Bollywood actress (and others) sentenced to 26 years in prison for blasphemy

[RussBLib]

...and this isn't even about atheism, so maybe this post is out of place...

This is just unbelievable to me in this day and age. (OK, I believe it, but it's just totally fucking absurd)

Bollywood Actress Veena Malik Sentenced to 26 Years in Jail For Blasphemy

The actress appeared in a scene that referenced Muhammad's daughter

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced film and television star Veena Malik to 26 years in jail after she appeared in a scene that the Guardian describes as “loosely based on the marriage of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter.”

The sentence stemmed from a blasphemy charge, which was also levied at Malik’s husband, businessman Asad Bashir Khan and Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, owner of the Jang-Geo media group which aired the TV show, for their parts in the scene which aired in May. Khan and Shakil-ur-Rahman were also sentenced to 26 years. None of the accused were present in court.

The offending scene was a reenactment of Malik and Khan’s own wedding, acted as musicians played a devotional song about the wedding of a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. After the episode aired, the senior vice president of a chapter of the Muslim religious organisation Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat made an official complaint, saying the show had defiled the family of the Prophet Muhammad, by using the religious music.

The sentence was handed down by judge Raja Shahbaz, who said, “The malicious acts of the proclaimed offenders ignited the sentiments of all the Muslims of the country and hurt the feelings, which cannot be taken lightly and there is need to strictly curb such tendency.”

So they played a song at their wedding, a devotional song about the wedding of a daughter of the Prophet Muhammed. And for that, you get 26 years in prison? ABSURD!

Damn, they are uptight about ANYTHING about their sacred Muhammed. What's that about a religion of peace?

Which reminds me, I have heard many people say, "the word Islam itself means 'peace.'" No, actually the word Islam means "submission" and that explains a lot. They take their "no graven images" a little too far, eh? I will NEVER visit India or Pakistan, and I hope that Veena, Asad and Mir beat this stupid rap.

[trotsky]

1. Maybe not about atheism, but definitely about the negative aspects of religion.

Which certain folks don't want discussed. So this is a fine place.

After the episode aired, the senior vice president of a chapter of the Muslim religious organisation Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat made an official complaint, saying the show had defiled the family of the Prophet Muhammad, by using the religious music.

From what I've been told, he must have had other reasons, such as political or he wanted their land. Something like that.

“The malicious acts of the proclaimed offenders ignited the sentiments of all the Muslims of the country and hurt the feelings, which cannot be taken lightly and there is need to strictly curb such tendency.”

That is eerily similar to the attitudes of some right here on DU. Mustn't hurt the fee-fees.

[onager]

2. Bill Maher's definition...

"Islam is the religion of peace. There's a piece of you over here, and a piece of you over there..."

Since these are famous people, they'll probably beat the rap eventually. I've noticed that celebrity can work miracles in Islamic cultures, the same as it does in our evil, secular non-Islamic Westerm cultures.

e.g., in Egypt no woman was ever allowed to bring a paternity suit against a man. From the Days Of The Prophet!1! until the 21st century. Then a famous Egyptian actress got pregnant by a co-star, hauled his ass into court with DNA evidence, and won her case. Scientific evidence aside, it probably helped that the kid looked just like her daddy.

And let's remember Pakistan is our leading partner in promoting democracy by helping us in the Global War on Terrorism. And if you believe that, I have a bridge for sale...

[trotsky]

3. I do not believe this:

...in Egypt no woman was ever allowed to bring a paternity suit against a man. From the Days Of The Prophet!1! until the 21st century.

I have been told on this very discussion board that Islam granted women full equality and rights long before any other religion or society.

[onager]

4. Newsflash! I WAS WRONG!1!

The woman was a costume designer, not an actress. Otherwise ...



Here's the NY Times story, from Jan.2005:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/international/middleeast/26paternity.html?_r=0

Yep, your chiders are right, Islam has always been a leader in the struggle for women's rights. That must be why the amazing Dr. Heggy, in the Egyptian Gazette, liked to remind Egyptian women of stuff like - "Your grandmothers had more freedom than you do today. They led the 1919 Revolution."

I think I'm remembering that name correctly - somewhere I have some clips of his writings. And he WAS amazing. He wrote a weekly column in the newspaper ostensibly devoted to "women's health." But usually went off on great rants about the status of women in Egyptian society. I don't know how he got away with that, since all Egyptian media was firmly under govt. control. Maybe the leaders considered his column a sort of "safety valve" that allowed some venting. Or something.

On the other side...the Gazette had a regular woman columnist who was an Islamic Woo-Wooist. Or something. She wrote about stuff like vegetables dug out of the ground with Koranic quotes on them. In classical Arabic. (See also "Virgin Mary on toast.&quot

One of the goofier columns - even for her - was about the animals sacrificed during the Eid celebrations. She claimed the animals KNEW they were being sacrificed for a good cause, and were happy about it.

[trotsky]

5. Well of course the animals knew and were happy.

Can you prove they weren't? THEN SHUT UP YOU MILITANT ANTI-THEIST!!!11!

[onager]

7. Hmm...should I be a Bad Anti-Theist or a Good Anti-Theist?

Bad Anti-Theist = stubbornly keeps pointing out the harm religion does. Despite multiple scientific personal testimonies from TOTALLY OBJECTIVE Xians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Taoists and Duggars about the wonderfulness of religion and its effects.

Good Anti-Theist = allows religion may cause a few problems here and there, like ISIS. Otherwise rolls over, paws in air, and begs for approval from the Good Theists. Submissive urination optional but highly recommended. Just to show you are sincere!

Sort of on-topic: on my cheerful, happy holiday reading list this year is Blood-Red Desert Sands: The British Invasions of Egypt and The Sudan 1882-1898.

That little adventure in the Sudan could be seen - by us anti-theists, anyway - as the clash of two religious fanatics. In the Xian corner - British Gen. Charles "Chinese" Gordon, determined to convert the heathens to Xianity. And swinging for the Muslims - the self-appointed mystical leader allegedly prophesied in the Koran - the Great Mahdi.

In the movie based on the battle, Khartoum, Gordon was played by an actor already pretty familiar with the Almighty and his sales-reps here on Earth - Charlton Heston.

Not too on-topic but sorta - one day I was walking around downtown Alexandria, Egypt with two friends - a British engineer and an Egyptian, who was acting as an unofficial tour guide, showing us around.

We were in Zaghloul Square, named for the leader of the 1919 Egyptian Revolution Sa'ad Zaghloul. A street leading off the Sqaure is named "Sofia Zaghloul St."

Brit: "So who was this Sofia Zaghloul, then?"

Egyptian: "The wife of Sa'ad Zaghloul."

Brit: "Ha! So just for being a wife she gets a street named for her. And what did old Sofia do for the Revolution?"

Egyptian: "She killed two British Army officers."

Look on British guy's face - priceless...

[Bluenorthwest]

6. There are people on DU who call for restrictions to speech and the press, this is what they want.

nt

[Cartoonist]

8. The Big Hurt

“The malicious acts of the proclaimed offenders ignited the sentiments of all the Muslims of the country and hurt the feelings, which cannot be taken lightly and there is need to strictly curb such tendency.”
-
So they get 26 years for hurting Muslims feelings? What planet is that again?

[RussBLib]

9. by playing a song

by playing a fucking SONG. Just imagine if they had said Mohammed is a LIE! They would have been drawn and quartered.

[AlbertCat]

10. So they get 26 years for hurting Muslims feelings?

Poor babies. You'd think Muslims were as put upon as our poor poor Christians here in America!


But actually, it sounds like someone wants someone else's money.