Update on Asia Bibi

At The Catholic World Report, Christopher White discusses John Allen's new book The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution.

Key quote:

Consider the more prominent story of Aaiya Noreen Bibi, better known as Asia Bibi, the 43-year-old Catholic mother of five who was charged with blasphemy in Pakistan in 2009. Her crime? After picking berries in 100-degree heat, she was thirsty and drank water out of a local well. Upon doing so, local Muslim women blamed her for defiling the well and the conversation soon erupted into a dispute about Jesus and Muhammad. Although the conversation never turned violent, Bibi was arrested, charged, and sentenced to death by hanging. Since then her case has drawn much international criticism and her death sentence has not been carried out. Even so, she remains in solitary confinement and one Pakistani mullah has advertised a $10,000 reward for anyone who kills her. While this case has drawn widespread attention, it’s not an unfamiliar tale. According to the Pew Research Center, 47 percent of the countries in the world have laws or policies that criminalize blasphemy, apostasy, or defamation of religion. Given the treatment of Asia Bibi, it seems clear that even minor offenses can result in severe charges under these categories.

Bishop Mulinde and Asia Bibi are not outliers, and Allen’s engaging book provides dozens of similar profiles and anecdotes. What’s clear, however, is the persecution that he describes is not localized to any specific geographic area or toward Christians of a particular sect. This persecution is as widespread as it is discriminatory. According to the International Society for Human Rights, 80 percent of religious discrimination in the world is against Christians. Based on the annual report produced by Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, “Status of Global Mission,” more than 100,000 Christians were killed each year between 2000 and 2010—effectively, 11 Christians every hour. Since the time of Christ there have been 70 million Christian martyrs. More than half of those—45 million—lost their lives during the 20th century. In other words, there’s never been a more dangerous time to be a Christian than the present.

Read Asia Bibi's own words.

The online petition calling for mercy for Asia Bibi can still be found here.

For those who do not know who she is, here is the story about Asia Bibi's unjust imprisonment and death sentence for "blasphemy" against the Prophet Muhammad.

Please pray for Asia Bibi and her family.