Christian law center compares free speech issues on religion in US and Pakistan

What is the difference between the village of Itan Wali, Pakistan and the City of Dearborn, Michigan?

If you criticize Islam in Itan Wali, you’ll be hung to death; if you criticize Islam in Dearborn, you’ll simply be thrown in jail and prosecuted for Breach of the Peace.

A Pakistani court issued a death sentence this month for Asia Noreen, a 45-year old Christian woman and mother of five from the tiny village in the Punjab province. The charge: blasphemy.

According to local authorities, Asia was picking fruit in a field when she dipped her cup into a bucket of drinking water during a break. Her co-workers complained that a non-Muslim had contaminated the water, and the women got into an argument. Witnesses claimed that during the argument Noreen had insulted the prophet Muhammad and the Koran.

The town cleric, Qari Muhammad Salim, went to the police and had Noreen placed under arrest, thrown into prison for 15 months, and finally sentenced to death by hanging. The cleric said Noreen’s death sentence was one of the happiest moments of his life. "Tears of joy poured from my eyes," Qari Salim told CNN.

Because of worldwide protests and a personal plea from Pope Benedict XVI to release this Christian mother, there is a good chance that the Pakistani government will spare her life.

In Dearborn, Michigan, where one-third of the population is Muslim, police arrested four Christian missionaries on a public street simply because they were discussing their Christian faith with young Muslims during the annual Arab Festival this past summer.  The missionaries were thrown in jail and charged with Breach of the Peace, even though video of the incident clearly showed the entire discussion was peaceful. 

Thomas More Law Center attorney Rob Muise was able to step in; and after a weeklong trial, a jury found all four not guilty of the principal charge.  However, Negeen Mayel, an 18-year-old Muslim convert to Christianity, was found guilty of failing to obey a police officer’s orders because the officer said she did not turn off her video camera quickly enough.  Her case is on appeal. The Thomas More Law Center has spent over $100,000 in attorney time and costs on this case (the Law Center represented the missionaries without charge).

Richard Thompson, President & Chief Counsel of the Law Center, commented: “In Dearborn, Sharia law has replaced our Constitution when it comes to free speech.  We’re going to do everything we can to make sure what Dearborn did to these four Christians does not happen again.” 

[Source: Statement from Thomas More Law Center; Nov. 19, 2010]

[Disclosure: TUSR editor Kay B. Day has donated to the TMLC.]