Pakistan sentences Christian woman to death for “blasphemy”

Mother of two “insulted Muhammad” by asking what Muhammad had done for women

“Some of the women workers had reportedly been pressuring Bibi to renounce her Christian faith and accept Islam. During one discussion, Bibi responded by speaking of how Jesus had died on the cross for the sins of humanity and asking the Muslim women what Muhammad had done for them.”

Asia Bibi, 37 years old, is sentenced to be executed under the Pakistan Penal Code. The law imposes life in prison for defiling the Qur’an and death for insulting the person who Muslims say is their prophet, Muhammad.

There are only about 2.8 million Christians left in Pakistan. As with all countries where Muslims are in the majority, other religions are slowly but surely stamped out through a combination of the imposition of Islamic law, lack of human rights protection by government and Muslim violence.

According to what I’ve read, that is the way it is everywhere there is a Muslim majority.

If any of our readers are aware of a Muslim majority country where people of other religions are not persecuted, I’m all ears. What do our Muslim readers think about this death sentence? Should people have freedom of speech to criticize Islam or the Muslim prophet called Muhammed?

Further Reading

AsiaNews.it Punjab: Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy

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Owen Arthur won the battle, but did he lose the war?

Strange times at the Barbados Labour Party

“New Opposition Leader Owen S. Arthur keeps telling his countrymen there must be healing in his Party, and so far he’s done little to create regeneration, if anything he’s continuing amputations on a patient that’s a haemophiliac while the Blood Bank is seeking donations. Bit of a sad analogy when one considers the Party’s colour. The way things are going, there may be a new colour by the time 2011 rolls in.”

Ian Bourne has some outstanding observations in his latest Bajan Reporter article: Barbados Labour Party’s Annual General Conference: The Strange Case of Freundel Jekyll & Owen Hyde.

Youths, Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, save rare Osprey in Barbados

Bird’s mate never gave up. Soared above Graeme Hall every day calling for partner.

Wildlife caretakers released an osprey back into the wild this past week after it had undergone rehabilitation for injuries and malnutrition.

The osprey had been brought to the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary by a group of youths.  The bird was weak, severely dehydrated and could not fly because of severe degradation of its muscle mass.  Dr. John Duckhouse, the consulting veterinarian for the Sanctuary began an immediate regimen of antibiotics and protein-rich fish diet.

The hand-fed diet consisted largely of sprats, a herring-like fish, beginning with 3 sprats the first day of the rescue.  The osprey was eating 16 sprats a day by the end of the rehabilitation.

The rescue and rehabilitation was managed by Sanctuary manager Barbara Garcia and staffer Paul Rochester.  While the rehabilitation was underway, the osprey’s mate continued to fly over the Sanctuary calling for its stricken companion.

The release was done from the Lakeside Lawn area of the Sanctuary.

As Sanctuary staff and wildlife experts watched, the bird flew down the little hill gathering speed as it then began climbing to meet its mate who was waiting high above over the lake.

The Sanctuary Cafe and Lakeside Lawn Now Open!

The beautiful and tranquil SANCTUARY CAFE and Lakeside Lawn of the Sanctuary are now open to the public on a limited basis. However, there are no tours of the rest of the facility, and all Interpretive walkways, Aviaries and Exhibits remain closed to the public.