THE MUSLIM NEWPO Box 265, MT. EDEN, CA 94557

the “blasphemy law”

people and poke against

rights of his faith and

man who stood for the

PAKISTAN killed a brave

BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

perpetrators MUST BE the teachings of the Holy Quran. The killer(s) and

y Un-Islamic, against week killed. We condemned the inhuman act as utterl

Pakistan cabinet was last Late Shabaz Bhatti, the only Christian Minister in

Pakistan

Slain Cabinet Minister Is Buried in

By

JANE PERLEZ and WAQAR GILLANI

Prime Minister ars for the rights of minorities.his impoverished village, a bastion for over 100 ye

e here attended by thousands and then buried in week, was honored Friday at a Roman Catholic servic cabinet minister who was assassinated this ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Shahbaz Bhatti, the Christian

Yousaf Raza Gilani to attend. There was the only senior Pakistani government official

increasingly radicalized Muslim country. this s and dedicated his life to religious tolerance in Mr. Bhatti had served as the minister for minoritie

a pew near Mr. Bhatti’s coffin.merican ambassador, Cameron P. Munter, who sat in was a phalanx of foreign diplomats, including the A

His killing on Wednesday underlined the anxieties among eted killings as a way to move Western governments that extremists were using targ Pakistan toward an

Islamic state and were doing so with impunity.

Mr. Bhatti’s assassination followed litician, Salman the killing in January of an even more prominent poTaseer, reform of draconian blasphemy laws that the governor of Punjab. The men campaigned for the

The ruling case.ensation to Mr. Bhatti’s family and then close the stand against the killings, would try to offer comp

g far has proved unwilling or unable to take a stronAnother diplomat said that the government, which sorom the security detail.the diplomat said, citing the likelihood of leaks f

m, of his own — but the killers knew where to find hifor example, sleeping at his mother’s house instead minister tried to take his own security measures —he did not trust them, a Western diplomat said. The

ause Bhatti rarely traveled with his security guards becAfter multiple death threats in recent months, Mr. the killing.

e schools and mosques, claimed responsibility for based in Punjab, where militants control many of thcurity detail. A branch of the Pakistani Taliban killed on information provided by his government se

tima Church said they feared that the minister was Diplomats at Mr. Bhatti’s funeral at Our Lady of Faty after he confessed.bodyguard, who was widely hailed in Pakistani socie

nt y Christians. Mr. Taseer was killed by his governmeare often used to persecute minorities, particularl

Pakistan Peoples Party w under pressure , which was founded on secular principles but is no

a martyr. But anxiety mingled with pride.l, many hailing Mr. Bhatti as a local hero and now About 10,000 mostly poor people attended the funera

forever?” g in this hostile, harassed and fearful environmentCatholic clergymen at the burial. “Will we be livine our rights,” said the Rev. Andrew Nisari, one of thgave us shade and protected us and fully respected there is no government in the country, ever, which“We feel that Pakistan is our country, but it seems

unlikely to let the matter rest.ere illion out of a total population of 180 million — windicated that Pakistan’s Christians — about five m

atmosphere at the funeral, in Khush Pur in Punjab,But the dismay of Mr. Bhatti’s family and the angryat it opposed efforts to amend the blasphemy law.from religious conservatives, announced recently th

fighting for religious rights.holdings. The village has a particular tradition of Catholic priest, most residents have small farm Pur, founded during British rule in 1903 by a Roman

hush system, with the Christians at the bottom. But in Klandlords in a relationship that resembles a caste many residents work as employees of large In most predominantly Christian villages in Punjab,

reading: “Shahbaz’s blood will lead to revolution.” pter from Islamabad. Some mourners hoisted placardsbefore the arrival of Mr. Bhatti’s coffin by helico

ease be careful,” a loudspeaker announcement said “The enemy is around us and hovering over us, so pl

elf in 1998 in protest against the blasphemy lawsA Roman Catholic bishop, John Joseph, who shot hims , re honor last September, was born in the village and is buried here. In a ra Pope Benedict XVI met Mr.

Bhatti in a private audience at the Vatican.

President ,” Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman for “We talked heart to heart a few days before he died tolerance in the face of such threats.sought advice on how to persist in his campaign for

urder of Mr. Taseer and fearing for his own life, In recent weeks, Mr. Bhatti, despondent about the m

Asif Ali Zardari ked: ‘What should I do?’ I told , said after attending Mr. Bhatti’s funeral. “He as

Fax:866-498-8960

zmbajwa@gmail.com

New York, NY USA

Zinda M Bajwa, M.A.(Poli.Scie.),LL.B.

, attended.of Shahbaz Bhatti; his spokesman, Farhatullah Babarresident Asif Ali Zardari had attended the funeral A previous version of this article misstated that P

Correction: March 4, 2011ing correction:This article has been revised to reflect the follow

ani from Khush Pur, Pakistan.Jane Perlez reported from Islamabad, and Waqar Gillhim: ‘You are a sane voice. You must continue.’ ”