FREED

Pakistani Court Clears Christian Woman on Death Row for Blasphemy

Asia Bibi was sentenced to death in 2010 for “defiling the name of the Prophet Mohammed.”

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted a Christian woman who was previously sentenced to death after being convicted of blasphemy, CNN reports. Asia Bibi, a mother of five, was sentenced to hang in 2010 after she was accused of “defiling the name of the Prophet Mohammed” during an argument with her Muslim co-workers. According to the network, Bibi’s co-workers refused to drink water from a bucket she had touched “because she was not Muslim.” Bibi said the women were simply “taking revenge” against her by accusing her of blasphemy. In its ruling, the court quoted Shakespeare’s King Lear, saying Bibi seemed to have been “more sinned against than sinning.” Protests broke out in Islamabad and Lahore in reaction to the ruling, primarily from the Tehreek-e Labbaik Islamist movement. Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed the protests, calling it a “disgusting response” that does not help Islam.