Blasphemy laws
“And blasphemy, the sin against the Holy Spirit, is the only unpardonable sin – so Jesus says – because it starts from a closure of the heart to the mercy of God acting in Jesus,” Jun 10, 2018 / 08:23 am-Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis.
Pakistan court sentenced to death Asia Bibi – Pope Benedict XVI has called for Pakistan to repeal its anti-blasphemy law and demanded that governments in predominantly Muslim countries do much more to protect minority Christians from violent attacks(10/01/2011)
INDIA – Laws that pay a specific reference to sanctioning insult, blasphemy or defamation of religion
Indian Penal Code
Section 295 [Injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class]
Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class
of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the
knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or defilement
as an insult to their religion, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a
term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Section 295A [Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class
by insulting its religion or religious beliefs]
Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class
of [citizens of India], [by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations
or otherwise] insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall
be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to [three
years], or with fine, or with both.]
Section 296 Disturbing religious assembly.
Whoever voluntarily causes disturbance to any assembly lawfully engaged in the performance
of religious worship, or religious ceremonies, shall be punished with imprisonment of either
description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
Section 297 Trespassing on burial places, etc.
Whoever, with the intention of wounding the feelings of any person, or of insulting the religion
of any person, or with the knowledge that the feelings of any person are likely to be wounded, or
that the religion of any person is likely to be insulted thereby, commits any trespass in any place
of worship or on any place of sepulture, or any place set apart for the performance of funeral rites
or as a depository for the remains of the dead, or offers anyindignity to any human corpse, or
causes disturbance to any persons assembled for the performance of funeral ceremonies, shall
be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year,
or with fine, or with both.
Section 298 [Uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings]
Whoever, with the deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of any person, utters
any word or makes any sound in the hearing of that person or makes any gesture in the sight of that person or places any object in the sight of that person, shall be punished with imprisonment
of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
Afghanistan
Algeria
Andorra
Antigua and
Barbuda
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbuda
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Comoros
Cyprus
Denmark*
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Finland
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Guyana
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Liechtenstein
Malaysia
Malta*
Mauritius
Montenegro
Morocco
New Zealand
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Papua New
Guinea
Philippines
Poland
Qatar
Russia
Rwanda
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Somalia
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
St Lucia
St. Vincent and
Grenadines
Sudan
Suriname
Switzerland
Syria
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
United Arab
Emirates
Vanuatu
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Malta and Denmark have repealed their blasphemy Laws
Read More
- Updegraph v. Commonwealth: Christianity is the law of land (1824)
- People v. Ruggles: Malicious criticism of Christ or Bible is blasphemy (1811)
