The parliament of Pakistan moved this week to tighten its already far-reaching blasphemy laws, under which numerous Christians and other minorities have been prosecuted and subjected to mob violence, often for dubious charges of blasphemy against beliefs or figures associated with Islam.
Insulting the Prophet Muhammad is already, at least on paper, a capital offense in Pakistan. Under the newest legal changes, those convicted of insulting the Prophet Muhammad’s wives, companions, or close relatives will now face 10 years in prison, a sentence that can be extended to life, along with a fine of 1 million rupees, or roughly $4,500, reported the New York Times. It also makes the charge of blasphemy an offense for which bail is not possible.
Islam is the state religion of Pakistan, and blasphemy laws have been on the books in the country for more than a century, even before it became an independent nation. A notable escalation of the country’s blasphemy laws occurred in 1987 when the death sentence was made mandatory for some violations.
One of the most famous cases in recent years was that of Asia Bibi, a Catholic woman who spent nearly a decade on death row after being accused of disparaging Islam. Numerous world leaders called for her immediate release, including Popes Benedict XVI and Francis.

In the wake of rising attacks against places of worship, senior religious leaders of Myanmar have appealed for restraint citing international pacts that call for the protection of places of worship, places of learning, and places of healing.
In the latest attack, a church, bell tower and other buildings of Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral at Mandalay in Upper Myanmar were destroyed on January 15.
Government soldiers, an eyewitness revealed, also “desecrated” the place by “looting, drinking alcohol and smoking” inside.
The destroyed church is a historical and cultural heritage for the entire country, including Buddhists since 1894.
Also ,in the January 15 attack, a century-old convent of the Franciscan Sisters was set on fire by the military.
In addition, five out of 16 dioceses in the country — Loikaw, Pekhon, Hakha, Kalay and Mandalay — are affected by the ongoing conflicts between the army and ethnic rebel groups, some of whose members belong to various Christian denominations.
On January 21, in his message to the faithful published on the occasion of Chinese New Year, Archbishop of Yangon Cardinal Charles Maung Bo declared January as the “month of the ceasefire,” asking all parties – including the military – to “silence their weapons” and “believe in a peaceful solution.”
The cardinal, who is also the president of the Federation of Asia Bishops’ Conferences, emphasized the value of ‘dialogue’ in conflict resolution and called for the resumption of the Panlong peace process.
“Why are these sacred places attacked and destroyed?” ask archbishops of Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi in the open letter entitled “Peace is a pilgrimage, let us walk it together.”

The persecution of Christians in seven Asian nations including China is predicted to increase in 2023 due to political pressure and radical religious views, says the latest report from UK-based Christian rights group, Release International (RI).
The RI report titled “Persecution Trends 2023” released on Dec. 28, 2022, highlights China, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malaysia, and Iran in the list of nations where Christians face persecution, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported on Jan. 4.
The group’s report highlighted the extensive control placed by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Christians in the nation labeling them as “unpatriotic” citizens through official messages.
“The government under Xi Jinping wants to control everything, and currently Christianity is not fully under its control [as it sees it],” the report said, quoting an unnamed source.
“Christianity is being pictured as unacceptable to an atheistic, communist country, rather than an acceptable but minority belief,” the report read.
The report highlighted the numerous reports of Christian leaders and followers arrested or summoned for questioning related to their activities in China.
The increasing number of Christians facing charges related to cults and illegal financial and religious activity was also pointed out as an indicator of Christian persecution in the Communist-ruled nation.

According to a Kyodo News poll conducted recently, 64.9 percent of Japanese citizens disapprove of a recently revealed plan to raise taxes to pay for a significant rise in the country’s defense spending.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration now has the lowest support level since it assumed power last year, at 33.1 percent.
The reasons are simple.  While the military budget increase has been supported by some members of the government and a minority of citizens who either haven’t well comprehended the math behind such a tax hike (that is, more debt on the shoulders of their offspring’s already burdened by years of quantitative easing of monetary policy) or they just do not seem to care because they are in a position of power or above a certain income bracket that wards off all the financial worries in the world.
One of the main arguments in favour of the military budget increase is the need for Japan to strengthen its defence capabilities in the face of growing regional tensions and potential threats, especially from China and North Korea.
“Focusing on military spending, without considering any other strategies, could lead to a more aggressive foreign policy”
Sure Japan must be prepared to defend itself against the military ambitions of neighboring countries and deter potential adversaries from harming its national interests, but Japan has already one of the strongest militaries in the world.
This military budget hike is unnecessary, especially at a moment when the overall cost of living for the average citizen is increasing.
Also focusing on military spending, without considering any other strategies, could lead to a more aggressive foreign policy, which could potentially cause further tensions in the region and create uncertainty or concern among its neighbors.
As much as those in Europe regard the past as something far behind, just take a look at the leading role that Germany has in the hemisphere. Japan’s military history remains a sensitive issue in many parts of Asia, and we know some countries in the region may view an increase in Japanese military strength with suspicion or even hostility.
Many citizens feel they are already paying too much in taxes and that the government should look for other ways to fund the military budget. Some have suggested cutting unnecessary spending, or increasing taxes on high-income earners, rather than raising taxes on the general population.

