A Pakistani woman was sentenced to death for allegedly sending blasphemous messages over WhatsApp and Facebook, by a local court. Twenty-six-year old Aneeqa Ateeq was arrested in May 2020 and charged with posting ‘blasphemous material’ as her WhatsApp status and forwarding the same to a friend. She was accused of posting caricatures of Prophet Mohammed.
In Pakistan, blasphemy is an act punishable by death. The Rawalpindi court awarded her a death sentence under Section 295-C [blasphemy] and imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on her. The accused has also been given a 20-year jail sentence along with a total fine of Rs 2,00,000 under various sections of Pakistani Penal Code for hurting religious sentiments and posing as a Muslim.
A #WhatsApp post can get you death sentence in #Pakistan. Aneeqa Ateeq is sentenced to death while the killer of 144 APS kids was let go out of the country from a safe house. pic.twitter.com/FULkar4gmu
— Dr. Asim Yousafzai (@asimusafzai) January 19, 2022
“The blasphemous material which was shared/installed by the female accused on her status [on WhatsApp messaging platform] and the messages as well as caricatures which were sent to the complainant are totally unbearable and not tolerable for a Muslim,” the judge wrote in his verdict.
However, in her plea to the court, the woman said she was deliberately pulled into a religious controversy by his male friend and the petitioner of the chargesheet after she refused “to be friendly” towards him. The two had met online and connected on WhatsApp.
Reacting to the news, former Pakistan ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani said: “blasphemy mania continues unabated. Why don’t they leave these matters to be judged by God, not fallible men?”
Blasphemy mania continues unabated. Why don’t they leave these matters yo be judged by God, not fallible men? ?’Woman sentenced to death in Pakistan over ‘blasphemous’ whatsapp messages.’ via @guardian https://t.co/w0ZmlsFPQQ
— Husain Haqqani (@husainhaqqani) January 20, 2022
Author Asim Yousafzai said that “a WhatsApp post can get you death sentence in Pakistan.. while the killer of 144 Army Public School kids was let go out of the country from a safe house”.
A #WhatsApp post can get you death sentence in #Pakistan. Aneeqa Ateeq is sentenced to death while the killer of 144 APS kids was let go out of the country from a safe house. pic.twitter.com/FULkar4gmu
— Dr. Asim Yousafzai (@asimusafzai) January 19, 2022
Several other social media users expressed solidarity with the accused woman.
#Blasphemy is a dark side of #FailedStatePakistan, where innocents esp Minorities are subject to violence for no fault of theirs.
26-year-old Aneeqa Ateeq sentenced to death under 295C over posting 'blasphemous'.
This is really shocking & barbarous.#AnarchyinPakistan pic.twitter.com/dWwPVes0bV
— Puii (@Puii14072486) January 20, 2022
Islam mandates violence against anyone who disagrees with its tenets. It is perhaps the most oppressive ideology on the planet, particularly with regards to women. We stand in solidarity with Aneeqa Ateeq, sentenced to death for #blasphemy in Pakistan.https://t.co/vleWAyoQlm
— Alliance of Former Muslims ?? (@Ex_Muslims_Irl) January 20, 2022
Aneeqa Ateeq, 26 arrested in 2020 charged for blasphemy for posting something on her watsapp, Pindi court ordered to hanged by her neck till she is dead. What a shame for this country CJ or Justice Athar Minallah must take up this case. @hrw @UN_HRC @HRCP87 #JusticeForAneeqa
— Aaliya Shah (@AaliyaShah1) January 19, 2022
According to a report by Human Rights Without Frontiers, 1,865 people were charged in Pakistan for Blasphemy between 1987 and 2021. There was a spike in 2020, when over 200 cases were registered under the controversial law. Since 1990, 70 people have been murdered or lynched over accusations of blasphemy.