Blasphemy

July 15, 2013
The unbelievable but true story of how a difference in religions could cost a woman her life. Being a Christian in the predominately Muslim country of Pakistan is never easy, but taking a drink of water on a hot day from a local well should be a simple act. For Bibi, it was, until her Muslim neighbors saw her use the community cup. Suddenly, with this innocent deed, Bibi's life turned into a nightmare. As one woman said, "Listen, all of you, this Christian has dirtied the water in the well by drinking from our cup and dipping it back in several times." Told simply and honestly, with the help of French journalist Tollet, Bibi describes the incredible turn of events that landed her in prison, awaiting her execution. She describes the horrible prison conditions, including the lack of toilet facilities and water to clean herself, the insufficient blankets during the cold months and the overwhelming fear that surrounds her as she lingers in her cell. She is unable to see her young children and only sees her husband infrequently; the family has had to go into hiding because of the outrage caused by her actions. She is surrounded by other women who have been imprisoned for adultery, "but in reality many of them have been raped. Although these women are victims, they're regarded as guilty." The governor who supported Bibi's innocence was murdered, and Bibi was moved into solitary confinement for her own protection, her every move monitored by cameras placed in the ceiling. Her story is emotional and moving and a cry for help as she still sits and waits for her sentence to be carried out. A passionate plea for help from a desperate woman who stands behind her pledge of innocence.

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August 1, 2013
Bibi, a Pakistani wife and mother, was sentenced to death in 2009 because she is a Christian who drank from a well used by Muslims. Working with French journalist Tollet, Bibi has been able to tell her story through her husband, Ashiq. The 42-year-old mother of five recalls the incident that landed her in prison on a day she went fruit picking and, overcome with thirst, went to a well and drank. Accused of contaminating the water because she is Christian, she defended her religion even when brought before the village imam and given the choice of conversion or death. Bibi describes horrific conditions and the slow death of unjust incarceration and the constant fear of being hanged or killed by other prisoners when a bounty is placed on her. She is thrown into solitary confinement when her case gains the attention of people of prominence from Hillary Clinton to Pope Benedict XVI. This is a harrowing story of a woman's strong religious convictions in the face of death and of the urgent call to save her life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)