BLASPHEMY LAWS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN PAKISTAN
Abstract
This research examines the victimization of minorities living under the blasphemy laws in Pakistan. The research focuses on the blasphemy cases, dating from 2000 until 2017. One hundred cases of blasphemy laws are analyzed. The cases were accessed from various sources, such as online newspapers, peer reviewed journal and articles. Coding sheet was developed to analyze the data. The data collected from those cases are used to demonstrate if the minority groups in Pakistan are affected by the blasphemy laws to a greater or lesser extent. Since blasphemy laws penalize people who defile worship places and disrespect religions, especially Islam, this research also addresses whether the blasphemy laws are being applied to the protection of minority religions’ sentiments.