Pakistani Christians protest televised flogging

Christians in Pakistan have protested the televised flogging of a teenage girl in the Taliban-controlled area of the Swat Valley.

Pakistani news channels showed militants flogging Chand Bibi, 17, earlier in the month after she was accused of having illicit relations with a man.

She was held to the ground and had her back flogged 35 times in front of a crowd of men. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan claimed responsibility for the flogging, which took place in January.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the flogging.

The Catholic human rights group, the Commission for Peace and Human Development (CPHD), also spoke out against the incident.

Waseem Anthony, executive director of CPHD, said, “This incident has depicted Pakistan as a lawless state and a barbaric civilisation.

“What else can we expect from having peace deals with criminals who capture police stations, destroy girl schools and create an unsafe atmosphere.”

Anthony called on the government to bring the floggers to justice and work to create a just and tolerant society.

Mehboob Sada, director of the Christian Study Center in Rawalpindi, said, “The extreme punishment of a woman in an Islamic state is a matter of grief. Neither society nor religion allows this violation of basic women rights,” reports UCANews.com

In response to the flogging 1,000 students, teachers, activists, artists, journalists and lawyers took part in a protest in Lahore against the behaviour of the Taliban.

There were also a number of Christians in the protest who bore placards against “Talibanisation”. They also chanted “Taliban are traitors, Taliban are terrorists, Taliban are devils. We reject women being lashed!”

Taliban militants had been fighting government forces in the north west of the country for around two years.

Earlier this year, the government agreed a truce allowing Taliban leaders to enforce its extreme version of Sharia law in the areas it controlled.

The deal led to a girls' schools being closed. Women were banned from appearing outside of their homes without a male family member escorting them. Signs banning dancing and working for NGOs have also appeared. Women also may not enter hospitals unless accompanied by a male relative.