L-R Ashiq Masih, Cherrie Anderson, Eisham Masih.
Within minutes of releasing Free Asia Bibi, a song protesting against the imprisonment of mother of 5 Asia Bibi, the track has gone viral in Pakistan and London band Ooberfuse have been inundated with relentless menacing social media comments calling for Asia’s execution. Learn more about Asia Bibi Pakistan’s most famous blasphemy law victim (here)
Largely from Pakistan, the video has had hundreds of thousands of views in a couple of days. Over 300 angry comments denouncing Asia Bibi and calling for her death by hanging under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have been posted
An extract from Facebook video comments:
Photo credit: Future Sound of Fire Ltd
LINK To campaign website where track can be downloaded here: https://freeasiabibi.com/
Asia Bibi, a landless non-Muslim farm-worker, was beaten and physically abused for offering her Muslim co-workers water to drink from a shared cup on a blisteringly hot day in the open fields. Being non-Muslim, Asia was attacked for drinking the water before her co-workers and thereby allegedly contaminating (under Shariah law) the water supply.
Under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws (article 295c) Asia Bibi is the first women in Pakistani history to be condemned to death by hanging by the Courts. Her appeal was heard on 8th October 2018 but the announcement of the judge’s final Court of appeal decision has yet to be publicised.
BPCA chairman Wilson Chowdhry (dubbed Wizard MC in the music video) said: ‘it is unthinkable for us in the West in the 21st Century to imagine that someone wrongly accused of blasphemy could be executed for an alleged blasphemy offense. The right to religious freedom, that we cherish and defend in the UK, does not seem to be respected in Pakistan.’
Hal St John, from Ooberfuse, added: ‘we hope that our track helps to highlight Asia Bibi’s plight and helps promote the importance of religious freedom everywhere.’
Cherrie Anderson, from Ooberfuse said, ‘Asia Bibi is a woman of courage and she is an inspiration to me. It is an absolute honour to meet her family this week in London and I hope she is reunited with her family soon.’
The band and Wilson Chowdhry met the family on Saturday 13th October at Westminster Cathedral at an event organised by Aid to the Church in Need, to help highlight the plight of Pakistani Christians.
L-R John Pontifex (ACNUK), Nadeem Joseph (translator), Eisham Masih, Ashiq Masih and Wilson Chowdhry – presenting flowers bought by BPCA.
Chairman of the BPCA, Wilson Chowdhry was able to converse with the family of Asia Bibi in their native tongue. Ashiq Masih, said:
“We are confident Asia Bibi will be set free, she is innocent after all and the charges made against my wife were fabricated.
“My wife has lost 9 years of her life due to the lies of others, even then this has not shaken her faith, or my faith or the faith of any member of my family.
“We stand resolute and believe Asia will be set free, because our God is mighty and he will protect us.
“When Asia is exonerated we hope to move to a country in the West so she is safe, however most offers allow asylum for Asia, myself and our dependent children. We are praying one country will offer my older married children asylum too, so that our family can finally be reunited.”
The family of Asia Bibi have collected £3000 from the BPCA whilst in the UK to help pay for their legal costs in fighting for justice for Asia Bibi. If you would like to help the family with further costs associated with her appeal and relocation to a country in the west, you can contribute by clicking (here)
Please sign our petition to have Asia Bibi and her whole family to be given asylum in a western nation (click here)
Ooberfuse will be playing worship songs and advocacy songs written for Pakistan at a Christian convention at St Mary’s Church, Islington on 3rd November 2018. A collection will be taken at the end of the event that will help the family of Asia Bibi:
