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The MEMRI Daily: August 11, 2010

The following is research published today from MEMRI’s Special Dispatch Series, the MEMRI TV Project, and the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor. *Special Dispatch Series Special Dispatch No. 3159—Urdu-Pashtu Media Project Human Rights Campaigner I. A. Rehman Examines Pakistan's Controversial Blasphemy Law and Its Misuse Against Christians, Other Minorities On July 19, 2010, two Christians, pastor Rashid Emmanuel and his brother Sajjad, were shot dead on the premises of a court in Pakistan's Faisalabad city. The two had been accused of distributing blasphemous materials; a case had been filed against them under Section 295-C of the Pakistani Penal Code (PPP) for distributing handwritten pamphlets that contained blasphemous materials. According to the report, the pamphlets carried two cellphone numbers which led to the brothers' arrest, following a complaint lodged by one Khurram, who is believed to be member of the little known Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool (Movement for the Prophet's Dignity). In another case, a 60-year-old woman, Zaibun Nisa or Zainab Bibi, spent 14 years in a Pakistani prison for an alleged act of blasphemy against the Holy Koran, though no court trial took place and no police case was filed against her. The Lahore High Court, which ordered her release after no evidence was found against her, expressed dismay over her long detention "without any trial." The woman was also found to be mentally unstable. The cases cited above have caused fresh concerns over Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws. One of them, Section 295-C, carries the death penalty. In most blasphemy cases, Pakistan's trial courts in Pakistan cannot deliver impartial judgments because of threats from armed religious groups, and sometimes even from vigilante policemen, who take it upon themselves to implement their own form of instant justice against the accused. The blasphemy laws have also attracted international attention, especially for their misuse against minority communities in Pakistan such as Christians, Hindus and Ahmadi Muslims. Several human rights campaigners and members of minority communities have demanded changes in these laws. However, no Pakistani minister wants to risk his life by introducing such legislation. In a recent article, "Blasphemy Law Revisited," I. A. Rehman, the internationally renowned Pakistani human rights campaigner, examined the damage the blasphemy laws are doing to Pakistani society. To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4519.htm. Special Dispatch No. 3160—Jordan Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood Secretary-General Hamza Mansour: 'The Role of the Jordanians Is One of Blood and Martyrdom... The Time for Us to Play Our Role is Drawing Near' Following are excerpts from a public address delivered by Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood secretary-general Hamza Mansour. The address aired on Al-Aqsa TV on July 16, 2010. To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/2574.htm. To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4520.htm. *From the MEMRI TV Project MEMRI TV Clip No. 2570 Muhammad Dabbah, Secretary-General of Palestinian Communist Party: Our Main Enemy Is "The Filthy, Criminal, Despicable U.S. and British Imperialism" Following are excerpts from an interview with Muhammad Dabbah, secretary-general of the Palestinian Communist Party, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on July 30, 2010: *From the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor The Caucasus Emirate: The Fires in Russia Are Punishment from Allah and a Sign of the Mujahideen's Imminent Victory over the Russian Infidels The website Imarat Al-Qawqaz, which describes itself as an independent site that posts communiques and messages by the jihad organization known as the Caucasus Emirate, has posted a sermon written by the organization's "Shari'a team" dealing with the fires raging in Russia. The sermon, posted August 9, 2010, expresses satisfaction over the plight of the "Russian infidels," and describes the fires as a punishment from Allah for their heresy and their persecution of the mujahideen. It says that the Muslims must beseech Allah to intensify the fires so that that the Russians will be preoccupied with their disaster, and calls on the Russians to convert to Islam as the only way to be saved. Finally, it exhorts the Muslims to join the jihad or assist it in order to ensure their place in Paradise. Following are excerpts: "Allah is punishing the Russian infidels. He is burning their homes, forests and fields and turning their cities and villages into ashes. It is a sign from Allah and a God-given victory for our brothers the mujahideen. Allah Akbar! We must pray that these fires grow stronger, and [beseech] Allah to punish [the Russians even] more [by] burning Moscow and their army and population. Beseech Allah to do everything so that [the Russians remain] preoccupied with their own problems and tragedies and leave the Muslims alone. Allah has humiliated them with fire in this life, but [when they come to] Hell, this fire will seem cold to them. "Soon it will be Ramadan, when Allah answers the prayers of those who fast…" To read in full, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=3695&param=GJN. Is Prominent Salafi-Jihadi Cleric Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi under House Arrest? The jihadi forum Al-Shumoukh has posted two communiques by Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, a prominent cleric of the Salafi-Jihadi movement. Both were dated August 9, 2010, and were posted on August 10, within a period of less than two hours. In the first communique, Al-Maqdisi denies reports that been circulating on the Internet to the effect that the Jordanian authorities have restricted his movements and have placed his house under 24-hour surveillance. He clarifies that the video posted on the Internet, which shows vehicles near his home that allegedly belong to the security apparatuses, was published without his knowledge or consent, and that the cars actually belong to the neighbors. He asked the "brothers" who post the reports to be more accurate and not post details without his permission, adding: "Some of the messages contained inappropriate language, and stated that I was being harassed by the Jordanian security apparatuses. Most humiliating was that the messages quoted me as saying that [the security forces] were there to guard my mother's chickens, which is ridiculous." To read in full, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=3696&param=GJN. To view these reports, you must be a paying member of the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project (JTTM). For membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line. You can also subscribe to a year of the JTTM Weekly Digest for $200.00. The Digest includes a selection of material from the JTTM. To subscribe to the JTTM Weekly Digest, visithttps://secure3.convio.net/memri/site/Donation2?df_id=1253&1253.donation=form. (Sign up today - subscription price is set to increase in September) *From the MEMRI Blog Reactions In Lebanon To Nasrallah's Speech The following are reactions in Lebanon to Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah's August 9 press conference, in which Nasrallah attempted to present evidence that Israel was behind the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri. To read in full, visit http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/29293.htm.