Shafqat Emmanuel, a disabled Pakistani man and his wife Shagufta Kausar were arrested in July for committing blasphemy via text message. It is known that the couple is Christian and that they are illiterate. On Friday, the couple were sentenced to death by a court in Toba Tek Singh on Friday.
Pakistan is a Muslim nation and the Christians living there normally try their best to keep a low profile. However, incidents of persecution of Christians like that of Shafqat and Shagufta are very common, even though the Pakistani constitution guarantees freedom of religion and worship. At the same time however, their laws concerning blasphemy make it illegal and criminal to insult Islam.
Christian leaders and organizations from all over the world expressed great concern for the couple’s hardship. World Vision in Progress announced that they will be looking after their four children who currently no guardians, along with their international partners. In 2013 alone, around 36 people were convicted of blasphemy ever since the laws were first passed during the 1980s.
However, there were incidences when false accusations and charges were pressed on Christians and other religious minorities. On Friday’s case as well, the government never revealed the content of the text messages that were exchanged between Shafqat Emmanuel and his wife that started all the controversy. Moreover, it is also believed that the couple was in face illiterate.
The situation will be monitored and further investigated, for it is believed that the death sentence will not be carried out very soon.
