Australian Newspaper article on Asia Bibi

We can’t let Asia Bibi die for her Christianity in Pakistan

Rita Panahi, Herald Sun

October 17, 2016 6:02pm

Mother-of-five Asia Bibi is likely to be hanged for the “crime” of being Christian in a Muslim country, after she was sentenced to death in a Pakistani court on trumped-up charges of blasphemy.

Even if the farm worker were guilty of insulting the prophet Muhammad — and the evidence suggests she was not — it is obscene that she should be facing the death penalty for such a spurious “crime”.

Also obscene is that the country that wants to carry out this savagery is the beneficiary of tens of millions of Australian dollars.

Pakistan will receive $55.8 million in aid from Australia this year. It receives much more from other Western nations, such as Britain.

Why should Australian taxpayers’ hard-earned be sent to a despotic nation that not only tolerates horrific abuse in the name of Islam but plans to kill a woman for supposedly insulting their religion?

This isn’t a crazed mob carrying out a lynching but a death sentence to be carried out by the state.

Bibi and her family are precisely the type of people Australia should be helping through diplomatic channels — we should also be offering them asylum.

As Christians, they face significant dangers in Pakistan, not just from law enforcement authorities but from neighbours and co-workers who see them as less than human.

Christian women and girls are regularly abducted in Pakistan. Some are killed, others forced to convert and marry, and many are never heard from again.

If Pakistan does carry out the execution or refuses to release Bibi, Australia should cut all aid and consider further sanctions, including sporting bans.

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have signed petitions demanding justice for Bibi but perhaps banning Pakistan’s cricket team from touring Australia would send a stronger message.

Australian teams no longer tour Pakistan owing to security concerns, and we should not hesitate to ban their sporting teams from competing in Australia.

Bibi’s nightmare began in mid-2009 when she was working as a farmhand in the province of Punjab. In searing heat, she was sent to fetch water from a well.

Her crime was to use a cup shared by the other farm workers to drink some of the water.

Another female farmhand, who already had a feud with Bibi, claimed she had “soiled” the utensil and the water supply with her unclean, Christian hands. Bibi was accused of “defiling the water”.

Bibi recounts what happened: “She said: ‘Listen to me, she has soiled the glass with her hands and dirtied the water in the well. We can’t drink the water any more because of her’.

"It was so unfair. For once, I decided to defend myself and to hold my head high.

“I said: ‘I think Jesus would have a different viewpoint to Mohammed’.

"The woman replied: ‘How do you dare to question the Prophet, dirty animal?’ Three other women joined in, shouting ‘it’s true, you’re nothing but a dirty Christian’.”

Our Terrible Choices for President

Our Terrible Choices for President

I lost sleep the night of the last Presidential candidate debate.   I am distressed by the rhetoric and embarrassed for our country that in spite of all the wonderful people who would actually be qualified to be President of the United States, we have 2 horrible choices.  

Hillary is guilty of criminal activity (and a lot more) - - but apparently has the right connections to avoid being prosecuted.  She also has both a public and private position - - which simply means that she says whatever it takes to get votes.  Being dishonest and not being forthright means she is a liar and not to be trusted.  She is a woman - - so a lot of people will vote for her just because they want a female president for the first time in the history of the country - - and they will do so to our final unraveling and demise if she is elected.  I would love to have a woman President - - but I want the right woman, and she's not it.  

Our other option is Donald Trump.  Yikes!  Trump is certainly less than laudable.  Far less.  I hate his horrible comments about women and his entitled view of being able to get whatever he wants from women because of his power and financial status.  I also question his ability to negotiate and work with people to move our country forward.  He loses his cool too easily, did not give direct answers to  the questions he was asked, and takes things personally instead of refocusing on policies.  He is definitely not a silver-tongued orator.   But - - he makes some good points.  Fewer than I'd like, but some.  

