Shahbaz Bhatti

Clement Shahbaz Bhatti (9 September 1968 – 2 March 2011),[1] popularly known as Shahbaz Bhatti, was a Pakistani politician who was elected as a member of the National Assembly from 2008.[2] He was the first Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs[1] from November 2008 until his assassination on 2 March 2011 in Islamabad and the only Christian in the Cabinet.[3] Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for his killing and called him a blasphemer of Muhammad.[4] In March 2016, five years after the death of Shahbaz Bhatti, his cause for beatification was formally opened by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, making him a Servant of God within the Roman Catholic Church.[5]

Servant of God

Shahbaz Bhatti
شہباز بھٹی
Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs
In office
2 November 2008 – 2 March 2011
PresidentAsif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Preceded byMuhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq
Personal details
Born(1968-09-09)September 9, 1968[1]
Lahore, Pakistan[1]
Died2 March 2011(2011-03-02) (aged 36)
Islamabad, Pakistan
NationalityPakistani
Political partyPakistan Peoples Party (PPP)
Alma materUniversity of Lahore
Venerated inRoman Catholicism

Early life

Bhatti was born in Lahore to Christian parents from the Faisalabad District. His father, Jacob Bhatti, a courageous officer of British army, then as a teacher to promote education in the area, before becoming chairman of the board of churches in Khushpur.[6]

Career

As a student, Bhatti founded and served as head of Pakistan's Christian Liberation Front,[7] which he formed in 1985.[8] He founded the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) in 2002 and was unanimously elected as its chairman.[9] He met with President Pervez Musharraf as part of a group of minority rights advocates.[10] Bhatti joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 2002,[1] but remained outside politics until becoming a minister in 2008. He was placed on the government's Exit Control List in 2003, but was removed in November of that year.[11]

Bhatti was appointed as Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs on 2 November 2008, when, for the first time, the post was elevated to cabinet level and an independent ministry created. At the time, he said that he accepted the post for the sake of the "oppressed, down-trodden and marginalized" of Pakistan, and that he had dedicated his life to the "struggle for human equality, social justice, religious freedom, and to uplift and empower religious minorities' communities." He added that he wanted to send "a message of hope to the people living a life of disappointment, disillusionment and despair", and also stated his commitment to reforming the country's blasphemy laws.[6]

During his time as federal minister, he took numerous steps in support of religious minorities. These included the launch of a national campaign to promote interfaith harmony, the proposal of legislation to ban hate speech and related literature, the proposed introduction of comparative religion as a curriculum subject, the introduction of quotas for religious minorities in government posts, and the reservation of four Senate seats for minorities.[1] Bhatti also spearheaded the organisation of a National Interfaith Consultation in July 2010, which brought together senior religious leaders of all faiths from across Pakistan and resulted in a joint declaration against terrorism.[12]

Assassination

Bhatti had been the recipient of death threats since 2009, when he spoke in support of Pakistani Christians attacked in the 2009 Gojra riots in Punjab Province. These threats increased following his support for Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian sentenced to death in 2010 for blasphemy.[13] The United States had tried to obtain increased security for him and get him an armoured car but was unsuccessful.[14] Bhatti himself foretold his death and recorded a video, which was to be released in case of his death, where he said "I believe in Jesus Christ who has given his own life for us, and I am ready to die for a cause. I'm living for my community ... and I will die to defend their rights."[15]

According to the BBC, Bhatti was travelling to work through a residential district, having just left his mother's home, when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets. At the time of the attack he was alone, without any security. His driver reports having stopped the car and ducked when he saw armed men approaching rather than attempting to evade the threat. Bhatti was taken to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. The group Tehrik-i-Taliban told the BBC that they carried out the attack, because Bhatti was a "known blasphemer."[4] A Roman Catholic who had criticised Pakistan's blasphemy law, his death follows that of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who was also assassinated amid the controversy over the blasphemy law.[4]

On the day following Bhatti's assassination, hundreds of Christian demonstrators reportedly took to the streets across Punjab, with protesters burning tires and demanding justice.[16] According to Minorities Concern of Pakistan, "Investigators are divided over the assassination case with some in the Islamabad police pointing the fingers at the Taliban and al-Qaeda". Later in 2011, an attempt was also made to shift the blame to "internal squabbles" among Christians.[17] According to the same group, the identity of Bhatti's murderer was still unknown. In the months that followed, minority groups in Pakistan demanded the formation of a commission to probe the Bhatti case.[18]

