Asia Bibi Pardoned and Freed!

Pakistan Releases Christian Woman
Sentenced to Death for 'Blasphemy'


Washington, D.C. (November 22,2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that today the president of Pakistan has pardoned a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy.

Asia Bibi was sentenced on November 8 after a court in Punjab province found her guilty of making blasphemous statements against the Islamic prophet Muhammad. According to Pakistan’s blasphemy law, it is a crime punishable by death to blaspheme the Islamic prophet.

Her release came after intense international pressure by politicians and church leaders as well as coverage by several media outlets.

Asia has now been taken to an undisclosed location for her safety. In the past, Christians have been killed by vigilantes after being accused of blasphemy. On July 19, gunmen killed Pastor Rashid Emmanuel and his brother, Sajid Emmanuel, while police were transporting them from the court in Faisalabad to jail. The gunmen also seriously wounded a policeman accompanying them.

Some Muslim lawyers and other fundamentalist Muslims are preparing to demonstrate against Asia’s release.

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said, “We are delighted to learn about Asia’s release and we would like to commend Pakistan’s president for taking the right action. It’s high time for Pakistan to repeal the blasphemy laws that have caused so much persecution against Christians and other religious minorities.”

Reposted from International Christian Concern.

Praying for the Persecuted on the Day of Fasting

Brothers and Sisters,

As you fast and pray today (I observe the fast from sundown Thursday to sundown Friday) here are some deep needs in the Body of Christ which I found on the International Christian Concern website:

Over ten thousand Christians have fled Burma (Myanmar) for CHINA to escape the ongoing civil conflict in Myanmar. The military government in Myanmar is attempting to crush resistance to their rule in tribal areas. One of these tribal groups are the Karen, a mostly Christian group within the country.

Pakistani Christians continue to be persecuted by the government and attacked by mob violence under the new blasphemy law. Please pray for its repeal and protection for the many Christians in Pakistan.

The South Korean government is seeking to restrict the mission work of their citizens in Islamic countries after many South Korean missionaries have been arrested and expelled by Islamic countries. Please pray that God will keep does open for our brothers and sisters to share the gospel of Jesus in the Islamic world.

Please pray that the government of India will revise the legal status of Dalits from "Backward Classes" to "Scheduled Caste." This will give the Dalits the same political and socio-economic and educational opportunities as others. Many Dalits have become Christians.