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Are Pakistan’s ambiguous blasphemy laws enabling vigilantism?
Asian Journal of Psychiatry 29 (2017) 172–173
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Asian Journal of Psychiatry journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ajp
Letter to the Editor Are Pakistan’s ambiguous blasphemy laws enabling vigilantism?
MARK
Mashal Khan, a young student of the Abdul Wali Khan University, in Peshawar, Pakistan was recently lynched to death publically on campus at the hands of a violent mob comprising his fellow students, due to false allegations of blasphemy (Hoodbhoy, 2017). This incident, among others of its kind, has highlighted a deplorable, yet rapidly growing sentiment among the masses in Pakistan, that is, vigilantism motivated by religion, which has become a major threat to public safety in Pakistan. Blasphemy laws were introduced in Pakistan under the dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s, with the Pakistan Penal Code expanding the aforesaid laws to cover a broader category of behaviors which could be catalogued as blasphemous as well as harsher punishments ranging from life imprisonment to death (Husain, 2014). Since then, statistics have shown an exponential increase in the number of blasphemy cases registered, but what is more alarming is the rise of extra judicial killings of the accused blasphemers, from 2 killings prior to 1987 up to the current figure of 57 (Mazhar, 2016). Some of the accused were killed even before a case was registered against them, some while in police custody and others while serving a prison sentence. Ochlocracy appears to be growing steadily in Pakistan and no one is safe. A 71-year old British-Pakistani schizophrenic man sentenced to death for blasphemy, for verbalizing his blasphemous delusions in 2014, was shot by a prison guard deployed to protect him (BBC News, 2014). The threat of vigilantism particularly surrounds religious minorities, including Christians, Hindus, Ahmedi Muslims who face 52% of the registered blasphemy cases, despite comprising only 4% of the population (Mazhar, 2016). Vigilantism arises out of an evolutionary need to have a group identity-as there is strength in numbers, so is there a need to reinforce all thoughts and actions that fortify this group unity and the price of group membership is removal of any individual who challenges the group ethos (Hoodbhoy, 2017). This harsh atmosphere of social vigilantism poses a serious threat to mentally challenged individuals, including autistics, schizophrenics and manic patients whose symptoms of grandiosity or divinity related delusions, lack of insight and behavioral disinhibition puts them at risk of failing to recognize and give due reverence to what the community holds sacrosanct (Husain, 2014). Religious sanctity is a sensitive issue, but in Pakistan it is imperative to lay down clear guidelines regarding the oft misunderstood and misinterpreted blasphemy law, to prevent its misuse. A liaison between the legislative and religious leaderships is crucial. The government's failure to recognize and control this growing peril of vigilantism is a source of concern for human rights organizations within and outside the country and the onus of responsibility lies with the state of Pakistan to dispel this climate of pervasive fear and to provide its citizens with safety and freedom at every level. Author Contributions HF developed the original idea for the article. HF and TFQ drafted the initial manuscript. SBP added further ideas. SAH revised the article for intellectual content. All authors have read and approved the final paper. Conflict of interest None. Funding None. Acknowledgement None. References BBC News, 2014. Blasphemy Case: Scot Shot in Pakistan Jail. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-29357949. (Accessed 08 June 2017). Hoodbhoy, P., 2017. Why They Lynched Mashal Khan. Dawn, Karachi. Available from: https://www.dawn.com/news/1329909. (Accessed 08 June 2017). Husain, M., 2014. Blasphemy laws and mental illness in Pakistan. Psychiatr. Bull. 38 (1), 40–44. Mazhar, A., 2016. Why Blasphemy Remains Unpardonable in Pakistan. Dawn, Karachi. Available from: www.dawn.com/news/1163596/why-blasphemy-remains-unpardonable-inpakistan. (Accessed 08 June 2017).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2017.07.019 Received 8 June 2017 1876-2018/ © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Asian Journal of Psychiatry 29 (2017) 172–173
Letter to the Editor
⁎
Huda Fatima, Tooba Fatima Qadir, Syed Bilal Pasha, Syed Ather Hussain Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan E-mail address: [email protected]
⁎
Corresponding author. Permanent address: B-273 Block C, North Nazimabad, Karachi, Pakistan.
