Though Pakistan hasn't executed anyone for blasphemy yet and instead leaves offenders in prison for life, dozens of the accused have been killed by vigilante mobs. It allows authorities to punish internet and social media users for infractions made online, including acts of blasphemy.Īccording to Amnesty International, blasphemy cases are frequently based on false evidence, and accusers often abuse laws for financial gain or to settle personal rivalries or vendettas.īlasphemy charges are also notoriously dangerous for the accused. In 2016, Pakistan passed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, these harsh sentences are sometimes issued against practicing Muslims, as Ateeq says she is, but are more often levied against Pakistani Christians and minorities. Pakistan, an Islamic state, enforces strict blasphemy laws that can slap guilty offenders with life in prison or the death penalty. The warrant notes that her death penalty is still subject to the confirmation of the High Court in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab province, where Rawalpindi is located. On Wednesday, Judge Adnan Mushtaq found Ateeq guilty of deliberately intending to outrage religious feelings and using derogatory remarks toward "holy personages," according to a copy of a sentence warrant tweeted by Naila Inayat, a correspondent with Associated Reporters Abroad.Īteeq was also found guilty of using derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad, which was the charge that resulted in her death sentence. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.During the trial, Ateeq said she believed Farooq intentionally goaded her into a religious discussion to take revenge for her not wanting to be friendly to him on WhatsApp. Powered by 100,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Read more about the abolition of English and Welsh blasphemy laws.īased in Northern Ireland? Write to your MLA about repealing the blasphemy laws. Read more about our work repealing blasphemy laws. We will be writing to both Cineworld and the relevant minister to call for greater protections to be introduced to prevent films being censored in the future.’įor further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson at or phone 020 7324 3072 or 07534 248 596. If you are offended by this film you have the choice not to go see it, but you do not have the right to prevent others from making that choice. ‘In a country that no longer has blasphemy laws but has a long tradition of, and strong protections for, free artistic expression, it should not be conceivable for a cinema to be forced into the position of cancelling a film nationwide. Its customers and staff have the right to freedom of expression and that includes the right to display or watch content that others might not like, without fear for anyone’s physical safety. ‘The fact that Cineworld felt the need to pull this film is hugely disappointing. The banning of the film has resulted in the censorship of Muslims.Įarlier this week, protests calling for the film to be withdrawn took place outside cinemas in Sheffield and Birmingham, and a petition for the same reached 117,000 signatures. Therefore the depiction of the Prophet was not made to perpetuate anti-Muslim prejudice, but is reflective of different theological interpretations within Islam. Within Shia Islam there is a more lenient interpretation on the prohibition of images of the Prophet compared to other Muslim denominations. However, the film was created from a Shia Muslim perspective, with the script written by the cleric Yasser Al-Habib. The film has been criticised for depicting the Prophet’s face and for sectarian themes. The Lady of Heaven depicts the life of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatimah, drawing parallels to the struggles of a modern Muslim mother and son in Mosul under the rule of ISIS. The censorship runs counter to the fundamental principle of freedom of expression and sets a dangerous precedent for UK cinema. Cineworld stated that this decision was made ‘to ensure the safety of staff and customers.’ Humanists UK, which led the successful campaign to repeal the blasphemy laws in England and Wales over a decade ago, has expressed alarm at the news. The Cineworld chain of cinemas has announced it has pulled all screenings of The Lady of Heaven following protests from Muslim groups claiming that the film contains ‘blasphemous’ content.
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