A few ago the Governor of a Pakistani province was killed by a Pakistani muslim because he claimed the Governor had committed blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed. The assassin has become a national hero. And the already tense situation in Pakistan, especially for Christians has become even more worrisome.
The Washington Post reports:
“In the days since [Governor] Taseer’s death, Pakistan has become a different country. The veneer of Western democracy has been ripped away, the liberal elite has been cowed into silence, and the civilian government has beaten a hasty retreat from morality, authority and law. Islamic extremist groups, once dismissed as unable to win more than a few seats in Parliament, are filling the streets, with bearded acolytes waving flags and chanting like giddy crowds at a post-game victory rally.
Suddenly, a crucial U.S. ally in the fight against terrorism seems incapable of stopping a tide of intolerant and violent Islam at home – raising doubts about Pakistan’s ability to play a constructive role in the war against the Taliban or to help the United States extricate its forces from Afghanistan, Pakistan’s northern neighbor.
Qadri, who happily confessed to murdering the politician he was assigned to protect, has little chance of being convicted. Instead of suffering ostracism, he was greeted with handshakes and garlands by courthouse lawyers, who offered to defend him pro bono. The provincial court system, notorious for freeing radical Islamic leaders, is unlikely to condemn a national religious hero.
‘There is no justice in our country for the common man, but Qadri’s act against a blasphemer has made all Muslims feel stronger,’ a shopkeeper in Rawalpindi told me. ‘They can punish him, but what will they do with a million Qadris who have been born now?'”
More here.
Ekklesia reports on the situation here.