Showing posts with label tehreek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tehreek. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Monthly Newsreport - Ahmadiyya Persecution in Pakistan - February, 2011

Maulvi Faqir Muhammad and the Government of the Punjab

Masudabad Chak 109, District Faisalabad; February 2011: Maulvi Faqir Muhammad of Faisalabad is the same mulla who demanded that the government of the Punjab issue its ill-famed registered letter dated June 27, 2003, which was accorded ‘TOP PRIORITY’ and was titled: LETTER RECEIVED FROM MOULVI FAQIR MOHAMMAD. It contained unworthy instructions to three private schools owned by Ahmadis, such as ‘expose themselves as Qadiani by writing in large plain hand writing on the school boards.’ The authorities continue to be slavishly responsive to this mulla’s dictates, as is apparent from the incident described below.

Three policemen visited the Ahmadiyya community in Masudabad at about 3 p.m. on February 6, 2011 and conveyed that Maulvi Faqir Mohammad had intimated to the authorities that Ahmadis had written the Kalima in their mosque and the graveyard. (This reminds one of Taliban rule in Afghanistan when they arrested some Australian priests and charged them for, inter alia, being in possession of the Bible). They instructed Ahmadi elders to present themselves at the police station in Khurrarianwala the next day at 4 p.m.

In subsequent meetings with the police, the DSP was sympathetic, and offered the hope of finding a solution. However, one cannot rely upon such statements by Pakistani officials.

Sure enough, the DSP, accompanied by the SHO and 15 constables came to the village after sunset on 15 February, unhooked and took away the Kalima from the mosque, that was carved in wood.

It is nearly eight years since the government of the Punjab issued the ill-famed TOP PRIORITY letter. It has not learnt its lesson, and is drifting with the tide, headed for the rocks.

Ahmadi escaped attack on life

Rawalpindi; February 2, 2011: Mr. Abdul Rauf is a well-known businessman in Gojar Khan, district Rawalpindi. He received a letter at his shop that threatened him with death if he did not change his religion. A few days later while returning home, two men on a motorbike intercepted him and said to him in Punjabi, “You are a Mirzai, stop your antics.” Later, on February 2, as he entered his house, he heard a shot that pierced the gate and hit the wall in front of him. Luckily, he was unhurt. He lodged a report with the police.

He is in a constant danger. His family is living in fear.

Erasure of Kalima from an Ahmadiyya mosque

Daska Kot, District Sialkot; February 19, 2011: The police visited the local Ahmadiyya mosque alongwith mullas, who had photographed the Kalima written on the face of the mosque. The clerics demanded that the Kalima should be erased. The police contacted the Ahmadi prayer leader and threatened him with registration of a criminal case and arrest. They took him to the police station. Later they fixed tiles over the Kalima, and let go of the Ahmadiyya missionary.

Attempt on an Ahmadiyya mosque

Islamabad; January 28, 2011: A suspect wearing a security uniform tried to get closer to the Ahmadiyya mosque in Islamabad during the Friday sermon. An Ahmadi guard on duty told him to stop. He, however, kept on heading for the mosque. The guard fired a shot in the air to warn him. The intruder stopped and pointing to his chest said, “Shoot here”, and kept on moving. The guard fired a second shot in the air. At this the police arrived at the spot and arrested him. When the police asked him as to where he was going, he replied, “Wherever I was going, you have disturbed the whole plan.

It is learnt that he was working in a security company for the preceding one month and had served in the army in the past. He had received his education in a madrassah. He gave his name, ‘Anayatullah S/O Karam Khan’ to the police.

Hostile rallies in Rabwah

Rabwah; February 16, 2011: Rabwah has always been in the crosswire of the mullas. They are at liberty to provoke 95% of the town’s population. They regularly hold conferences in Rabwah, take out processions through the main markets and make hateful speeches using provocative language against the Ahmadiyya community. Mullas from outside Rabwah participate in these conferences and disturb the peace of the city.

One such occasion is 12 Rabiul Awwal (the birthday of the Holy Prophetsa). Mullas now take out several processions in Rabwah every year on this day. Ahmadis request the authorities to stop them from such activities, but to no avail. This year again Ahmadiyya central office wrote to the authorities to prohibit such rallies, but they allowed the mullas to once again gather in Rabwah and threaten the peace of the town. A report of these processions is placed below.

