Dear Friends!

Your urgent action can save a Human Life. Please help!

Hearings in the appeal for Dr. Shaikh have concluded in the High Court
in Islamabad. As you know, this peace activist was convicted to death in
a lower court on charges of Blasphemy under Pakistan’s brutal Islamic
law Section 295 C. The charge on which he was found guilty was that he
blasphemed the Prophet Mohammad by saying the Prophet could not have
been a Muslim before Islam was revealed to him.

For this Dr. Shaikh might be killed by the State of Pakistan.

Dr. Shaikh denies having said anything blasphemous. In fact the original
complainant was not an eye witness, and the defence proved that Dr.
Shaikh was not even present in the class room at the medical college
(where he teaches physiology) at the time when he is alleged to have
made the allegedly blasphemous statements. But the trial at the lower
court was a kangaroo court: the hearings were accompanied by the
presence of murderous mullahs who threatened both the defence and the
Judge. He had no fair trial. The death penalty is barbaric.

The High Court heard arguments from respected advocate Abid Hasan Manto
over two days, and the judge has reserved judgment. It will be
pronounced in a week’s time. We have less than a week to help save his
life.

Please:

- Forward this appeal to all your e mail contacts, urging them to act.
- Help bring international pressure on the government of Pakistan by
writing to your newspaper. Suggest that your newspaper to cover the news
item.
- Details of who to write to are available on the IHEU’s website at
www.iheu.org/Shaikh
Call your Foreign Ministry in your country, and demand that they take
steps to issue a diplomatic demarche to the Pakistan Ambassador in your
country.

PLEASE! Dr. Shaikh has already spent 637 days in prison, mostly in
solitary confinement. In a week’s time he may be free. With your efforts
and help it could be a reality!


The IHEU's 50 Anniversary Congress in the Netherlands had participation
from the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dr. Kok, as well as the
outspoken Minister Dr. Pronk. The Congress consisting of people from 20
countries has resolved to do all that is possible to lobby to save Dr.
Shaikh's life (Congress details and live web transmissions at
www.humanworldcongress.org) by contacting these dignitaries and others.
Television and Radio information is being transmitted on Dr. Shaikh's
case. We trying our best. Please join your efforts to ours. Together we
may be successful!

In urgency,

Babu Gogineni
Executive Director
International Humanist and Ethical Union
www.iheu.org