Pakistan's Feminists Fight Blasphemy Cases

Pakistani feminists say they are determined to fight blasphemy charges filed in mid-April by militant Islamic groups opposed to their International Women's Day rallies held on March 8. 

They rejected as "totally false" blasphemy allegations based on the social media postings of their rallies.   "We've seen a weaponization of blasphemy increase," said Farieha Aziz of the Karachi-based Women's Action Forum. "There's a pattern since 2017 of using it against dissidents in particular."  Until recently, Aziz said, social dissidents were labeled "anti-state" and "anti-Islamic," with the blasphemy charges taking opposition to a whole new level.