Pakistan practices religious segregation which puts minorities at the receiving end. With national polls around the corner in the South Asian nation, minorities are looking forward to some respite from the divide-and-rule strategy of the powerful religious and political elite.
Despite Islamization directly enshrined in the constitution, preventing equal rights for all citizens, political parties time and again have come out with pledges and action plans to end religious discrimination as polls near. However, they are seldom put into practice once a new government is cobbled together.
Former prime minister, Imran Khan, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ruled the nation for three and a half years but kept none of the five poll promises listed in their election manifesto to empower minorities and protect their rights.
Khan, who survived an assassination attempt last year, had pledged to set up a legally empowered National Commission for Minorities (NCM), equal access to justice, laws against hate speech, minority quotas and the promotion of interfaith dialogue.

As Maoists and Communists yet again become major players in Nepal, the Chinese element is poised to dominate the overall geo-politic opus of South Asia.
Democracy in Nepal was largely brought about and led by the bespectacled Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal 17 years ago.
However, when the 68-year-old former Marxist guerrilla leader took up the country’s top job on December 26 last year, his detractors once again called him the “ultimate opportunist.”
Of course, they had enough reasons to call him so.
According to his critics, he is self-centred and clever and can ditch his closest aides and allies at the drop of a hat if it benefits him. Apparently, Dahal has a long history of jumping ship to partner with ruling parties.
Dahal came to the helm of affairs with 32 seats in the Himalayan nation’s 275-member Pratinidhi Sabha (House of Representatives) following the elect-ions.
The November general election failed to produce a clear winner, although the Nepali Congress emerged as the single lar-gest outfit.

Farmers in North Korea have expressed their dismay over the government’s slashing of their annual food ration to half while the cattle food supply remains unchanged as the country reels under an acute food shortage.
North Korean farmers have been relying largely on the government’s supply of food grains that helps them survive massive food shortages, which Kim Jong-un’s regime has now halved, the Radio Free Asia (RFA) Korean Service reported on Jan. 7.
“Due to the lack of harvest this year, farmers who went to work 365 days … only received 200 days’ worth of grain,” an unnamed farmer told RFA.
Unlike the regular farmers, “cow managers” who work on the collective farms and take care of cattle received an additional “100 kilograms for 100 days’ worth of year-end grain all farmers receive for their daily labor,” stated an unnamed cow manager.
Reportedly, Kimjongsuk county has around four to six collective farming work groups consisting of 300-400 farmers who raise three to six working cows.
This preferential treatment has drawn the ire of many farmers who struggle to make ends meet due to declining harvests.
“Farmers complained that cows were treated more favourably than people”
“One hundred kilograms [220 pounds] of the corn kernel and corn stalks were supplied to the working cows on the cooperative farm,” said an official from South Pyongan province who refused to be named.
“As a result, farmers complained that cows were treated more favourably than people and that cows are more important than people [for the government],” the official further added.

The Taliban government has suspended university education for all female students in Afghanistan, the latest step in its brutal clampdown on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women.
A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education confirmed the suspension to CNN on Tuesday. A letter published by the education ministry said the decision was made in a cabinet meeting and the order will go into effect immediately.
Girls were barred from returning to secondary schools in March, after the Taliban ordered schools for girls to shut just hours after they were due to reopen following months long closures imposed after the Taliban takeover in August 2021.

A rights body in Bangladesh has called for lifting the unwritten ‘ban’ on the entry of Dalits – the lowest outside the four main castes in the Indian subcontinent’s social order– into restaurants and eateries after a youth burnt his hand in a scuffle over the issue. The Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM) made the demand during a press conference held at the Bogra Press Club on Dec. 17 days after Mithun Bashfor, 23, suffered burn injuries at a local hotel in the Santahar municipal area of the northern Bogra district.
The next day, on Dec. 18, police arrested Masud Rana, 33, a Muslim youth for allegedly pushing Bashfor and causing him to fall on boiling oil, after a heated argument over serving him inside the restaurant. “This age-old rule, this racist treatment of a specific class of people who are in a minority is a violation of human rights.

Some 20 years ago when Mohibul Hasan began his textile shop in the Mirpur area of Dhaka, Christmas was largely unknown in Bangladesh but now it has become a season for brisk sales.
“If I sell 100 sarees a month, in the week before Christmas it would be around 300 sarees,” the 52-year Muslim said from his shop adorned with Christmas decorations in the capital of the Muslim-majority nation.
The acceptance of Christmas festivities in mainstream society shows a major social change in the country and it could help build a non-sectarian nation, say sociologists and Christian leaders.
“It is actually a social change and through it, the universality of Christmas is increasing and this change is very positive for us,” said sociology Professor Shah Ehsan Habib of Dhaka University. He said Christmas decorations have become normal in hotels, restaurants, or shopping malls during the Christmas season, which was not the case a decade ago.
“We now see different kinds of Christmas decorations because people like Christmas” in this country for its universal festive spirit, he said.
The city’s top five-star hotel, the Pan Pacific Sonargaon has celebrated Christmas every year for decades, said Mohammed Nefeuzzaman, its public relations manager.
“Christmas Day is celebrated in our hotel gorgeously. People of all religions celebrate this event together,” he said adding that they organize special programs and “the response has been great.”
Its lobby is decorated with lights of different colours, complete with Christmas wishes and images of a red-and-white-clad Santa Claus.
“Our most popular program is the Kids Carnival, which offers a variety of rides for children on Christmas Day,” he said. They organize magic shows, puppet shows and various rides, including horse rides.