Reactions
Domestic
  • Farahnaz Ispahani, an aide to President Asif Ali Zardari, condemned the assassination, saying: "This is a concerted campaign to slaughter every liberal, progressive and humanist voice in Pakistan."[4] President Zardari vowed to combat the forces of obscurantism, and said, "we will not be intimidated nor will we retreat." The government declared three days of mourning. However, when the prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gillani, led a two-minute silence in parliament, three members of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam party remained seated. Muhammad Rafi Usmani, the grand mufti of Pakistan, referred to the possibility of the assassination being "an American conspiracy to defame the government of Pakistan, Muslims and Islam."[16] The Pakistani delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Asim Ahmad, said that it would not be right to link Bhatti's murder to the issue of blasphemy. Ahmad said freedom of speech could not justify defamation and blasphemy; "It is important to prevent the deliberate campaign of defamation of Islam and its Prophet."[19]
Foreign

Leaders of Australia,[21] Canada,[22] France,[23] Germany,[24] India,[25] Spain,[23] UK,[20] USA,[20] and the Vatican[4][26][27] expressed their shock and condemnation of his killing.

Church
  • On the first anniversary of his death Pakistani Catholic priests called for the Pakistani Catholic bishops to open the cause of canonisation for Bhatti.[28] Afterwards Pakistani bishops sent a formal request to the Pope to officially name Bhatti a martyr.[29] Bhatti's canonisation is also supported by Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who has said that he could be patron of "Justice and Peace in Pakistan or even Asia".[30] The bible owned by Shahbaz Bhatti was placed in San Bartolomeo all'Isola as a relic of a 21st-century martyr, part of the memorial to 20th- and 21st-century martyrs.[31]

See also

References
  1. Dawn.com (2 March 2011). "Profile: Shahbaz Bhatti". Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  2. "Pakistani minister, a Christian, assassinated". Albuquerque Express. 3 March 2011. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  3. Rodriguez, Alex (3 March 2011). "Pakistan's only Christian Cabinet member assassinated". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  4. "Pakistan Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti shot dead". BBC. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  5. "2011". Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  6. Asia News, Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic, is the new minister for the defense of minorities, 4 November 2008
  7. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (2004). State of human rights in 2003. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. ISBN 978-969-8324-17-9.
  9. Bentham, Annabelle (10 March 2011). "Shahbaz Bhatti obituary". The Guardian. London.
  10. Charisma and Christian life. Strang Communications Co. 2002.
  11. Senate (U S ) Committee on Foreign Relations (August 2005). Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, 2004. Government Printing Office. p. 668. ISBN 978-0-16-072552-4.
  12. The Express Tribune, Interfaith conference issues declaration against terror, July 2010
  13. "Bhatti knew about threat to his life from Taliban, Qaeda". Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  14. Perlez, Jane (3 March 2011). "U.S. Tried to Help Protect Slain Pakistani Minister". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  15. Baker, Aryn (21 March 2011). "In Pakistan, Justifying Murder for Those Who Blaspheme". TIME. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  16. Declan Walsh, Pakistani Christians protest after assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, The Guardian, 3 March 2011
  17. Mughal, Aftab Alexander (2 July 2011). "Al Qaeda connections may provide impunity for murder in Pakistan". Spero News. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  18. Mughal, Aftab Alexander (4 May 2011). "Murder of Pakistan's minister for minority affairs still unresolved". Spero News. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  19. "Don't link minister's murder to blasphemy: Pakistani UN delegate". The Express Tribune. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  20. "World community condemn Bhatti's murder". Dawn. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  21. "Statement on the assassination of Pakistan's Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti". Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  22. "Harper condemns 'gutless' killers of Pakistan minister". CTV Television Network. 3 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  23. Hayat, Ishrat (4 March 2011). "France, Canada, Spain condemn Bhatti's assassination". The News International. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  24. "International community condemns Shahbaz Bhatti's assassination". The Express Tribune. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  25. "India condemns tragic assassination of Pak Federal Minister Shahbaz Bhatti". Ministry of External Affairs. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  26. "Vatican says Bhatti killing 'unspeakable'". Dawn. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  27. "Pope voices 'great concern' over tensions in Africa, Asia". Dawn. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  28. "Calls for Shahbaz Bhatti to be declared a saint". hearldmalaysia.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  29. "Pakistan bishops urge pope to name shahbaz bhatti a martyr". catholicnewsagency.com. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  30. "Cardinal suggests sainthood for Shahbaz Bhatti". sconews.co.uk. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  31. "Father Popieluszko in Rome pantheon of modern martyrs". thenews.pl. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
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