Now we go to a case that has been widely reported on. Asia Bibi, whose real
name is Aasiya Noreen, is a Pakistani Christian woman who became
internationally known due to her blasphemy case. Her story is a harrowing
tale of faith, resilience, and the fight for justice.
In June 2009, Asia Bibi was working in the fields with her Muslim co-workers
in the village of Ittan Wali, Punjab. An argument broke out when she was
asked to fetch water, and some of the women refused to drink from the same
container as her, citing her Christian faith. This led to a heated exchange,
during which Asia was accused of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet
Muhammad.
The accusations quickly escalated, and she was arrested and charged with
blasphemy. In November 2010, a local court sentenced Asia Bibi to death by
hanging. Her case drew widespread attention and condemnation from human
rights organizations, religious leaders, and governments around the world.
Despite the international outcry, Asia Bibi remained on death row for nearly
eight years. During this time, her family faced constant threats and had to
go into hiding. Two prominent Pakistani politicians, Punjab Governor Salmaan
Taseer and Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, were assassinated for
advocating on her behalf and opposing the blasphemy laws.
Finally, in October 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted Asia Bibi,
citing insufficient evidence and contradictions in the testimonies of the
witnesses. The decision sparked violent protests by Islamist groups across
the country, leading the government to temporarily bar her from leaving
Pakistan.
After months of uncertainty and continued threats to her life, Asia Bibi was
finally allowed to leave Pakistan in May 2019. She was granted asylum in
Canada, where she was reunited with her family and began a new life.
Believers in Western countries are, of course, sympathetic toward the plight
of other believers who live under far-flung regimes, yet those same
believers sometimes reason that persecution for their faith will never touch
them, living in a more civilized country.
Yet, persecution doesn't make its way into a country by dropping out the sky
in its full blown murderous form. It is like a disease. It takes root, and
grows. It keeps on growing if it isn't observed and stopped. Once full
blown, it may be too late to stop it.
Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a speech at the Munich Security
Conference on Friday, February 14, 2025 that seemed to express concern that
the UK was drifting on this in the wrong direction. In his address, he
criticized the UK for its enforcement of buffer zone laws around abortion
clinics, highlighting cases where individuals were penalized for silently
praying near these facilities. He said that people who were silently praying
were being arrested for "thought crime."
Vice President Vance's speech referred to laws in the UK that create "buffer
zones" around abortion clinics, where certain activities, including silent
prayer, are restricted. If your home happens to be within the restricted
zone you may not even be allowed to pray in your own home! These laws aim to
protect individuals seeking abortion services from potential harassment or
distress - or some might say - they protect the massive stream of profits
that come from the abortion system.
In Scotland, the "Safe Access Zones" law, which came into effect on
September 24, 2024, bans activities such as silent vigils, handing out
leaflets, and religious preaching within 200 meters (about 650 feet) of
abortion facilities. Violating this law can result in fines up to £10,000
(more than $12,000) or even higher.
In England, similar buffer zone laws have been enforced. In November 2022,
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, was arrested for silently praying near an abortion
clinic in Birmingham, England. The area around the clinic was designated as
a "buffer zone" under a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which
prohibited activities such as protests, vigils, and even silent prayer
within a certain distance of the clinic. Isabel was accused of violating
this order, and her arrest was widely criticized as a violation of her right
to freedom of thought and expression.
Despite being acquitted in February 2023, Isabel was arrested again a few
weeks later for the same alleged offense. This second arrest further
highlighted the contentious nature of the buffer zone laws and their impact
on religious freedom.
In August 2024, Isabel received compensation from West Midlands Police for
her wrongful arrests and the breach of her human rights. She was awarded
£13,000 in recognition of the unjust treatment she endured. Isabel would not
be stopped in her appeal to heaven for the lives of the unborn, and her
faith and courage is an inspiration.
Women have power for good, especially believing women, and don't let anyone
tell you otherwise. England has produced a long line of believing women who
have changed the course of history for the better. For example, the British
women who boycotted companies involved in the slave trade played a
significant role in abolishing slavery. One notable figure among them was
Elizabeth Heyrick, a Quaker from Leicester. In the 1820s, she was appalled
by Britain's continued involvement in slavery, particularly in the sugar
plantations of the West Indies. Sister Heyrick was not opposed to sugar. She
was opposed to treating fellow-humans in the image of God as if they were
animals. (BTW, guess which side the evolutionists were on).
Heyrick launched a campaign to encourage ordinary Britons to stop using
sugar produced by slave labor. She wrote a pamphlet titled "Immediate, not
Gradual Abolition," which called for the immediate end of slavery and urged
people to boycott West Indian sugar. Her efforts were supported by Christian
women's societies, which distributed boycott pamphlets and compiled lists of
people who had given up sugar for the sake of their fellow-man.
The boycott gained significant traction, with many grocers stopping the sale
of West Indian sugar and promoting sugar from the East Indies instead. It is
estimated that at the height of the boycott, around 400,000 people had given
up using sugar produced by slave labor. More than any other population, we
can thank Believing English women for the end of the slave trade in the
1800s. Women, especially believing women, have power for good, and they have
used it, and continue to use it, to uphold righteousness and justice in the
world. Don't even try to silence them, you tyrants and despots, because they
will defeat you in ways you haven't even imagined!
Women like this remind us that there are things that are more important than
life itself. Your faith is one of those things. Don't give that up for any
reason! And don't worry - if that's your position you can be sure He will be
with you - no matter what comes. Join us for our live stream panel discussion
tonight, at
Tsiyon.Net
at 8 PM, entitled: Facing Persecution. You will be glad you did.
Eliyahu
Tsiyon.Org
See this tonight!
