Legal Commentary

Pakistan Cabinet Member Murdered Over Opposition to Blasphemy Law

By Eugene Volokh

CNN reports:

A Pakistani government minister who had said he was getting death threats because of his opposition to a controversial blasphemy law was shot to death Wednesday.

Shahbaz Bhatti was the only Christian member of the Cabinet in Pakistan, where 95 percent of people are Muslim. He served as the government?s minister of minority affairs....

The Taliban claimed responsibility. ?(The) assassination of Bhatti is a message to all of those who are against Pakistan?s blasphemy laws,? said Ihsanullah Ihsan, a Taliban spokesman.

Thanks to Prof. Howard Friedman (Religion Clause) for the pointer. Two months ago, a governor of a Pakistan state ? Salman Taseer ? was murdered for the same reason.

Full post as published by The Volokh Conspiracy on March 02, 2011 (boomark / email).