173
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Asian Journal of Psychiatry journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ajp
Letter to the Editor Are Pakistan’s ambiguous blasphemy laws enabling vigilantism?
MARK
Mashal Khan, a young student of the Abdul Wali Khan University, in Peshawar, Pakistan was recently lynched to death publically on campus at the hands of a violent mob comprising his fellow students, due to false allegations of blasphemy (Hoodbhoy, 2017). This incident, among others of its kind, has highlighted a deplorable, yet rapidly growing sentiment among the masses in Pakistan, that is, vigilantism motivated by religion, which has become a major threat to public safety in Pakistan. Blasphemy laws were introduced in Pakistan under the dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s, with the Pakistan Penal Code expanding the aforesaid laws to cover a broader category of behaviors which could be catalogued as blasphemous as well as harsher punishments ranging from life imprisonment to death (Husain, 2014). Since then, statistics have shown an exponential increase in the number of blasphemy cases registered, but what is more alarming is the rise of extra judicial killings of the accused blasphemers, from 2 killings prior to 1987 up to the current figure of 57 (Mazhar, 2016). Some of the accused were killed even before a case was registered against them, some while in police custody and others while serving a prison sentence. Ochlocracy appears to be growing steadily in Pakistan and no one is safe. A 71-year old British-Pakistani schizophrenic man sentenced to death for blasphemy, for verbalizing his blasphemous delusions in 2014, was shot by a prison guard deployed to protect him (BBC News, 2014). The threat of vigilantism particularly surrounds religious minorities, including Christians, Hindus, Ahmedi Muslims who face 52% of the registered blasphemy cases, despite comprising only 4% of the population (Mazhar, 2016). Vigilantism arises out of an evolutionary need to have a group identity-as there is strength in numbers, so is there a need to reinforce all thoughts and actions that fortify this group unity and the price of group membership is removal of any individual who challenges the group ethos (Hoodbhoy, 2017). This harsh atmosphere of social vigilantism poses a serious threat to mentally challenged individuals, including autistics, schizophrenics and manic patients whose symptoms of grandiosity or divinity related delusions, lack of insight and behavioral disinhibition puts them at risk of failing to recognize and give due reverence to what the community holds sacrosanct (Husain, 2014). Religious sanctity is a sensitive issue, but in Pakistan it is imperative to lay down clear guidelines regarding the oft misunderstood and misinterpreted blasphemy law, to prevent its misuse. A liaison between the legislative and religious leaderships is crucial. The government's failure to recognize and control this growing peril of vigilantism is a source of concern for human rights organizations within and outside the country and the onus of responsibility lies with the state of Pakistan to dispel this climate of pervasive fear and to provide its citizens with safety and freedom at every level. Author Contributions HF developed the original idea for the article. HF and TFQ drafted the initial manuscript. SBP added further ideas. SAH revised the article for intellectual content. All authors have read and approved the final paper. Conflict of interest None. Funding None. Acknowledgement None. References BBC News, 2014. Blasphemy Case: Scot Shot in Pakistan Jail. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-29357949. (Accessed 08 June 2017). Hoodbhoy, P., 2017. Why They Lynched Mashal Khan. Dawn, Karachi. Available from: https://www.dawn.com/news/1329909. (Accessed 08 June 2017). Husain, M., 2014. Blasphemy laws and mental illness in Pakistan. Psychiatr. Bull. 38 (1), 40–44. Mazhar, A., 2016. Why Blasphemy Remains Unpardonable in Pakistan. Dawn, Karachi. Available from: www.dawn.com/news/1163596/why-blasphemy-remains-unpardonable-inpakistan. (Accessed 08 June 2017).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2017.07.019 Received 8 June 2017 1876-2018/ © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Asian Journal of Psychiatry 29 (2017) 172–173
Letter to the Editor
⁎
Huda Fatima, Tooba Fatima Qadir, Syed Bilal Pasha, Syed Ather Hussain Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan E-mail address: [email protected]
⁎
Corresponding author. Permanent address: B-273 Block C, North Nazimabad, Karachi, Pakistan.
173