CURRENT EVENTS Teagan, Sam, Kabir
INTERNATIONAL: PAKISTAN Asia Bibi, Christian mother of five June 2009: Allegedly defiled the name of the Prophet Mohammed Investigation believed Bibi innocent Nov. 2010: Convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to hang Bibi says accusations are lies created by a group of woman who didn’t like her Oct 16, 2014: High Court upheld the verdict Taking her case to Highest Court
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS Human Rights Watch: blasphemy laws often used for personal disputes, “disgrace to Pakistan’s judiciary” Amnesty International: “a grave injustice” "Asia Bibi should never have been convicted in the first place -- still less sentenced to death -- and the fact that she could pay with her life for an argument is sickening,“ 2010: Pope Benedict XVI called for release 2012: petition presented to U.N. Human Rights Council to free her
95% of population of Pakistan is Muslim Her own village wants her to hang and even tears of joy were shed Death threats forced her family to flee Neither Qur’an nor Mohammad’s teachings call for execution of blasphemers
NATIONAL: MICHAEL BROWN SHOOTING 18 year old boy, Michael Brown, shot in Ferguson, Missouri by a police officer Brown was African American Police say it was self defense Brown was unarmed Officer was white Third story like this in the news this year
LOCAL: THE NANAIMO DAILY NEWS The Nanaimo Daily News has apologized for printing a “racist” letter that stated First Nations have a history that is “notable only for underachievement” About 100 people including Nanaimo Mayor John Ruttan protested in front of the newspaper’s office on Thursday afternoon “The comments published by the Nanaimo Daily News showed deep misunderstanding and ignorance about First Nations” Olsen’s letter has since been removed from the newspaper’s website but it has drawn the hate of many on social media who accuse it of being a “racist” screed