The first procession on February 16, 2011 started from Masjid Bukhari at 09:00. Approximately 300 men from the Muslim Colony and Chiniot participated in it. This procession used the main road of Rabwah and reached Aqsa Square. Qari Muhammad Yameen addressed the participants there. On their way back to the Bus Stop they halted in front of Aiwan-e-Mahmood and Mulla Ghulam Mustafa addressed the crowd. Thereafter it stopped in front of the Post Office and Mulla Masood Sarwari and Mulla Hafiz Umair addressed them.

The second procession was led by the son of Maulvi Mushtaq of Khichian. They gathered at the Bus Stop and held a conference there which lasted three hours. Approximately 700 people participated in the conference. Afterwards at 13:00 they went to the Aqsa Square in the form of a procession and dispersed. This procession comprised seven tractor trolleys, one bus, four cars, forty motorcycles and five rickshaws.

The third procession was led by Majlis Ahrar. A conference was held in the mosque of Majlis Ahrar in Kot Wasawa, in Rabwah at 10:00. This conference continued for five hours and approximately three thousand people participated in it. They took the form of a procession and reached in front of the Aiwan-e-Mahmood via Aqsa Square. There Mulla Mughaira, Abdul Latif Khalid Cheema and Ataul Muhaiman Bukhari spoke against the Ahmadiyya community. They used highly slanderous and provocative language against the Ahmadiyya leaders. They also criticized the government regarding Raymond Davis and Aasia Bibi. They demanded from the government more vigorous anti-Ahmadiyya measures. This procession ended at the Bus Stop at 17:30. It used the main roads of Rabwah and comprised 10 buses, 18 coasters, 30 cars, five tractor trolleys and 40 rickshaws.

All markets in Rabwah remained closed due to these un-welcome guests, and all Ahmadis remained vigilant against any unforeseen development. Women were advised to stay at home. Men were directed to stay clear of the procession.

Follow-up of the desecration by the police of the Ahmadiyya mosque in Chak 30/11-L

This village is located in District Sahiwal, Punjab. We reported last month that the police nailed wooden planks on the face of the Kalima written in the mosque. The SHO had threatened that he would come again.

Subsequently, at the behest of the mullas, the police told Ahmadis to demolish the niche of the mosque. Ahmadis refused to do that, and conveyed that the police may undertake that sort of desecration but not expect it from Ahmadis. The SHO threatened to book all the Ahmadis in a criminal case. At the time, he went back but threatened to come again.

Apparently the police have no instructions from the provincial capital to ignore the unreasonable demands of clerics.

Update on the reconstruction of the Ghatialian mosque

Ghatialian, District Sialkot, Punjab: It was reported last month that on the orders of the police, the work on the reconstruction of the Ahmadiyya mosque in the village had come to a halt.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pasroor decided to visit the site. He arrived there in the company of the Chairman Aman (peace) Committee. The Ahmadiyya delegation showed them the building and told them that it was almost a hundred years old and had become dilapidated. It was no longer safe for use, and the worshippers had no choice but to pray outside in the courtyard, which was not recommended on account of the security situation in the country. Also, with the passage of time, the number of worshipers had increased. For these reasons, the mosque structure had to be extended, and pillars, etc had been built accordingly.

The opposition party insisted on restricting the construction and wanted stricter conditions to be applied. These were unacceptable to Ahmadis.

The issue had to be raised before the District Police Officer (DPO) who said that he would visit the site. He has not been able to come to the village, and the construction remains suspended. The freedom to worship has been compromised.

Arson in Badin

Badin; February 2011: District Badin is one of the numerous hot spots for Ahmadis in Sindh. Mullas remain active and free here to keep the communal tension at a high level.

Mr Rafiq Ahmad, a local Ahmadi has been the target of threats in the recent past. He is a farmer, and the sugarcane crop was nearly ripe in his farm. His inquisitors set fire to his crop. It was noticed when the flames went up, and a huge crowd assembled at the location. They were mostly non-Ahmadis, but were sympathetic, and helped in fighting the fire. It was finally brought under control.

Mr Rafiq Ahmad was being harassed and threatened by one man in particular, Bashir Rind. Earlier, he had seized two truckloads of Mr. Ahmad’s cotton and demanded half a million rupees as ransom. The police arrested him, but he obtained release on bail. Subsequently he was shot dead by the police in an encounter on February 17, 2011.

