Music Groups To ‘Sing for Freedom’ For Pakistani Down’s Syndrome Girl

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

LONDON, UK (ANS) -- A Pakistani 11-year-old with Downs’s syndrome, who may face the death penalty for blasphemy over her alleged burning of pages from the Quran, is to receive support from two music groups tomorrow (Wednesday, August 22, 2012) in the British capital.

Members of ooberfuse

A London-based electro-pop band, ooberfuse, featuring a Wizard MC from the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), has today released a song, “Turning the Tide”, raising their voices in protest against the latest victim of Pakistan’s “black” blasphemy laws.

Following the courageous advocacy work for victims of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law, started by Punjabi Governor, Salman Taseer -- who was brutally gunned down by his own bodyguard in January 2011 -- and Pakistan’s Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti -- murdered by Taliban assassins in March 2011 -- “Turning the Tide” highlights the plight of young Rimsha Masih arrested by the police last Thursday, under pressure from the mob, at Mehrabadi village, on the outskirts of Islamabad.

Cherrie, the front-woman of ooberfuse, says: “Over the weekend we got a call from Wilson Chowdhry of the BPCA alerting us to the events unfolding last Thursday which culminated in Rimsha’s arrest. She was persuaded to take a sack full of rubbish to the garbage but, unbeknown to her, the sack contained ash from burnt papers including fragments from the Quran. In no time at all and with a few days remaining of the extended Ramadan fast preceding the day-festival of Eidan enraged crowd had gathered calling for her arrest and execution.”

A previous protest in London

Hal, from ooberfuse, added: “When is this madness going to end? The intolerance of the Islamic majority towards non-Muslim faiths in countries like Pakistan is staggering. The blasphemy law gives legal credence to preposterous claims from disgruntled disaffected members of the community that Islam has somehow been defamed. These claims are very often fabricated by Muslims hell-bent on inciting religious hatred against peace-loving minorities like the Christians and Ahmadis.”

Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association (www.britishpakistanichristians.co.uk), said, “This intolerance has sunk to new levels of depravity with the incarceration of a juvenile girl with physical disabilities. The founding father of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali, said in his 1947 inaugural speech: ‘You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State.’

Wilson Chowdhry

“He would be turning in his grave right now if he knew how the apparatus of the Pakistan State is being cynically used against defenseless minority faiths. ‘Turn the Tide’ is inspired by his words and the tragic story of a defenseless disabled girl called Rimsha.”

“Turning the Tide” is be released tomorrow evening (Aug 22) and will be sung live outside the Pakistan Embassy in London, during a 2 hour demonstration from 7pm organized by the BPCA - calling for freedom for Rimsha. Lead humanitarians from a variety of faiths will be joining us in solidarity seeking an end to the ongoing injustice.

Note: oober comes from the German word über. It translates to exceedingly, abundantly, above anything we can ask for or imagine. Delimitation of fuse from the web: blend: mix together different elements.