I am grateful for the critical praise and positive press for Blasphemy:The Trial of Danesh Masih and The Verdict. Here are a few of the book reviews, interviews, and excerpts about the novel carried by newspapers and magazines.
A well-paced, gut-wrenching novel about a draconian law that is often exploited, Blasphemy is an audacious and haunting addition to Pakistani fiction.
The blurb on the cover of the book draws comparisons to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, which is certainly apt for this theme, but the taut pace and the intrigue have far more in common with a John Grisham thriller. The myriad twists and turns would also adapt very naturally to the big screen, but can such a film be made in Pakistan today?
This is why we desperately need more such books and stories. Literature is one of the most powerful tools we have to humanise the ‘other’ — the stranger and the foreigner — to connect with their reality, and to truly recognise them on their own terms. Such books start conversations, they change people. Social commentary of this sort is precious, rare and most urgently needed. Let us celebrate it when we find it.
The Verdict is undoubtedly a haunting tale of love, hate and of the consequences of human ego and prejudice that leaves the reader hooked till the very last page.
'Blasphemy: The Trial of Danesh Masih' tackles a tricky yet important subject of Pakistan's growing religious intolerance. The story has elements of politics, law and romance which makes it a thrilling read.
Pakistani writer Osman Haneef's new novel, Blasphemy: The Trial of Danesh Masih (Readomania Publishing) is an insightful account of the consequences of ill-thought, morally corrosive laws. Through the story of Danesh, the young son of a Christian house-help, wrongly charged for blasphemy, Haneef explores Pakistan's controversial law.
This novel set in Pakistan examines what blasphemy laws can do to a country and its people.
Blasphemy is Haneef’s way of holding a mirror on the face of society and asking it to look at its reflection- ugly, vicious and cruel. This is also a reminder of what is wrong with our society and how we can bring about a change in it.