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In this mailing:
* Mohshin Habib: Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan Grow Harsher
* Pete Hoekstra: The Abrahamic Family House of H. E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Promote Peace


** Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan Grow Harsher ([link removed])
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by Mohshin Habib • March 3, 2023 at 5:00 am
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* Between 1987 and 2017, blasphemy charges were brought against 1,549 people. Among these, 829 people were non-Muslims. Since 1990, more than 70 people have been brutally murdered by mobs over allegations of insulting Islam. Critics say the fact that minorities figure so prominently in these cases shows how the laws are unfairly applied.
* Until 1947, the time of Indian liberation and separation, there had been only seven blasphemy cases. Between 1927 and 1985 (58 years) only ten cases were heard in Pakistan's courts. Since then, however, there have been more than 4,000 cases.
* The International Journal of Science and Research stated in 2019: "In Pakistan, many people are on death row or serving life sentences for blasphemy in Pakistan then in any other country in the world."
* These laws urgently need to be repealed.

Pakistan's blasphemy laws have once again been made even more stringent by the country's lawmakers. Pakistan's blasphemy laws are mostly used against religious minorities. Pictured: Islamists demand imposition of the death penalty for blasphemy, at a protest in Karachi, Pakistan on October 12, 2018. (Photo by Asif Hassan/AFP via Getty Images)

Pakistan's blasphemy laws have once again been made even more stringent by the country's lawmakers. Amid a long-running international outcry against the notorious blasphemy laws, the National Assembly of Pakistan on January 17 unanimously passed "The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023," which increased the minimum punishment for those found guilty of insulting the Islamic Prophet Mohammad's companions, wives and family members from three years to 10 years' imprisonment, along with a fine of 1 million Pakistani rupees ($4,122).

The bill was brought forth by National Assembly Member Abdul Akbar Chtrali, a leader of the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami. Chtrali, on May 17, 2021, had also called for the use of nuclear weapons against India and Israel. The statement of "object and reasons" for the bill by Chitrali says:

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** The Abrahamic Family House of H. E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Promote Peace ([link removed])
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by Pete Hoekstra • March 3, 2023 at 4:00 am
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* Beyond the economic gains, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has multiplied these achievements to consolidate the constructive spirit of peace, of which his country is one of the world's leading promoters.
* The Abrahamic Family House is a center for learning, dialogue and practicing one's faith. It includes a mosque, named for Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb, a church bearing the name of His Holiness Pope Francis, and a synagogue carrying the name of Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides).

(Image source: Boubloub/Wikimedia Commons)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are inaugurating a new, unique multicultural center to promote peace.

The UAE are known for their commitment to advancing peace in the world. It was in this spirit that the country signed the Abraham Accords with Israel in 2020, under the auspices of the United States. These agreements were also signed with the Jewish state by Bahrain and Morocco as well as, recently, Sudan.

As a tool for peace, these agreements would have generated "$2.85 billion in trade in 2022 while making a significant contribution to regional security and stability." This was stated by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, in one of his first appearances since being appointed top diplomat in Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

Beyond the economic gains, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has multiplied these achievements to consolidate the constructive spirit of peace, of which his country is one of the world's leading promoters.

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