Asia Bibi ‘forgives’ those who wanted her killed

A Pakistani Catholic who was on death row for eight years and tortured after she was falsely accused of blasphemy before being released last year has said she’s “forgiven everyone”.

Ms Bibi’s case was followed closely by charities who fight against Christian persecution around the world, who have consistently condemned Pakistan’s severe blasphemy laws.

Regarding those who would have seen her killed Ms Bibi said: “I’m not angry at all, I’ve forgiven everyone from my heart and there is no hardness in me, there is patience in me because I learned how to be patient after having to leave my children behind.”

Charges

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Bibi who now lives in Canada, called on Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan to free anyone unjustly accused or convicted of blasphemy and to ensure that the charges are investigated properly.

Ms Bibi said her Faith helped her through her imprisonment. “They said change your faith, and you’ll be freed. But I said no. I will live my sentence. With my Faith,” she said.

“I found out from my husband that the whole world was praying for me. And that even the Pope had prayed for me. That made me happy. And I found out the whole world was praying for my misery to end.

“That made me feel that their prayers would definitely free me.”

Ms Bibi has written a memoir called Enfin Libre! [Finally Free], in which she documents some of the inhumane and cruel treatment she experienced at the hands of the prison guards. This includes being pulled around with a neck brace that was tightened by a key. Pakistan authorities have denied her claims.

There was widespread protests and violence when Mrs Bibi was found innocent of blasphemy in Pakistan in October 2018. The government, citing fears for her safety, kept her in protective custody after extremist Islamist groups protested for three days and made death threats.

Political parties such as Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP), whose sole aim is the punishment of blasphemy and keeping the country’s blasphemy laws which carry an automatic death penalty, were behind much of the protests and violence.

Ms Bibi’s lawyer confirmed she had arrived in Canada on May 8 last year, and had been reunited with her family who fled Pakistan for asylum in 2018 due to fear for their lives.