A fabricated complaint to the police, from Ahmad Nagar

Ahmad Nagar, District Chiniot; January/February 2011: A month ago, two non-Ahmadis, a butcher and a cleric from this small town sent an application against a dozen Ahmadis to the DPO asking for police action.

Ahmad Nagar is located on the outskirts of Rabwah. It has a sizeable Ahmadi community. However, after 1974 when the constitution was amended to impose Non-Muslim minority status on Ahmadis, the government of the Punjab proceeded to establish a ‘Muslim Colony’ in Rabwah. In this colony, mullas were helped by the authorities to build a seminary, a mosque and a ‘Muslim’ housing scheme on usurped land. Since then, the resident mullas of Chenab Nagar (Rabwah) have worked hard to spoil the social and communal peace in Ahmad Nagar. In this, they have succeeded. A local Ahmadiyya mosque was confiscated by the authorities last year and handed over to non-Ahmadis. Social and communal disputes now abound and mullas pursue them energetically with sympathetic authorities. The recent complaint is one in the series of such pursuits.

The butcher and the cleric wrote to the DPO that 12 (named) Ahmadis preach their creed in the open; they get drunk and display firearms to provoke the Muslims, bully Muslim men and women, and thus pose a threat to law and order of the town, etc. The application is a fabrication drafted by some crafty mulla.

The DPO, who reports to his superiors in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab, had to show due (in fact, undue) concern for a complaint received from the majority community, so he directed the SHO Chenab Nagar to take action as per law and ensure both security and peace in the area. Very appropriate. However, only a year ago, the DCO Chiniot took the credit of handing over an Ahmadiyya mosque to non-Ahmadis, that was built by Ahmadis, on Ahmadi-owned land and used by Ahmadis for over 20 years. That DCO justified his shameful action on baseless grounds of ‘pre-empting the extreme law and order situation.

The following were named in the application: Arshad S/o Allah Rakha, Jahangir S/o Jalil Khan; Ashraf S/o Allah Rakha; Asif S/o Afzal Butt; Junaid S/o (M Anwar Butt); Adnan Butt S/o (Ahmad Tariq Butt); Fazil Butt S/o Aslam Butt; Nazir Ahmad (Jeela) tailor master; Sarmad Butt S/o Idrees Butt; Mian Khalid S/o Allah Yar; Saleem ricksheywala; Hamid S/o Karim; Safiulla S/o Samiullah, and a few unidentified persons.

Another mischief in Ahmad Nagar

Ahmad Nagar; January/February 2011: Still another case from Ahmad Nagar that highlights the potential of mischief in this neighborhood on the outskirts of Rabwah.

Subsequent to a fabricated complaint, the police registered a case of ‘theft’ against a respectable Ahmadi elder, Mr. Malik Muhammad Rafiq, aged 70, and proceeded to arrest him.

Briefly, Mr Rafiq purchased a plot of land in Ahmad Nagar from the Canal Department in 2002 when this Department had no further need of their dilapidated office on that plot. Subsequently, Mr Rafiq demolished the office rooms and secured the plot with some construction and a four-wall. The plot is adjescant to Ahmadiyya main mosque in Ahmad Nagar. This makes it a crucial property for the party opposed to Ahmadis. And sure enough, Bashir Ahmad, a Patwari (revenue clerk) in league with an official of his department sent an application to the police to register a criminal case of theft of doors and windows against Mr. Rafiq, nine years after the sale of the property. The police, obligingly, registered the case and arrested the rightful owner.

Mr Rafiq has contacted the senior officials of the concerned department and requested intervention. They have undertaken to investigate and follow-up. In the meantime the police have released Mr. Rafiq. One is perpetually at risk if one is an Ahmadi in Pakistan, particularly in the Punjab, these days.

Miss Hina Akram’s ordeal continues

Faisalabad: We reported in the monthly report for November 2010 on the maltreatment of Miss Hina Akram of National Textile University, Faisalabad by her teachers, to the extent that she had to stop going to classes. Recalling the incident very briefly, the young lady was in very good books of her teacher, Mr Rao Rashid till he came to know that she was an Ahmadi. He urged her to convert, offered her board and lodging with a ‘Muslim’ girl, and advised her to mind her life in the Hereafter. Subsequent to her refusal, he warned her of dire consequences and proceeded to make her stay in the university most difficult. She approached the Vice Chancellor for redress but he did nothing except convey his difficulties. Three months later, we have received a follow-up report; it is given below.