Still, no matter how bad Trump is - - and he clearly has red flag issues for me - - he is far better than Hillary, and that is saying a lot.  She is dangerous - - and just for the record, Hillary is entitled, too.  She is at the very least equally out of touch with the challenges of the normal taxpayer.  But even beyond that, her policies will destroy us.  

I hate the mud-slinging on both sides - - and hate that the mainstream media is conspicuously inequitable in their reporting.  It seems to me that they jump on the slightest negative about Donald and fail to investigate any of the scathing claims about Hillary.  When he claimed his inappropriate comments made over a decade ago were "locker-room talk" even I understood that he meant it was just "the braggadocio" common to some guys.  Disgusting, but unfortunately true.  But what did the media do?  Run to real locker rooms to interview sports figures and ask if that is what they say in the locker room!  Preposterous.  I do not and will not defend his sickening words.  They are awful, and they definitely do reflect a huge flaw in his character.  

However, the media is all too eager to point out his flaws - - but not Hillary's.  It would be fair if they were equally hard on Hillary.  They don't do the same due diligence in their reporting of her escapades.  Nothing has been said about Hillary's purported infidelities.   I guess if there is no tape there is no proof.  Her alleged behaviors don't necessarily preclude her being a good President - - but her policies do, her lies do, her criminal behavior does and her protection of her criminal husband does.

The video I saw online that recorded an interview with women Bill Clinton raped reports that Hillary knew.   It appears that Hillary encouraged Bill's lust, rapes and external liaisons.  That is even more horrible than the words Donald said.  And - - Bill should be in prison, not on the verge of being "first man" in the white house.  I still have a visual of him implanted in my head from when he had Monica Lewinsky under his desk in the Oval Office of the White House giving him oral sex.  I remember that he lied, saying he didn't have sex with her...and later qualified his original statement with the rationalization that because it was not normal intercourse he didn't consider it sex.  

If the media wants this election to be about sexual innuendo and sexual impropriety they should report about both candidates.    Those may have been Bill's rapes and indiscretions, but Hillary cannot say she champions women if she knew and said nothing to protect the women he assaulted or failed to promote his prosecution.  That makes her complicit, and just as guilty as he is.  Her behavior goes far beyond mere enabling.

One positive thing Donald brings to the role is a very successful history as a businessman and that gives us at least a glimmer of hope for moving toward getting America's debt under control; and even more importantly he is the only one of the two major candidates who has the likelihood of approving Supreme Court Justices who will actually be equitable in their judgments and bring balance to the Court.  That's huge!   Even Donald knows that.  On July 28, 2016 I heard him say on T V, "If you really like Donald Trump, that's great, but if you don't you have to vote for me anyway.  You know why? Supreme Court Judges.  Supreme Court Judges."

(Yes, he has an annoying habit of repeating himself...repeating himself.")  He went on to add, "Have no choice, sorry, sorry, sorry.  You have no choice."  He's right!  

His third ace is his running mate.  In my view the only candidate running for the top 2 positions in our country who is worthy of holding the office is Pence.  When Donald said he did a good job in his first "hire" by asking Pence to be his running mate, he was spot on.  I wish everyone who is sick to death of how horribly awful our choices are could just write in his name and have him be the next President.  Sadly, it doesn't work that way.  But having Pence on the ticket is another glimmer of hope....  I just wish he had the top slot.  

The reality is that it is the Electoral College who chooses the President, not the majority vote of the people.  It is all very confusing.  

I grieve for America.  Truly, I am afraid that we already lost the America we love - - but this election is critical to fostering any residual hope of stemming the current tide.  

I am so glad that my hope is not in the Donkey or the Elephant.  My hope is in the Lamb!  The Lamb who is also the Lion of Judah.  

So - - given my options, I am voting for the Trump-Pence ticket and praying for Divine intervention! 

P S:  I was truly surprised when Trump got the Republican nomination.  He got it because so many people are sick of politics on both sides of the aisle.  At least he offers us a slight glimmer of hope....  Hillary's offers come at the price of higher deficits and compromised security.   A sliver of hope or hopelessness....those are our choices.  

Still counting on the Lamb.