Javed checked the public address system and chatted briefly with some of the early arrivals. He was a bit distracted by the interview he'd just had with Khalida Ali. He hoped it had been a good idea to speak so openly. The issue of conversion was very controversial among Muslims, and the Orthodox position was that no one had a right to be converted from Islam. But he felt that wasn't consistent with the Qur'anic commandment that there be no coercion in religion. Moreover, it was clearly contradicted by international law.

He saw Blake come in and Paul move quickly to greet him. He was glad to have Blake here but worried about what he might say. They didn't want any mistakes today.

A few minutes later he moved to the microphone and invited the speakers to take their places on the platform. Paul and Blake joined him along with three political leaders. Then Javed invited a mullah to give an invocation. The familiar call to prayer calmed him. He loved Islam and couldn't imagine not being a Muslim. The mullah was followed by a minister from the Church of Pakistan. So far, so good, Javed thought, as he heard the minister conclude his prayer by saying "Amen." It had seemed safer to have a Protestant give the invocation than a Catholic, as Javed was concerned that a Catholic out of habit might conclude the prayer by saying, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Paul wouldn't be that stupid, but some other priest might be.

The first speaker gave the standard explanation that he had just summarized for Ms. Ali as to why Muslims ought to support human rights. The Qur'an says there is to be no coercion in religion. Javed knew that throughout history Muslim leaders had engaged in coercing others to be Muslims, but he didn't believe that undermined in any way the integrity of the Islamic teaching. It was like the law. People broke the law all the time, but that didn't mean the law was wrong. He believed Islam stood for freedom of conscience. A person's faith was between him and God.

The second speaker took a more historical approach. He looked at how the Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, had introduced human rights among his followers. Women, who had been merely property among the Arabic tribes, were given rights including the right to hold property, the right to give evidence in court, and the right to divorce their husbands. As Muslims extended their political influence, the rights of Jews and Christians were respected. Jews and Christians had received earlier revelations from God, which were contained in their scriptures. Therefore, they were granted religious freedom by Muslims.

Javed knew that Paul didn't like this argument, because it ignored the difficulties that the Christians experienced in Pakistan today. It also made the idea of religious freedom dependent on Islamic teaching. Paul preferred to see human rights affirmed under international law. He glanced over at Paul to see how he was reacting but couldn't detect anything unusual. Javed hoped Paul wouldn't be tempted during his comments to critique the Islamic notion of the people of the book.

Javed's mind wandered throughout the first and second speeches. They were well-known to him. The third speaker, however, Abdul Farooqui, kept Javed's attention. He was a fairly young leader of the Jamat-e-Islami party. Javed listened closely, while Farooqui made an interesting intellectual point.

"In reading the Qur'an," Farooqui was saying, "we need to distinguish between verses that were transformed into legally binding rules and verses that were not. Verses that involve compulsion and discrimination against non-Muslims may, in this way, be understood as historical expressions that need not be enforced legally today. Whereas, verses emphasizing freedom of choice and individual responsibility for such choice before God may be taken as the basis for modern Islamic law."

That was a fascinating argument, Javed thought. We need some way to distinguish between verses of the Qur'an that are more important than others without attacking the basic belief that the Qur'an is the revelation of God.

"In the same way that early Muslim jurists used the technique of abrogation," the young political leader continued, "to rationalize and develop a body of law for their time, today Muslim countries should create from the fundamental teachings of the Qur'an a body of law suitable for our own age."

Without questioning the authority of the Qur'an, he's outlined a method of distinguishing its more relevant from its less relevant passages. That's very good, Javed thought to himself. He was still mulling over in his mind what this might mean in practice, when he heard the speaker make a suggestion that might be helpful in the present situation.

"I would hope," Farooqui was saying, "that procedures involving charges under Section 295 of the Criminal Code might make it more difficult for someone to file a frivolous complaint. For instance, we might set up in each province an ad hoc committee of leading citizens representing the different religious communities to review any such complaints before the police permit charges to be filed. In addition, the law could be modified to require that a magistrate must review any such complaint before the police accept it, in order to guard against false allegations unknowingly being accepted by the police."

Those are both excellent ideas, Javed thought. Who is this guy? We need to talk with him more to see if he can help us in the Parliament. He understands what we're facing and has a creative mind. Javed glanced at Paul and saw that he, too, had been impressed. I hope Khalida Ali writes that up.

Paul had stepped to the microphone now. Javed had a lot of respect for Paul, but he was always worried that Paul would say something offensive to Muslims. After all, Paul was a Christian. Paul believed in human rights not only because they were supported by international law, but because the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church hold that human rights are the will of God. In that sense, Paul's view of human rights was closer to Javed's than to the secular Western view. Both he and Paul believed that human rights were the gift of God, and both of them rejected the argument that human rights were merely "natural" to humanity or were simply "positive" law created by legislative bodies. But Javed didn't want to have Paul talk to Muslims about how human rights were supported by the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Paul was quoting now from Pacem in Terris, the 1961 encyclical by Pope John XXIII, which had fostered a spirit of reform within the Catholic Church. "Any human society, if it is to be well ordered and productive, must lay down as a foundation this principle, namely, that every human being is a person, that is, his nature is endowed with intelligence and freewill. Indeed, precisely because he is a person he has rights and obligations flowing directly and simultaneously from his very nature. And as these rights are universal and inviolable so they cannot in any way be surrendered."

