Islamabad, Jan 17 (IANS) The abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan and the politicisation of Islamophobia in Western democracies reflect a shared strategy designed to silence criticism, safeguard extremist ideologies, and deflect accountability, a report has revealed.
It added that both mechanisms undermine public understanding of religion and fuel social polarisation, while the actual perpetrators of violence weaponise faith to pursue their agendas.
“Radical extremist groups have increasingly found ways to exploit both legal frameworks and social narratives to protect violent ideologies and evade scrutiny. In Pakistan, blasphemy laws have frequently been misapplied, often to intimidate opponents, settle disputes, or target religious minorities. Meanwhile, in Western countries, the term ‘Islamophobia’ is sometimes politicised to shield extremist actors from criticism and accountability. Although these mechanisms exist in different contexts, both function to silence dissent and distort public understanding of religion and extremism,” a report in Pakistan Christian Post detailed.
The report stressed that blasphemy allegations in Pakistan disproportionately affect religious minorities, particularly Christians.
Citing documented cases, it said, “personal conflicts, workplace disagreements, professional jealousy, or religious prejudice are often escalated into criminal allegations, frequently with the intent to silence or harm members of other faiths. Families of the accused often face prolonged detention, social ostracisation, and threats of extrajudicial violence”.
According to the report, in countries without blasphemy laws, extremist actors frequently exploit the politicisation of Islamophobia to shield themselves. The tactic, it said, is commonly used to suppress scrutiny of extremist networks, jihadi groups, and the radicalisation of Islam.
“These actors continue to carry out violent attacks under the guise of religious ideology, targetting civilians, security forces, and state institutions. In Western contexts, criticism of such activities is sometimes labelled Islamophobic, deliberately conflating extremist ideology with religion and shielding violent actors from accountability,” it mentioned.
The report emphasised that the promotion of Islamic radicalisation and the use of Sharia laws to impose particular beliefs or practices cannot be considered religious freedom. Such actions constitute religious coercion aimed at asserting dominance over people of other faiths, including Christians and other minorities.
“Using ideology or religious law to dominate, coerce, or suppress alternative beliefs transforms faith into a tool for social or political control, undermining pluralism, human rights, and the principles of coexistence that genuine religious freedom requires,” it noted.
--IANS
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