The words that put Asia Bibi in prison

On a hot Friday afternoon in June 2009, Asia Bibi left her post to get water for the other women who were picking fruit with her. But the women she worked with on the farm in Punjab province, Pakistan, refused her hospitality, saying the water was contaminated by her Christian hands. Asia and the women had a heated exchange about religion. Her Muslim co-workers taunted her for being a Christian and insisted that she should follow Mohammed.

She finally replied, "Our Christ sacrificed his life on the cross for our sins. What has your prophet done for you? Our Christ is alive. Your prophet is dead. Our Christ is the true prophet of God and yours is not true."

Asia was charged with blasphemy and locked in jail, where she remained for nearly 17 months before being sentenced to death. She is still in jail, pending the outcome of a legal appeal to her death sentence.

(from Voice of the Martyrs, February 2011)

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