Shahbaz Bhatti and the True Definition of a Martyr

Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s first Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs 

In June 2009, an angry mob tore through the village of Ittan Wali, in Punjab, Pakistan. They dragged a woman to prison, for a crime of blasphemy that she denied. The judge heard witnesses testify that Asia Bibi made derogatory comments about Prophet Muhammad after being forbidden to use her cup to drink water from a community well. Asia belonged to the only Christian family in the village and in the eyes of her fellow citizens, she should not be drinking the same water as everyone else.

Throughout the process, Bibi denied having insulted or blasphemed the prophet. But the judge refused to believe her: She would be the first woman sentenced to death by a Pakistani court under the country’s new blasphemy law.

The conviction itself was full of holes, starting with the lack of evidence. But the international calls for amnesty were not enough to overturn the sentence. The pressure from within the country was even stronger, with people taking to the streets demanding Bibi’s execution. Taliban regimes in the country said in communiqués that, if the government released her, they would kill her as soon as she set foot in the street.

In this context, two voices spoke out in favor of her release and against the blasphemy law, which in fact was serving as a means to settle unresolved conflicts without almost ever going to trial: oftentimes, an accusation of blasphemy, if backed by enough people, was sufficient for an impromptu public lynching to take place.

The first voice would be that of the Punjab governor, Salmaan Taseer, who would visit Asia Bibi’s cell several times and publicly show his support. He was killed by one of his bodyguards on January 4, 2011. And, despite the Taliban warnings, a large crowd would take to the streets to show their indignation at the death of someone they considered a good man.

The same fate would also befall the second voice, that of Pakistani Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of the government. He was gunned down in his car near his home on March 4, 2011. Bhatti had received his first death threats in 2010, when he began to publicly position himself against the blasphemy law. He knew he would end up being killed for it. So, then why didn’t he keep quiet? Why did he keep defending what he considered to be fair?

Where did he get the courage to fight for a cause that meant certain death? What leads a person to consciously sacrifice their life? What could be worth more than life itself? Some people make that sacrifice out of hatred, rage, desperation or the promise that by killing they will go to a better place. And there are those who make the sacrifice out of a love for others, for the truth and for what is just. For some macabre interest, we have ended up using the same word to designate diametrically opposed realities. And the cases of Bhatti and Taseer remind us of the true and noble meaning of the word martyr.

When we see this case, we think about these murders and conclude that evil has won. That these two men have died in vain: Asia Bibi was condemned to death and stayed in jail for eight years. They were fully aware that this was bound to happen. So why continue defending a seemingly lost cause at the cost of one’s own life? They probably couldn´t have thought of her finalreleasing from prison in 2018 and transferring to a safe place. Anyway, the blasphemy law still continues to cause tragic outcomes.

Because there is something stronger than hate. Because Bhatti and Taseer believed in something stronger than death, and they were more than willing to bear witness with their own death: that eternal life is not attained through hatred, but through kindness and mercy. That the only thing that overcomes death is love. Both believed there is no greater love than giving one’s life for friends; and they gave it to a woman they barely knew. Because they believed that forgiveness and mercy are stronger than hate.

In the midst of the immense pain caused by the persecution and death of so many resulting from hatred and extremism, there are still people willing to die to defend what is just, and do even more than that: to forgive those who persecute them. They call themselves martyrs, and they are the hope of a society anesthetized by indifference or hatred.

The life of Shahbaz challenges us with teachings such as the following:

• Peace in the face of death is a gift that comes from a love for something (or someone) that gives substance and meaning to life itself.
• That peace is preceded by the freedom not to hide one’s convictions and defend the causes that seem fairest.
• The love of a martyr’s life is greater than the despair and emptiness of their executioners; it is bigger than death itself.