KARACHI: When 17-year-old Syed Samiullah couldn’t come up with answers in his Islamiat and physics examinations last year, he wrote things that have now landed him in jail for blasphemy.

On Saturday, Judicial Magistrate, Central Ehsan A Malik ordered Samiullah to be sent to the juvenile prison after the Shahrae Noor Jehan police produced him in his court and requested judicial custody. In an application to the judicial magistrate, Samiullah submitted that he had confessed to committing the “unpardonable sin”. He said he regretted his actions, and had promised that he would never commit “such a sin again”.

During investigations, Samiullah had told the investigators that he was troubled after he had discussed various issues with his cousins, who had come to stay with his family from Norway. According to Samiullah, he was so much ill at ease during the examinations that when he was unable to answer any of the questions, he committed blasphemy. “I feel ashamed and guilty and am tendering an unconditional apology.” He is a student at a private college.

The incident was reported to the police by Prof Agha Akbar, the controller of examinations of the Intermediate Board of Education, Karachi who attached copies of Samiullah’s answer sheets. One of the exams was held on April 30 last year but because of the process of verifying facts, the FIR was lodged on Friday, January 28, under Section 295 (c) (for blasphemy), one day before Samiullah’s arrest.

firenze · January 30, 2011, 7:30pm

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

wow just despicable !

ravage · January 30, 2011, 7:32pm

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

wonderfully, the Professor was protecting the society and handed the kid over to the police. May Allah shower the professor with blessings for looking out for His interests by imprisoning kids.

TLK · January 30, 2011, 7:40pm

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

Aameen to the dua of brother ravage

Yaar yeah mulk bhee eik drama hai.

Iconoclast · January 30, 2011, 9:07pm

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

Okay, let me be the devil's advocate like always and be cursed by the modernists.

The paper does not mention what answers the kid wrote, just saying it was "joke" answer does tell much. Jokes can be extremely offensive and can be light hearted. If i do not know an answer i instead choose to write offensive joke about professors father, it may land me in jail. The kid made a grave mistake "if" his answers were blasphemous. But since he now appears to have shown regret and vowed never to do it again, i hope that he will be pardoned.

ravage · January 30, 2011, 9:11pm

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

In which country does this happen? I did not know about that. Can you provide more details on that one.

Iconoclast · January 30, 2011, 9:16pm

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

In which country am i free to abuse someone's father without any repurcussions?

ravage · January 30, 2011, 9:17pm

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

Many, many countries. At best, you could get sued in some countries on libel laws, but even those dont result in jailtime (libel is not a felony offence). But I might not be thinking of the countries you are thinking of. Which countries have jailtime for abusive jokes related to people's fathers?

Iconoclast · January 30, 2011, 9:37pm

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

^In Gulf countries you can land in jail for it. In Turkey you can land in jail if you insult father of the nation. In western countries, i agree, you may not serve jail time but may be sued, but the point is it still is an unlawful thing.

ravage · January 30, 2011, 9:40pm

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

I presumed so, certain Gulf countries, certain African countries are the extent of it. Since your post gave the appearance of being the general case, I picked up on it.

Regarding western countries, lets be precise: you may only be sued in some western coutnries for non-factual things (I can call someone's dad any abuse in the world, just not say that he drove a Ford Focus when he drove a chevrolet), and it is not intended to stop abuse, but misinformation. Additionally I dont believe even libel laws relating to facticity would apply to answers in an exam. Even the Gulf, I am not aware of anyone going to jail for insulting someone's dad despite being born and growing up there, and I couldnt find any such information through google though I am assuming given the stupidity of their laws that certainly is a possibility.

Turkey, I agree, has pretty regressive laws on certain kinds of 'blasphemy', only it isnt religious blasphemy, its nationalist blasphemy. And there I agree, they are as stupid in their enforcement as we are.

chacha_Ghalib · January 31, 2011, 2:08am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

the proper course of action would be to wip the professor's a$$ in public. bloody idiots.

EyEsOnSkY · January 31, 2011, 2:56am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

Horror one with commedy touch:D:

Aceones · January 31, 2011, 9:21am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

and yet another incident where without knowing the facts we all start jumping against the "blasphemy law"

what were those "joke answers" by the way??? as Iconoclast said above, they might be extremely offensive, or light hearted.

