 Sana Ashraf is from the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences and the title of Sana's three-minute presentation tonight is Am I hurting God? In November last year a young Christian couple was burnt alive in Pakistan by a mob of around 1500 men Following the announcements from the local mosques that the couple had burnt a few pages of Koran while cleaning their house In Pakistan Anything from misspelling the name of Muhammad to everyday disagreements with the Muslims can be framed as blasphemy Leading to public violence and even murder with no repercussions rather glory for the killers You might have heard of Pakistan with reference to terrorism and extremism through various media sources You might also have heard stories of the cruel blasphemy laws of Pakistan whose violation is punishable by death however Since their inception in the 1980s the blasphemy laws of Pakistan have not led to even a single Execution by the state whereas Dozens of people have died at the hands of the public after being accused of blasphemy What if I tell you that most of the perpetrators of such violent crimes are not Associated with any of the terrorist or extremist organizations rather these are common men Celebrate it as heroes by other common people Through a study of court cases speeches of religious leaders and my interviews with the accused and their family members My research shows that the cultural notions of honor shame and heroism are used in conjunction with the religious Ideology to motivate people to commit violence upon mere rumors of blasphemy allegations The ability of a Muslim man to defend the honor of Islam in the public is seen as the ultimate Expression of his love for the prophet It is believed to prove him as a true Muslim and bestow upon him highest of the religious ranks This sentiment runs deep and gives rise to a whole army of God's men who are ever ready to avenge any perceived or Alleged insults to Islam on the behalf of God It is crucial to understand the reasons behind public violence If we want to address the crimes against humanity Particularly the religious minorities of Pakistan in the name of blasphemy