Paul was headed exactly in the direction that Javed had feared.

"During the Second Vatican Council in 1965," Paul was saying, "the Council declared that the human person has a right to religious freedom and that this right has its foundation in the dignity of the human person. Fundamental human rights, therefore, are substantiated both by the revealed word of God and by reason. In this sense the Roman Catholic Church shares with Islam a vision of human rights, including the right of religious freedom, as God-given rights to all men and women, because we are all children of the one God."

Javed saw that Paul was trying to relate the teachings of his Church to Islamic teachings in order to suggest that there was a common area of understanding that supported human rights and, in particular, religious freedom. But most Muslims did not want to hear that Islamic teachings about human rights were only another way of understanding what the Catholic Church preached. Paul wasn't putting that negative emphasis on what he was saying, but many would take it that way.

"Human persons have dignity," Paul was concluding. "They are sacred and precious. Dignity isn't bestowed on them by the state or by a law protecting their rights. Human dignity is more fundamental than any specific human right. Human dignity is a characteristic of persons that transcends all laws, all governments, and all moral principles, because it is the source of all moral principles, all laws, and all governments."

Paul received enthusiastic applause from the Christians, but Javed was worried. By giving a Catholic interpretation of human rights, Paul had undermined Javed's Islamic position. Moreover, it might appear that this seminar was a way of promoting Christian views. It would all depend on how the seminar was reported. Khalida Ali's account, if printed at the same time as her interview with him, might draw too strong a parallel between a Christian and a Muslim position. Perhaps if I should try to talk with her, he thought.

Blake had now come to the podium. Javed respected Blake for his experience in international human rights work, but he didn't like him. Blake was too arrogant. He thought he could come into Pakistan and save people from themselves. Moreover, Javed knew Blake didn't like Islam. He might work cooperatively with Muslims, but deep down he disliked them and looked down on their religious tradition as backward and repressive. Blake saw human rights as the natural and individual rights of free persons, not as God-given rights related to the duties necessary for the human community to live faithfully.

"I am honored to be with you today," Blake was saying, "to support your leaders as they work cooperatively together to promote democratic government and the protection of fundamental human rights in Pakistan. It is encouraging to hear that Muslims and Christians find support for human rights in their own scriptures and teachings. We need to recognize as well, however, that human rights are part of international law. As a signatory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Pakistan has legal responsibilities to its citizens for the enforcement of international human rights standards including the right to freedom of religion or belief."

Javed began to squirm in his seat. Don't blow it, Blake, he thought to himself. You'll leave tonight, but the rest of us have to live here. We're the ones taking the risks.

"I believe the suggestions made by Mr. Farooqui concerning procedural safeguards before complaints can be filed are steps in the right direction," Blake concluded. "These would surely help provide the kind of equal protection that is guaranteed by both international human rights law and the Pakistani constitution."

Javed smiled. Blake pulled up from his steep dive and just avoided a crash landing. He hadn't given Blake enough credit. Of course, Farooqui might not want to hear that his suggestion was consistent with international human rights law, as the young Muslim politician had wanted to convince Muslims that it was good Islamic jurisprudence. But at least Blake hadn't simply praised international human rights law, as though it alone was the answer. He'd have to talk with Farooqui about putting together a small pamphlet on the Islamic understanding of human rights. They needed a short, simple statement that could be widely disseminated.

The seminar concluded on time, so there was no break for prayer. Javed had heard about the Christian prayer service that had been held last time, when the Muslims left the room. Perhaps the Muslim speakers kept their comments brief today in order to avoid a repeat of that situation. He knew the Muslims weren't pleased to find out after the last public seminar about the Christian prayer service. They saw it as a way of competing with the Muslims, because Christians didn't have regular hours for prayer during the day.

Paul was talking with Blake. Both seemed relieved that the seminar had gone so well. Javed felt himself relax as he left the platform and approached Hassan.

The younger lawyer was smiling broadly. "The Court has scheduled a hearing on our petition," he said, "for Thursday."

"A preliminary hearing on the issue of standing?" Javed replied.

"No. The government attorney is not contesting the issue of standing. The hearing will be on the merits of our petition."

"I wondered why you were so happy. That's only the day after tomorrow, so we can just stay up here and drive to Islamabad rather than returning to Karachi. Have you told Paul yet?"

"I'm about to tell him now. Perhaps Blake can stay over for a couple of days and attend the hearing with us."

Walking toward Paul and Blake, Javed felt a surge of energy. They were on their way! Maybe they would actually get a judgment from the Supreme Court against the blasphemy law. In any event, they would have a chance to give it their best shot.