Blasphemy laws in Pakistan should be a cause for concern

America’s No. 1 ally in the war on global terrorism and the recipient of billions of dollars in foreign aid has laws on the books that make insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad a crime punishable by death. The country is in danger of becoming a theocracy. The Obama administration, which has continued the policy of the Bush administration in treating the nuclear power with kid gloves, should pay attention to what’s taking place in Pakistan.

This week’s murder of Salman Taseer — he was the governor of Punjab and a vocal critic of the blasphemy laws — by a police commando assigned to protect him is a clear indication of the growing power of Islamic extremists. The murder has sent tremors through the ranks of Pakistan’s already embattled progressives and rights activists, and has threatened the stability of the ruling government coalition.

Taseer, 66, was a senior member of the ruling party and a close ally of President Asif Ali Zardari, who is backed by the United States. His funeral was attended by about 6,000 people, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and other senior government officials, under tight security. But the reality of what the murder represents was demonstrated by the outpouring of support for the alleged killer, 26-year-old Mumtaz Qadri.

According to the Associated Press, lawyers showered Qadri with rose petals when he arrived at court for his initial appearance. He was remanded in custody, but had not been charged as of Wednesday. He was praised by an influential Muslim scholars group that does not take kindly to any opposition to or criticism of the blasphemy laws. More than 500 clerics and scholars from the group Jamat Ahle Sunnat said no one should pray or express regret for Taseer’s murder.

“The supporter is as equally guilty as one who committed blasphemy,” the group warned in a statement. Jamat Ahle Sunnat added that politicians, the media and others should learn “a lesson from the exemplary death.”

Taliban and al-Qaida

The growing strength and popularity of Islamic extremists, the presence of Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists in the tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and the weakness of the governing coalition point to a level of instability within the country that cannot be ignored by the United States.

Pakistan’s having nuclear weapons is just one of the problems. Of greater concern is the collapse of the pro-U.S. government and the take over by the extremists. America would not only lose its key ally in the war on global terrorism, but it and its coalition partners would find themselves in a losing battle to keep the Islamists from overrunning Afghanistan — the Taliban and al-Qaida would undoubtedly join them — and toppling the democratically elected government of President Hamid Karzai.

The NATO-led coalition — the U.S. has the largest contingent of troops — is going after Taliban extremists who have been launching attacks in parts of the country and are training Afghans for the military and police forces.

President Obama has said American troops will be out of Afghanistan by 2014, but if Pakistan falls, all bets would be off.

The White House should find a way of helping the Pakistani ruling coalition remain in power.