Title: On Some Laws in Pakistan Question: I saw your reply to the question: ' How Should Muslims React to Derogatory Remarks on their Revered Personalities? ' I like your exposition a lot. My question would be: Are you and/or your movement doing anything to get those blasphemy laws of Pakistan repealed? Many Christians have been imprisoned and even killed on the basis that they have insulted Muhammad. And the main problem is that a Christian testimony counts nothing in court against the testimony of a Muslim. If a Muslim accuses you even without basis, he is believed and the Christian is disbelieved. If your article is correct, would you take some practical action and seek support from the people to change this law? You will be a savior of many innocent lives. But you might draw the wrath of some fundamentalist Muslims. What do you think? Answer: I do agree with you that a number of laws, that have been promulgated in Pakistan in the name of Islamic laws, seem to be quite unjust and biased. But the problem basically is that these laws have been promulgated due to an incorrect understanding of Islam and its teachings. Now, in my opinion and in the opinion of my colleagues, because the basis of such unjust laws lies in the incorrect understanding of Islam, correction can only start by teaching and propagating the correct "Islam". Obviously, the common Muslim wants to live his life according to what he believes to be the directive of Islam. No "practical movement" besides the one which focuses on correcting the understanding of Islamic directives can produce the desired results. It is therefore that we are only concentrating on teaching ourselves and others the real and correct directives of Islamic Shari`ah (Law). We believe that if and when we succeed in teaching the true directives of Islam to the Muslims, we would not need any movement, changes in the promulgated laws would be an automatic result. On the other hand, without correcting the understanding of the directives of Islam, all "Movements" to abolish or repeal these promulgated laws shall be perceived as anti-Islam and therefore shall not be able to achieve the desired results. To clarify, I would like you to consider that if the Muslims believe/understand that the punishment for blasphemy is death and have therefore promulgated a law to this effect, every "Movement" desirous of repealing such law, would be perceived as anti-Islamic and shall therefore have no effect on the promulgated laws. But, on the other hand, if the Muslims are properly educated that this particular understanding is not correct, I am sure that after being correctly educated, they shall themselves repeal all laws that are un-Islamic. 21 st June 1998