As Hina could no longer continue her studies in the Faisalabad University she attempted transfer to other locations. She went first to the UMT Lahore. There the teachers told her that they already knew about her problem in the NTU Faisalabad. “Go back to Faisalabad, recant and you will have no problem there,” they told her.

Thereafter, she approached Hajveri University. They agreed to admit her and told her to revisit on December 1, 2010. However, on December 1, they came up with plain refusal. Then she tried Multan, but she came to know that all these people were linked to one another and provided mutual support and information. There is a fraternity of seniors and juniors who co-operate on this basis. Hina apparently has come to a dead end in her higher education.

Hostility in government job

Rawalpindi: Mr. Rizwan Munir, an Ahmadi, is employed in the Holy Family Hospital, a public facility in Rawalpindi. He is incharge of the angiography section. His section was closed for two holidays. When he opened the section on 27 December he found it flooded. It seems that during the holidays the pipe broke down and water accumulated in the room. The departmental inquiry was influenced by his faith. The doctors and ward-boys made statements against him, and the case was referred to the Principle of Medical College Rawalpindi. It is learnt that the inquiry is being referred to the police or some agency.

Mr. Rizwan has a history of religious prejudice against him. In 2001 he was implicated in a false case and was dismissed from his job. Later the Supreme Court reinstated him. After reinstatement, he was attacked twice. He had to take long leave and earn his living elsewhere. Two years later, he rejoined his governmental job, but is now facing difficulties again – primarily for his faith.

Ordeal of a public school owner

Bahawalpur; January 24, 2011: It was reported last month that mullas were active in Chak No. 9/BC fomenting agitation against Ahmadis. They have undertaken a campaign against a private school run by an Ahmadi, Mr. Muzaffar Ahmad.

The mullas had issued a poster calling for a rally against the ‘Qadiani’ Muzaffar Public School, Chak No. 9/BC Baghdad, Bahawalpur.

This rally commenced successfully as scheduled. Several hundred attended the rally. The participants urged the authorities to take immediate action to close down the school and punish those responsible for alleged blasphemy. They gave an 8-day dead-line to the authorities and threatened them with consequences if their demands were not met. This rally was led by the local Amir of Khatme Nabuwwat Mulla Ishaq Saqi, Mulla Riaz Chughtai, Rao Javed Iqbal, Mufti Iftikhar etc. Students from various schools and colleges also participated in the rally. Protesters were holding anti-Ahmadiyya banners and placards in admiration of Mumtaz Qadri, Governor Taseer’s murderer. This story was published by the vernacular press, specially by the daily Khabrain, Multan; January 25, 2011.

An ominous murder in Tatle Aali

Tatle Aali, District Gujranwala: A few weeks ago, some opponents shot and injured Mr Rafi Ahmad Butt, the president of the local Ahmadiyya community.

Thereafter, on January 18, 2011 two men shot dead a local mulla Qari Shakil-ur-Rahman who was an anti-Ahmadi agitator and activist. However, this caused great concern to the vulnerable Ahmadis of Tatle Aali, as on such occasions, the opposition generally accuse Ahmadis of the murder; this serves two purposes, 1. The culprits remain safe, and 2. Ahmadis face the music. A typical case is that of the three innocent Ahmadis from Chak Sikandar condemned in the murder case of a local political mulla who had no dearth of foes whom he had wronged.

Fortunately, the murderers have been identified and arrested. Two young men who were otherwise companions of the slain cleric have admitted to the involvement in the incident, which they claim to have been accidental.

Mr Butt has heaved a sigh of relief, but remains disturbed in this environment of blood-letting, intrigue and prejudice – where Ahmadis are invariably at the receiving end.

Hostility in earning livelihood

Dhuddi Wala, District Faisalabad; February 2011: Mr. Naeem Ahmad Tahir works at a sanitary shop owned by a non-Ahmadi, Mirza Muhammad Saleem. Mullas of Khatme Nabuwwat faction visited his shop and gave him a slanderous anti-Ahmadiyya pamphlet to read. Mirza Muhammad Saleem, himself is also hostile to the Ahmadiyya community. He told Mr. Naeem, whose belief was not known to him, “I am against Shiites and even more against Qadianis, and would like to kill them all.” This faith based controversy lasted a month, and resulted in loss of job to Mr. Naeem. He also lost Rs. 4500 outstanding against the owner. Now he has to find some other job to earn his livelihood.

