Salman Taseer, governor of Punjab province, stood up for what he believed in.
He campaigned vigorously against Pakistan’s blasphemy law. If you insult Islam, it is a crime punishable by death.
Taseer grew up with democratic ideals that he learned from his western style school, but he still considered himself a Muslim.
He just wanted the law reformed, he didn’t think the death sentence was necessary. Especially, when most of its victims were of the poorer class, not Pakistani elite.
But instead of being cheered as a revolutionary, he was murdered by his own bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri.
When Qadri arrived at court to pay for his crime, he was showered with rose petals and garlands.
An assassin was given a hero’s welcome. A despicable creature was honored for killing the man he was supposed to protect.
But it gets worse.
Taseer’s family went from mosque to mosque, begging for an Islamic priest to read the funeral prayers. Every one gave a simple answer: No.
How disgusting is that?
A man who stands up for freedom of speech and for the lower class should be honored.
He wasn’t even standing up against the religion itself. He merely wanted to change the laws that killed innocent people.
I can’t help but wonder why the Pakistani government thinks this is acceptable.
Why isn’t the government publicly standing out against this death?
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and his ministers refuse to acknowledge Taseer’s work.
Another Pakistani government official, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said he would shoot any blasphemer himself.
Why aren’t his colleagues (I hate to call them that) standing up for the same rights he fought for?
It makes me appreciate America even more.
I don’t worry that I will be gunned down for speaking my mind.
Taseer shouldn’t have had to either.