SCOTTISH church leaders have urged the UK Government to offer asylum to a Pakistani Christian woman facing threats to her life after being acquitted of blasphemy.
Asia Bibi was released following eight years on death row in Pakistan – sparking violent protests by hardliners – after being accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
Last week, her husband Ashiq Masih called for the UK to grant the mother and her family refuge amid fears for their safety after the Pakistan Supreme Court overturned her continued detention. Seven Scottish church leaders including the Rt Rev Susan Brown, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the Most Rev Leo Cushley, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
St Andrews and Edinburgh, have now signed an open letter which has been sent to Home Secretary Sajid Javid urging him to grant Bibi asylum.
The church leaders have also reiterated a call for Javid to immediately give the Glasgow-based Umeed Bakhsh family the right to remain in the UK, saying it is clear their lives would be in danger if they were deported to Pakistan.
On Bibi, the letter states: “Asia was acquitted on October 31. Although she has been reportedly reunited with her husband and three children, she needs round-the-clock protection as Tehreek-e-Labbaik (an Islamist political party in Pakistan) has called
for her to be hanged and there have been several cases of extra-judicial killings of people charged with blasphemy in Pakistan.
“The threat to Asia and her family and supporters is real. The root cause is, of course, Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and we urge the UK Government to do all in its power to advocate for these laws to be amended to prevent their misuse and to promote tolerance and harmony between faith communities.”
The church leaders said violent protests that erupted in Pakistan after Bibi’s conviction was quashed highlight the dangers facing Christians in the country, where blasphemy carries the death penalty.
Back in Scotland, the Umeed Bakhsh family – Maqsood, Parveen and their sons Somer, 15, and Areeb, 13 – fled to Glasgow in 2012 after their lives were threatened due to their Christian faith.
More than 92,000 people have signed two petitions calling on the Home Office to allow them to stay, however the UK Government has rejected their plea for asylum, the Church of Scotland said.
The letter to Javid states: “We stand with the Christian community in Pakistan and request that the UK Government takes action to protect minority faith communities and ensure justice for all.
“With all respect, we urge you and through you, the Home Office, to grant asylum to Asia Bibi and her family in recognition of the United Kingdom’s continuing commitment to freedom of religion and belief.
“This case has put into sharp focus the dangers facing Christians in Pakistan and to that end we would implore you to grant the Umeed Bakhsh family the right to remain in the United Kingdom.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here