A threatening leaflet

Toba Tek Singh; February 2011: A threatening leaflet from the opponents of the community was received in the Ahmadiyya mosque in Toba Tek Singh. It conveyed:

Apostate Kafir, Apostate Mirzai
Open Announcement
Mirzais are Kafir according to the Quranic verdict
Stop preaching Qadianiat to the innocent children of Toba by calling them to your houses. Muslim brothers! Anwar Butt, the X-ray technician, Maulvi Mansoor and Khalid Mahmood, the clerk must be killed as per the provision of the Honour of Prophethood Act and paradise earned. Finish off Mirzais and enter paradise.
Anjuman Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat Pakistan

In this hateful pamphlet people are urged to kill three Ahmadis, Mr. Anwar Butt, the president of the local Ahmadiyya community, Mr. Mansoor Ahmad, the Ahmadiyya missionary and Mr. Khalid Mahmood, a local Ahmadi office holder.

VIEW: An Indonesian massacre – Usman Ahmad

Mr Usman Ahmad, a freelance columnist recently wrote an article on massacre of Ahmadis in Indonesia on February 6, 2011. In it he has drawn a parallel between that incident and the one in Lahore, Pakistan on May 28, 2010. The article raises the issue of inherent evil in human nature, and makes a clarion call for introspection. It is worth placing on record, and is accordingly reproduced here:

Daily Times, Pakistan
Saturday,
January 8, 2011
VIEW: An Indonesian massacre — Usman Ahmad
To recall the May 28 terror attacks in Lahore is to acknowledge that Pakistan is not a land apart; rather it is the vanguard of religious and sectarian violence
In his novel, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad paints a furious picture of a humanity that cannot escape the inherent evil that resides within the deepest recesses of every individual. The innate wickedness of mankind, he suggests, is masked and curtailed only by the restraints of civilisation. His colonial Africa is described as “one of the darkest places on earth” and a “God-forsaken wilderness”; but the real darkness lurks in the unfathomable human proclivity to commit heinous acts of evil. Yet, perhaps, even Conrad would have been rocked to his core by the savagery of the recent mob killings of three Ahmedis in Indonesia. On February 6, in a small village not too far from the capital of Jakarta, an angry rabble of 1,500 bloodthirsty zealots, many wielding machetes, sticks and rocks, attacked 20 members of the Ahmedi jamaat. The baying crowd lynched three men to death and critically injured six others. The horror played out in full view of the authorities as the police and other law-enforcement officials stood aside and watched the tragedy unfold. Gathered children truculently cheered and clapped as every baleful blow pounded in concert at the last embers of human life and their own disappearing innocence. One of the men who was killed was the husband of a five-month pregnant wife. The couple was expecting their first child after eight years of marriage. To look upon the images of this inexplicable act of barbarity is to gain a chilling glimpse into the depths to which our species can plunge. Even Indonesian television, despite its incredibly high threshold for disturbing material, recoiled from airing footage of the assault as it was considered too graphic. The incident has sparked a national debate with many Indonesians questioning what it even means to be a Muslim anymore. However, many others have endorsed this sinister betrayal of goodness and virtue and have condemned the victims as sinners. It is now the task of Indonesian society itself to curb the spread of ignorance and blind hatred and work towards building a better and more tolerant future.
Let us forsake pretence and acknowledge with awful shame that these men were not butchered like animals in retaliation for any hideous misdeed that they themselves had perpetrated, but rather for the simple fact of their religious beliefs. Whither the rule of law and whither humanity when massacres as despicable as these can freely occur on account of doctrinal disagreements. But not only has the attack exposed an ugliness that had been hidden in the shadows of Indonesian society for far too long, it has once again focused the spotlight on the deplorable treatment of Ahmedis in our own country.
To recall the May 28 terror attacks in Lahore is to acknowledge that Pakistan is not a land apart; rather it is the vanguard of religious and sectarian violence. As militants butchered Ahmedi worshippers on that fateful day, the main concern of panicked anchormen was not the loss of innocent lives, but instead the comical dilemma of whether to refer to the buildings in which the attacks were taking place as mosques or places of worship. There was no national outcry or an outpouring of sympathy — only muffled whispers of condolence. Commentators and writers condemned the violence but few among them dared to speak up in support of the Ahmedis, while in localities throughout the country sweets were distributed to celebrate the slaughter of ‘infidels’. The one politician who had the decency to visit the sites of the massacre and convey his condolences in person, has since, himself, been gruesomely assassinated. Chillingly, on the very same night as the Lahore incident, another Ahmedi was stabbed to death and his son severely injured in district Narowal. The murderer was unrepentant and even asked the police to allow him to slay one or two more Ahmedis so that he could cleave open the gates of heaven a little further. In 2010, a total of 100 Ahmedis were killed in religiously motivated acts of violence, a record figure since the promulgation of the infamous Ordinance XX by General Ziaul Haq in 1984. Hatred and bigotry have become such entrenched features of our lives that even during last year’s horrific floods, when the need for charity and compassion was at its greatest, the human spirit was subdued. Rather than receive aid and assistance in their hour of need, some 500 Ahmedi families in South Punjab were refused shelter in relief camps as well as rations and other provisions. They were, it seems, too ‘heretical’ even to excite the slightest pangs of compassion and empathy.
May 28, 2010 provided us with an opportunity to look deep within ourselves and question the very notions of our being. In 1974, not only were Ahmedis declared non-Muslims, but, with one simple constitutional amendment, a Pandora’s Box of sectarian anarchy and chaos was opened. Not a day goes by when religious hatred and enmity does not tear away at the fabric of our society. But rather than turn towards introspection, it seems that we have all been consumed by the raging flames of this fire to grow in our prejudice and malice. It might be too much to ask that events in Indonesia provoke us to reflect over the despair that has long gripped our own nation, for they belong to a far and distant country — but to look upon them is like glancing at one’s reflection in a mirror. Tragically, the image we are confronted with is too hideous to behold.
The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at usmanhotspur@gmail.com

