ACTION ALERT
Campaign to Defend Dr. Younis Shaikh

September 2001

The Coalition for the Community of Reason is strongly supporting a world-wide campaign to obtain the release of Dr. Younis Shaikh of Pakistan from prison in that country after his conviction on August 18 on a charge of "blasphemy" under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code. The offense is punishable by hanging. Dr. Shaikh's conviction is currently under appeal. He will be defended pro bono by Pakistan's noted civil liberties lawyer, Abid Hasan Manto.

At the time of his arrest on October 4, 2000, Dr. Shaikh was a physiology professor at the Capital Homeopathic College in Islamabad. He gave lectures to students during the day, and examined patients in the evening. The charge of "blasphemy," which seems irrational to non-Muslims and also to most Muslims, is based on a lecture on pre-Islamic customs in which he stated that Muhammad and his family were not Muslims until after his revelation at age 40, and did not practice many Islamic customs until then. One student (perhaps as many as 11) complained to the police, but none of them was a witness to the alleged offense!

Dr. Shaikh, 46, studied in England and then returned to Pakistan. where he founded Enlightenment, a "progressive Humanist" organization that belongs to the International Humanist and Ethical Union. In Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in 1999, he addressed the IHEU World Humanist Congress, and he has collaborated with other liberal Pakistanis in support of human rights and world peace.

With increasing "Talibanization" in the region, even Pakistan's military leader, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has been intimidated by some radical clerical groups. He tried at one point to change the anti-blasphemy laws, but backed off after some religious leaders threatened him.

Newspapers and diplomats around the world, many of them from the Muslim communities, have been very strong in their defense of Dr. Shaikh, and efforts to gain his release and permission to leave Pakistan are continuing to grow. Dr. Shaikh helped the poor and disadvantaged in his country when he could. Now it is our turn to support him. People have sometimes been allowed to leave their countries following an international outcry. Let us add our voices in Dr. Shaikh's support, and also help repeal the blasphemy law in Pakistan. Major demonstrations have been scheduled for London, on September 10, and for Washington, D.C., on September 22. CCR urges you to join this very important campaign in any way you can!

For further information see: www.iheu.org/Shaikh and subheadings at this site