And a question from our members of the "civilized" world... What happens to a college student who commits a crime (as per law) in the countries which do not have any "blasphemy laws"???? do they follow the legal procedure or just start cursing the one who brought the crime into light? that is, if they committed a crime.

let the law make its own way, let them proceed, if he proved to have written something bad which can be seriously taken as blasphemy, let me face the music... if it proves otherwise, drag to the court, the ones who claimed its blasphemy, including the controller of examination and the teacher who were checking papers.

and of course the student needs counseling

hanibal · January 31, 2011, 9:30am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

Because it is in Pakistan, it should be bad and it is duty of every "civilized" citizen of different countries, to bash Pakistan and its laws and its citizen as possible...

the more you bash, the more civilized you are..

shami2k · January 31, 2011, 9:43am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

Its not about bashing Pakistan, its about bashing stupid law that anyone with little knowledge of Islam knows has nothing to do with Islam, yet our ignorant mullahs are defending & supporting it. Its about law that is being used to settle scores, murder people, persecute minorities and target political opponents all in the name of Islam. Its about about law where your presumed guilty unless proven innocent and mere accusation by anyone can get you death sentence where no proof is necessary. Now tell me, is this what Islam is about?

hanibal · January 31, 2011, 9:50am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

The law has been passed by the Parliament of Pakistan... want to amend it, ask your lawmakers to do it... bash them as much as you want... the law ain't going anywhere, not anytime soon...

shami2k · January 31, 2011, 10:10am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

This law was never passed by any parliament. Its a legacy of British Raj & changed and reinforced by Zia's dictatorship. This law is similar to hudood ordinances issued by Zia, and thankfully, undone by previous govt. We heard similar arguments and protests when hudood ordinances were being repealed.

hanibal · January 31, 2011, 11:26am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

[shami2k;8007506]This law was never passed by any parliament. Its a legacy of British Raj & changed and reinforced by Zia's dictatorship. This law is similar to hudood ordinances issued by Zia, and thankfully, undone by previous govt. We heard similar arguments and protests when hudood ordinances were being repealed.
[/QUOTE]

Is that true?

As hadood i am pretty much sure about it, the law was Zia's effort... but i need to re-check with the Blasphemy law, as far as i understand, it was part of 1973's constittution or maybe added later... like i said i need to check it out...

anyway, it is going to be the parliament who can remove it or redo it... but again it ain't going anywhere any time soon...

ravage · January 31, 2011, 11:30am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

Aceones:

and yet another incident where without knowing the facts we all start jumping against the "blasphemy law"

what were those "joke answers" by the way??? as Iconoclast said above, they might be extremely offensive, or light hearted.

And a question from our members of the "civilized" world... What happens to a college student who commits a crime (as per law) in the countries which do not have any "blasphemy laws"???? do they follow the legal procedure or just start cursing the one who brought the crime into light? that is, if they committed a crime.

let the law make its own way, let them proceed, if he proved to have written something bad which can be seriously taken as blasphemy, let me face the music... if it proves otherwise, drag to the court, the ones who claimed its blasphemy, including the controller of examination and the teacher who were checking papers.

and of course the student needs counseling

Nothing I have said is further informed by what the student actually wrote, or whether all parties involved acted according to the law. I have always maintained that it is the law that is the problem, not its implementation, which is actually usually carried out according to the spirit and letter of the law. Whether that is the arrest of a deobandi imam who tore off and trampled a barelvi poster from a shop or this kid writing down joke answers and had the professor get him jailed.. we are seeing the fruits of the law in action. You think this is what our society should be like, I dont. You want kids and imams in jail or killed for these crimes, I dont. You wont criticize these things, I will.

ravage · January 31, 2011, 11:34am

Re: Another blasphemy law highlight

Prior to Ziathe laws were a legacy of the british, and applied to all religious figures (not just Muslim ones) and had the same penalty for all offences (not just kill if you offend Muslims, 3 years jailtime for gross religious offence).

As for parliament can remove it thats such a cop out. Kill any prominent advocates for reform, ensure any remaining politicians have to be in hiding through fatway and death threats, have mullay in tens of thousands rally every damn week to ensure that parliament could not think considering the law and then talk about oh its the law, parliament should reform it if they dont like it.