Reports from different locations

Khokhar Gharbi, District Gujrat

February 10, 2011: Afaq Ahmad Malik S/O Malik Rasheed Ahmad was going to school in his car along with his driver when he was kidnapped. The kidnappers went not very far when their car overturned. This provided an opportunity to the boy and his driver to flee. They ran away from the site and reached home safely. Malik Rasheed Ahmad is a well-known Ahmadi in the area.

Narang Mandi

The daughter-in-law of a former president of the local Ahmadiyya community was walking on the roadside when two men riding a motor cycle approached her, stopped by and said, “We have orders to shoot any Mirzai, anywhere”. “In that case, shoot, if you dare to,” replied the lady boldly. At this they fled away.

Township, Lahor

February 21, 2011: Mr. Maqsood Ahmad owns a hardware shop in Township. Some unknown persons tried to set his shop on fire with kerosene oil. A timely warning saved the situation. Miscreants also conveyed him written threats: “Qadiani Kafir are Wajib-ul-qatl (must be killed)”. Other threatening messages were also dropped at his shop. The police have been informed.

Township, Lahore

February 2011: Mr. Irshad Ahmad also owns a shop, Shaheen Electric in Township, Lahore. Unknown persons tried to set his shop on fire too, but the attempt failed. Miscreants threw threatening pamphlets in his shop with the inscription: “Qadianis: must be killed.” Mr. Irshad opened the shop in the morning and found the threatening messages and called the police. The police registered his complaint.

Other Ahmadi homes also remain under surveillance by extremists in this area.

Mustafa Abad in Faisalabad

Mulla Allah Wasaya was the guest speaker in a conference here on February 17, 2011. He used foul language against the founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, and declared that those who had social relations with Mirzais were not fit to be called Muslims. The day before he spoke in a similar conference in Madrassah Muhammadiyya and delivered the same message.

Mughalpura, Lahore

In his Friday sermon on February 18, 2011 the mulla of the Jame Masjid Usmania spoke on the subject of Raymond Davis and Qadianism. He asserted that Qadianis talk of peace but they are the terrorists. They are lackies of the U.S. and are funded by Americans. They are Wajib-ul-Qatl (must be killed). “If the government takes no action against them, we’ll dispatch them ourselves,” he said.

