Poem on rapes shared by Pakistani blogger. Arrested for insulting Allah

 In New Delhi, a Pakistani blogger was recently charged with blasphemy and jailed for sharing a poem expressing solidarity. Asma Batool, a blogger from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, shared a poem by Salman Haider on social media. The poem highlighted the harassment faced by women in South Asian countries in the wake of the Kolkata rape case. The poem Batool shared on Facebook included a powerful line: "Khuda, Bhagwan or Ishwar, sab maujood they, jab rape hua" (All the gods were present when I was being violated). She also posted another poem on Instagram with the caption, “Your country is the same as mine.”

Poem on rapes shared by Pakistani blogger. Arrested for insulting Allah

Following this, Batool was arrested on blasphemy charges after religious clerics filed a First Information Report (FIR) against her, accusing her of insulting Allah. The FIR was filed on August 25 by Maulana Tahir Bashir, the president of Ahlus Sunnat Wal Jamaat District in Poonch. Batool’s family, in response, filed a complaint with the local police, stating that a mob had attacked their home, threatened to kill them, and attempted to set their house on fire, accusing them of abandoning their faith. Videos circulating on social media also show a mob, led by local clerics, demanding Batool’s family disown her or face social ostracism.

This incident has sparked outrage among activists nationwide, who are now calling for her immediate release and the removal of what they claim are fabricated charges. 

Journalist Sabahat Zakariya commented on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Asma Batool…has been arrested for blasphemy charges for sharing a poem on her social media. Aap maane ya na maaney, this is Pakistan” (whether you agree or not, this is Pakistan). Zakariya further argued that the current situation in Pakistan is a result of stoking communal sentiments for secessionism rather than promoting dialogue within a diverse society.

Batool has been a vocal critic of the oppression of minorities in Pakistan on social media, and her YouTube channel features videos of her celebrating Holi and discussing the people of Kashmir.

Social media users are both shocked and curious about the situation. One user on X expressed frustration, writing, “Can’t wait for them to discover Iqbal (Allama Iqbal) and how ‘blasphemous’ he gets. This is disgusting, and I seriously can’t begin to see how we can ever reverse it.” 

Human rights activist Gulalai Ismail also condemned Batool’s arrest, stating, “Blasphemy law is the new sedition law; a tool used by the civil-military establishment to punish dissent.”

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which prohibit derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad, have been a source of significant controversy. These laws can lead to severe penalties, including the death penalty. Since 1947, at least 89 people have been extrajudicially killed over blasphemy accusations, including high-profile figures such as Governor Salman Taseer and Minister Shahbaz Bhatti.

As of early 2021, approximately 80 individuals were imprisoned on blasphemy charges in Pakistan, many of whom face life sentences or even the death penalty.

Human Rights Watch highlighted the growing use of blasphemy laws to target individuals for comments made on social media, describing this trend as a "dangerous escalation." In its 2024 report on blasphemy cases in Pakistan, the organization expressed concern over the increasing suppression of free speech and the targeting of religious minorities.

In January 2023, Pakistan’s National Assembly passed the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, which increased the penalty for disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad’s family from three years to ten years in prison, along with a fine of 1 million Pakistani rupees. This legislative change has raised fears of worsening human rights abuses and the further persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan.