Persecution Begins
Pausing from her work in the fields under the hot sun, Asia took a refreshing drink from the same spigot as the Muslim women; and, that is when her persecution began. “Now it is contaminated, you infidel thief,” someone blurted out. “Your prophet was born without a father.” “Our Christ sacrificed his life on the cross for our sins,” Asia replied. “What has your prophet done for you? Our Christ is alive; your prophet is dead; our Christ is the true prophet of God, and yours is not true.” Such verbal exchanges ultimately led Asia’s coworkers to report her “blasphemous” words to the village’s religious leaders who imprisoned her.
Refusal to Deny Christ
At the prison, the authorities told Asia that she could be released – all she had to do was to convert to Islam; but, she refused. “You can kill me, but I will never leave Jesus,” she declared. And, although a group of Christians came to her defense, she was convicted of violating subsection C of Pakistan’s 295 blasphemy laws – blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad – and was sentenced to death. Asia’s case drew international attention calling for abolishment of such laws. Meanwhile, years after Pakistani authorities removed Asia from the field and jailed her, Isha and Isham – her two daughters – wait for their mother to come home.
A Mother’s Touch Through Bars
Two years after the incident, her daughters talked about their mother being taken away because of her stand for Jesus; and, still distraught, they shared how much they missed her. “Mama loves us,” said Isham. “She would take us to the bazaar, and I would help her with daily work like cleaning or other simple work that I could do. She would help us prepare for school before she went to her job; and, sometimes, on no-school days, we would follow her to the fields after Papa went to his job as a bricklayer.
After Asia was imprisoned, her husband, Ashiq, seldom took the girls with him when he visited her; but, because their hearts ached for her, he relented a few months later. “Oh, my daughters are growing up,” Asia said when she saw them. The two girls longed for a hug, but that could not happen because of the bars between them so Asia stretched her fingers through the bars in order to feel the fingers of the little girls she had given birth to, prayed for, and for whom she had dreamed big dreams. “You must leave now,” a guard commanded Ashiq.
To be continued…
Date: 7th December 2024
Martyr: Asia Bibi (Part One)
Location: Pakistan
Source: The Voice of the Martyrs “I am n”
Author: Not Specified
Suffering Saturday 120
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