In other neighborhoods of Lahore

With reference to 12 Rabiul Awwal, the birthday of the Holy Prophet p.b.u.h., mullas addressed conferences and rallies in many locations e.g. Jame Masjid Tauhid Ganj Shah, Jame Masjid Hanifia Faruqia, Ganj Bazar Mughalpura etc. They availed of the occasion to speak against the Ahmadiyya community and declared them Wajib-ul-Qatl. They urged their audience to boycott Ahmadiyya products.

Ahmadis behind bars
1.
Three Ahmadis; Mr. Basharat, Mr. Nasir Ahmad and Mr. Muhammad Idrees along with 7 others of Chak Sikandar were arrested in September 2003 on a false charge of murdering a cleric. The police, after due investigation found no evidence against the accused. Yet they faced a ‘complaint trial’ for a crime they did not commit. On account of the unreliable testimony of two alleged ‘eye-witnesses’ (who were discredited in the court), seven of the accused were acquitted, but on the same evidence these three innocent Ahmadis were sentenced to death. They are being held on death row at a prison in Jhelum, while their appeal is being heard by the Lahore High Court. The condemned persons are now in the eighth year of their incarceration. Their appeal to the Lahore High Court is registered as Criminal Appeal No. 616/2005 dated 26 April 2005.
2.
Four Ahmadis, Mr. Naseer Ahmad, Mr. Ameer Ahmad, Mr. Ameen Ahmad and Mr. Shahid Ahmad of Lathianwala have been wrongfully charged for murder in district Faisalabad with FIR No 682/12.09.2011. A passerby was killed during an exchange of fire between Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis. The fire-fight broke out because Ahmadis had to defend themselves against perpetual harassment and aggression. The police could not specify whose bullet had caused the casualty; they arrested four Ahmadis, nevertheless. They have not been granted bail.

