Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy speaks out
The number of people imprisoned for blasphemy in Pakistan has surged to more than 700. A woman who spent seven years on death row for the crime says that the country’s legal system is failing Christians.
Christians falsely accused of blasphemy in Pakistan struggle to find lawyers and are discriminated against in the justice system, says Shagufta Kausar, a mother of four who was imprisoned for allegedly sending text messages insulting the Muslim Prophet Mohammed, despite being illiterate and not owning a mobile phone.
Speaking with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Kausar said that Christians, who are “the poorest of the poor” and “marginalized” in Pakistan, often fail to get justice. “In the past, radical groups have murdered lawyers or even judges who declared Christians to be innocent.”
Stressing their poverty, she added, “This means that they need financial help to hire a lawyer. For these reasons, it is difficult for us to survive both as citizens and as Christians.”
Kausar and her disabled husband were acquitted and released in 2021, after more than seven years in prison. They now live in a European country after being granted asylum.
She said, “After being sentenced to death, I suffered from heat, hunger, and separation from my family. The only thing that nurtured me, and which became my source of serenity, was my faith in Jesus Christ.
I read Matthew 6:27 [‘And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?’] – I meditated and reflected on my faith, and I felt strengthened inside. I was no longer alone; God was with me in this struggle between life and death.”
She went on to say that many Pakistani Christians like her “are unjustly accused of blasphemy and incarcerated…For us, even the simple things of daily life are difficult, because you might just be accused by a neighbor.”
Kauser concluded, “Thanks to the benefactors of Aid to the Church in Need, and to so many other friends in the world who support us, we manage not only to survive, but also to profess our faith.”
– Amy Balog
