Asia Bibi’s case was just one of those highlighted by today’s launch in London of the Religious Liberty Commission to address the persecution of Christians around the world.
The commission, which is made up of Open Doors, Release International, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and the Evangelical Alliance will allow those working on behalf of persecuted Christians to speak with one voice.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of the launch Anglican Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, who was born and worked as a priest in Pakistan, suggested administrative changes could help address the problem in countries that support laws encouraging the persecution of Christians.
Nazir-Ali suggested legal changes such as accusations being registered with the Ministry of Law, rather than accusers telling the police, who will then be under “enormous pressure”; and that the decision about who and whether to prosecute is made anonymously to prevent the same pressure on officials.