The Correct Way to Deal with Blasphemy

The Correct Way to Deal with Blasphemy Anti-blasphemy laws actually increase the incidents of alleged blasphemy

BY M. BASHEER AHMED

“When it comes to blasphemy cases, even if the court declares you innocent, public sentiments are so high that they’d deliver their own verdict and be the judge, the jury and the witness, resulting in mob-killings.” BBC, “The Accused: Damned or Devoted?” February 2020

Angelina E. Theodorou writes that as of 2014, 26% of the world’s countries and territories had anti-blasphemy laws or policies (Pew Research Center, “Which countries still outlaw apostasy and blasphemy?”).

In a number of (formerly) Christian-majority states, such laws may criminalize abusive or scurrilous speech about Christianity and often other religions and students accused him of posting derogatory comtheir adherents, because such incidents “have the tendency to lead to a breach ments on social media about the Prophet. Rashid of peace” (Kamran Hashemi, “Religious Legal Traditions, International Human Rehman, a prominent human rights lawyer who Rights Law and Muslim States,” 2008, p. 45). took up his case, was shot dead on May 7, 2014. In

However, the injudicious application of these laws and policies often defeats December 2019 Hafeez, who maintains his innocence the intended objectives. Consider the British colonial era the Indian Penal Code, and states that he comes from a religious family, was which remains in force in India and Pakistan. It was ostensibly enacted in 1860 to found guilty and sentenced to death. He remains in create harmony among the Subcontinent’s diverse populations through a uniform solitary confinement. application of the law. Rising commu- Hafeez’s case is not unique. nal tensions during the 1920s due to PUNISHING ALLEGED In April 2017 a vigilante mob various Hindu and Muslim revivalist movements, caused the relevant laws BLASPHEMERS VIOLATES THE killed Mashal Khan, a 23-yearold university journalism student, to be amended in 1927 largely to main- QURANIC AND PROPHETIC and mutilated his corpse on the tain public order. On May 8, 2008, the TEACHINGS. IN FACT, PEOPLE WHO grounds that he had posted disreCriminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 abolished the blasphemy laws of England and Wales (but not Scotland). SEEK TO “PROTECT” GOD OR HIS MESSENGER VIA LYNCHING OR spectful statements on Facebook. In 2010 Asia Bibi, a Christian female farm laborer from cen-

The British-era section 295A, ISSUING DEATH THREATS ARE tral Punjab, was accused of which includes an anti-blasphemy THEMSELVES AN INSULT TO ISLAM insulting the Prophet, charged law, of the [now] Indian [Pakistani and Myanmar] penal code, has not been AND THE PROPHET. with blasphemy and sentenced to death. Pakistan’s Supreme repealed. Both India and Pakistan have Court acquitted her in January used it to prevent a free and honest discussion on religious issues, a policy that 2019. Punjab governor Salman Taseer and federal threatens free expression. minority affairs minister Shahbaz Bhatti were killed

Muslim scholars define blasphemy as insulting or showing disrespect, contempt for supporting her. or lack of reverence to God, Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alyahi wa sallam), Angry Muslims demonstrated against Charlie the Quran and the prophets mentioned therein. The five main jurisprudential Hebdo of Paris, a satirical magazine, for publishing schools — Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi, Hanbali and Ja‘fari — regard it as a capital offense. cartoons that ridiculed God and the prophets. On Jan. Hanafi, Shafi, and Ja‘fari scholars pardon those who repent; Maliki scholars do not. 7, 2015, two Muslims killed 12 of its employees. The

Let us consider the case of Pakistan as an example. During 1987 to 2017, more subsequent edition had a print run of 7.95 million than 1,500 cases were registered in Pakistan and some 75 extrajudicial killings copies in six languages, compared to its typical print have occurred. The ongoing Junaid Hafeez case illustrates the dichotomy between run of 60,000 in French only. the Quran and the juristic position. Clearly, the Muslims’ negative reaction only made

A Fulbright scholar in Mississippi, Hafeez returned home in March 2013 the magazine more popular. In response, an anti-Musand joined the faculty of a university in Multan. He was arrested after some lim group in Texas held a cartoon contest specifically to

insult the Prophet (www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ shooting-outside-draw-muhammad-contest-texas-n352996). Copies of the Quran were burned in the U.S. and other countries.

A few Baha’is in Iran, Qadianis in Pakistan, Shias in Saudi Arabia and Christians in Egypt and Indonesia face blasphemy charges. In some instances, mobs don’t wait for the allegations to be substantiated. Seemingly, some Muslim jurists have also become judge, jury and executioner in such cases.

NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES

Many deemed novelist Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses” offensive to the Prophet. The vast majority of Muslims supported Ayatollah Khomeini’s fatwa of death against him, held rallies worldwide and burned copies of the book. Hitoshi Igarashi, the novel’s Japanese translator, was stabbed to death.

The fatwa only led some to turn against Islam and increased the book’s sales. Rushdie received honors and recognition in many countries, including a knighthood from the U.K.

Sheikh Ahmed Deedat (d. 2005), the well-known speaker on Islam, once stated: “The biggest enemy of Islam is an ignorant Muslim. His ignorance leads him to intolerance, and his actions destroy the true image of Islam. The people, in general, think that he is what Islam is.”

Many classical-era Muslim scholars justified capital punishment based on their understanding of the relevant texts. However, their opinions are not eternal norms. Mohammad Hashim Kamali (“Freedom of Expression in Islam,” 1994), Taha Jaber Al-Alwani (“La Ikraha fi al-Din: Apostasy in Islam,” 2003) and other scholars oppose such rulings.

Some argue that earlier scholars feared that those who renounced Islam and joined the enemy might annihilate Muslims. Some rulers have often misused such laws to rid themselves of political opponents. Given that there are 1.8 billion Muslims today, is this “fear” still realistic? There is also freedom of speech and religion. Of course any criticism of one’s religion hurts one’s feelings, but it in no way lowers the value of religion in its adherents’ eyes.

Most of the prophets sent by God throughout history were ridiculed, mocked and even tortured (36:30). And yet the Quran states that their opponents will be punished only in the Hereafter. As did Prophet Muhammad, these men only showed kindness toward such people.

QURANIC VERSES ON BLASPHEMY

• “If you hear God’s revelations being mocked and ridiculed, don’t sit with them unless they delve into another subject. Otherwise you will be as guilty as they are. God will gather the hypocrites and the disbelievers together in Hell” (4:140) • “Do not befriend those among the recipients of previous scripture who mock and ridicule your religion, nor befriend the disbelievers.” (5:57) • “... but indeed, they uttered blasphemy. If they repent, it will be best for them.

But if they turn back (to their evil ways), Allah will punish them ... (9:74) • Their just requital is Hell, in return for their disbelief, and for mocking My revelations and My messengers. (18:106) • He had punished these people, annihilated them and destroyed them as they did not take the truth seriously. (36:30) • The evil of their deeds will become evident to them, and the very things they mocked will come back and haunt them. (45:33) • Furthermore, have patience with what they say and leave them with noble (dignity). (73:10)

Verses 33:60-61 indicate that hypocrites were to be executed for committing treason against the state, not for blasphemy. According to Kamali, the dominant Quranic meaning of fitna (tumult) is “seditious speech that attacks a government’s legitimacy and denies believers the right to practice their faith.”

PROPHETIC GUIDELINES

The Prophet never called for executing his opponents. When an old woman who regularly threw garbage at him fell sick, he visited her. He didn’t take revenge on Suhail bin Amr, the poet who blasphemed him, but asked his Companions to treat him kindly after he was captured during the Battle of Badr. He also rejected his Companions’ advice to execute Abd Allah b. Ubayy, the chief hypocrite, because “People will say that Muhammad kills his Companions.”

Pro-death penalty scholars often cite the execution of the Jewish poet Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf to justify the death sentence, disregarding the fact that he was killed for treachery, not blasphemy.

While negotiating the Hudaybiyah treaty, the Makkan delegation asked Muhammad not to sign his name as the “Prophet of God.” He did so, reminding the upset Companions yet again that an angry response is counterproductive, for even the worst offenders could become friends by humility and gentle treatment. He forgave his archenemy Abu Sufyan and his wife Hind, who promised to free the slave Wahshi if he would kill and then mutilate Hamza’s corpse. Hamza was one of the Prophet’s uncles.

When a Companion slapped a Jew for saying that Moses was superior to the Prophet, the Prophet admonished him not to indulge in such a comparison.

Prophet Muhammad, sent as a mercy to humanity and a blessing to the universe, was entrusted only with getting all people to live in peace and harmony.

Punishing alleged blasphemers violates the Quranic and Prophetic teachings. In fact, people who seek to “protect” God or His Messenger via lynching or issuing death threats are themselves an insult to Islam and the Prophet. ih