Blasphemy

[ludwig]

A Pakistani court has sentenced a 72 yr old paranoid schizophrenic to death for blasphemy but won't carry out the sentence because it has a moratorium* on the death penalty.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25874580

* their word not mine. A 'moratorium' on the death penalty LOL. This story represents madness to the power of madness in my opinion. Any thoughts?

[pixie373]

Did they just want to be seen to take it seriously, while knowing it wouldn't happen? I don't understand it really.

[ludwig]

// I don't understand it really. //

That's a good thing. It means you're not mad.

[pixie373]

Lol. Can i quote you on that?

[ludwig]

Yep, put it on your CV if you like ..special abilities : 'Not mad'

[beso]

He is clearly insane. He actually chose to live in Pakistan.

[mushroom25]

the "religion of peace" flexes its muscles.

[sandyRoe]

Some political zealot must have suggested introducing such a law. His opponents could oppose it because they'd seem less gung-ho where religion was concerned. So they now have a law that catches old mentally ill people and has also been used to settle scores between neighbours. Accuse someone you've had a row with of blasphemy and it's nearly certain they'll be run out of town.

[New Judge]

Why LOL for "moratorium" on the death penalty, ludwig?

Moratorium describes the suspension or delay to a legal process and seems perfectly appropriate in these circumstances. It stems from the Latin verb "mora" - to delay.

[FredPuli43]

It's simply that the Pakistanis aren't imposing the death penalty at present, but it remains on the statute book; moratorium from the Latin noun 'mora', delay.

Not really amusing, particularly if the man is in jail indefinitely. Some countries have laws and practices which we think outdated. The US has the death penalty and may well have a blasphemy law, at least in some states. It wasn't so long ago that we got around to abolishing ours, although it had fallen into disuse years ago.

[FredPuli43]

I do the US a disservice. Some states still have blasphemy laws and as late as 2009 a film director was pursued for allegedly having blasphemous and profane words in a film title. However, such laws are unconstitutional in interfering with religion and not enforced, and the part of the action referring to blasphemous words was struck out for that same reason.

[mikey4444]

Yet another example of how organised religion is blighting peoples lives. Islam is not alone in this as Christianity also has its problems.

Not a day dawns when I am not glad that I am an atheist.

[pixie373]

This man clearly needs treatment and help. I hope he is allowed it, this can't be doing him any good.

[naomi24]

They're all potty.

[beso]

mushroom25 //the "religion of peace" flexes its muscles. //

Like any fascist philosophy the Abrahamic faiths all have a vision of peace through universal conformity and compliance. Hitler believed he would bring peace by eliminating anyone who was different.

The branches of the Abrahmic death cult share the vision of the same glorious event, Armageddon, where all who don't conform to the dictates of their particular version of the "one true god" are slaughtered by their "loving" deity.

[ludwig]

// seems perfectly appropriate in these circumstances. It stems from the Latin verb "mora" - to delay. //

I stand corrected NJ. I thought the MOR bit was the same root as for MORtuary, which I assume is the same as the french 'Mort'..ultimately Latin?
Anyway, thanks for the info.

[New Judge]

No worries, ludwig, a perfectly understandable mistake.

In fact I may have made one myself as Fred correctly says "mora" is a noun (meaning a delay). With his lifetime as a Legal Eagle he's better versed in Latin than I am. Had I recalled my schoolboy Latin noun declensions and verb conjugations I would have remembered that Latin verbs do not end in ’a’. Nouns of the first declension (e.g. aqua - water; agricola - farmer) however, do. I knew my Latin would come in handy one day - even if I did get it wrong !!!

I believe (having a quick look in my aged Latin Dictionary, that “mortuary” (and other things relating to death beginning “mort…”) also stem from Latin, but from either “mori” (to die) or “mortuarium” (relating to the dead). As I was looking this up I was interested to see how “mortgage” fitted in to this and it apparently (from Latin again) means “dead pledge”. Or, as I prefer to think of it "in debt until you die". :-)

[Hypognosis]

Apparently accusations of blasphemy are rife there. They do it when they have a score to settle with someone, same as accusations of witchcraft or Sovilery.

He tried to evict his tenant and the tenant notified the authorities of the stuff he'd been saying. It turned out there was more concrete proof - letters to a doctor and a local community leader, so he ended up being charged and jailed.

I was wondering about the lack of reaction to this, yesterday but couldn't think up more than a "what do you think" type thread. Thanks to Ludwig for doing so (and with a new angle regarding the moratorium, to boot).

[mibn2cweus]

"If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." - George Washington