From the Press
*
Chenab Nagar: Majlis Ahrar Islam to hold annual Khatme Nabuwwat rally on 12 Rabiul Awwal.
The daily Ausaf, Lahore; February 9, 2011
*
Qadiani family of 6 including head embrace Islam in Faisalabad
The daily Express, Lahore; February 3, 2011
*
Mob kills three (Ahmadis) in Indonesia
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 7, 2011
*
Monthly loss (to Railways) of Rs. 600,000 by cancellation of Millat Express stop at Chenab Nagar (Rabwah). Public protestation.
The daily Din, Lahore; February 28, 2011
*
Qadiani place of worship in village 109 RB should be demolished. — Maulvi Faqir Muhammad
The daily Aman, Faisalabad; February 9, 2011
*
The nation will not tolerate Raymond’s immunity. Qadianis should be expelled from the defence services, civil service and foreign embassies. — Khatme Nabuwwat Conference
The daily Ausaf, Lahore; February 18, 2011
*
Qadianis are the worst enemies of Islam — Maulana Ilyas (Chinioti)
The daily Musawat, Lahore; February 6, 2011
*
Qadianis’ anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan activities be curbed — Maulana Abdul Hafeez Makki
The daily Jang, Lahore; February 21, 2011
*
28 Army personnel killed by teenage suicide bomber (in Mardan)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 11, 2011
*
Three girls’ schools blown up (in Darra Adam Khel)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 28, 2011
*
Raymond is a murderer; we shall not accept government’s role in saving him. Ulama’s address in Khatme Nabuwwat Conference (Chiniot)
The daily Jang, Lahore; February 18, 2011
*
10 dead in Peshawar blast
The daily Nation, Lahore; February 3, 2011
*
We shall become Jihadists, if American official is released — JI
The daily Ausaf, Lahore; February 16, 2011
*
The country will sink in whirlpool if leniency is shown to Raymond. We salute Mumtaz Qadri. Hafiz Hussain, Ilyas Chinioti, Zahid-ur-Rashdi, Allama Khalid, Ahmad Ludhianwi and Abdul Hafeez Makki address conference. Zahid-ul-Qasmi and Dr Ahmad Ali Siraj also spoke at the (anti-Ahmadiyya) Victory Conference in Chiniot.
The daily Nawa-i-Waqt, Lahore; February 28, 2011
*
Khatme Nabuwwat Movement will not allow country to become a secular state — Ahmad Ali Siraj
The daily Aman, Lahore; February 15, 2011
*
Wife of man killed by Davis commits suicide
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 7, 2011
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JI warns of fury if Davis not tried
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 5, 2011
*
Swedes reject anti-Islam propaganda
The daily News, Lahore; February 1, 2011
*
Churches set alight in Indonesia
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 9, 2011
*
31 Muslims convicted of Indian train carnage (of 2002)
The daily News, Lahore; February 23, 2011
*
Mush’s arrest warrant issued (in Benazir murder case)
The daily Nation, Lahore; February 13, 2011
*
Kazmi on the run. House raided. Millions stacked in 3 accounts. SC told
The daily Nation, Lahore; February 11, 2011
*
Minorities feeling insecure: minister (at Quetta)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 8, 2011
*
Man gets death and fine in blasphemy case
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 3, 2011
*
No prosecutor at Taseer murder case hearing
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 11, 2011
*
Details of plot to fleece pilgrims revealed in SC
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 11. 2011
*
Constables turn ‘captors’
Sialkot, Feb 22: The Daska City police on Tuesday arrested three policemen for allegedly kidnapping a youth for ransom.
The daily Dawn, Lahore; February 23, 2011
 Op-eds
*
Intolerant Indonesia
In a jerky video that’s shaken up Indonesia, young men take turns whacking three prostrate, nearly naked bodies with wooden sticks. The blows land with sickening thumps. Rocks follow. The bodies twitch; the surrounding crowd is jubilant. Shouts of ‘God is great’ can be heard. A policeman waves his hands but does not interfere.
The three men killed in the video belong to an offshoot of Islam known as Ahmadiyya,…
And the day after the irate crowd in Cikeusik, Banten province, murdered the three Ahmadis, Muslim rioters in unrelated attacks torched several Christian churches and attacked a court house, incised over what they saw as an insufficiently harsh sentence given to a Christian man accused of blasphemy.
Newsweek, Pakistan; February 21, 2011
*
Persecution of minorities
My advice to Muslim governments is simple; stop ranting against the West, take a few lessons in citizenship and minorities rights from Europe and America and start listening to all your citizens, not just the small number of extremists which carry guns.
Shada Islam from Brussels, in the Dawn; February 5, 2011
*
The last great divide
The third strand (that caused the on-going religious militancy) the most lethal of all is the organized revival of religious orthodoxy by the West against the ‘godless creed of communism’. It began in the early 1950s and culminated in the ‘Afghan jihad’ against the Soviet Union. Thousands of young men from Egypt to Pakistan were indoctrinated, trained, financed and equipped by the West as Mujahideen. They are now the foot soldiers of jihadist organizations, forever in search of new causes.
Iqbal Jafar in the daily dawn of January 7, 2011

Documents

Friday, December 31, 2010

Monthly Newsreport - Ahmadiyya Persecution in Pakistan - November, 2010

Another attack in Mardan (KP) – Ahmadi shot dead, one injured

Mardan; November 8, 2010: Sheikh Mahmud Ahmad was shot dead in Mardan by unknown assailants at approximately 7:45 p.m. on November 8, 2010 as he returned home from work with his son, Mr. Arif Mahmud. Sheikh Ahmad was shot three times and died on the spot. Mr. Arif Mahmud received a single wound and was grievously injured. He was rushed to a hospital in Peshawar where he was successfully operated and has since survived.

Sheikh Ahmad was 58, a graduate, and a philanthropist. He had installed electric water coolers for public use at various locations in Mardan.

Several weeks ago, his nephew Mr. Aamir Raza was killed in a terrorist attack on the local Ahmadiyya mosque in Mardan on September 3, 2010. Sheikh Ahmad’s family and close relations live in the vicinity of the mosque.

Mr. Sheikh was a businessman. He encountered jealousy and opposition from other traders who used his religion to harass him and his Ahmadi relatives. He had previously also spent some time in jail because of religious accusations against him. Two of his brothers were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in a religious case while the law allowed a maximum of three years’ imprisonment. The High Court, acquitted them on appeal.

In 1974, the administration ordered the expulsion of his brother, Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad, from the district.

Sheikh Ahmad was kidnapped in 2008 for ransom, and was released weeks later only after a significant amount of money was handed over.

Three months after the kidnapping, a bomb exploded in his store causing a great deal of material damage. His brother’s business was targeted likewise on March 5, 2010.

The entire family has suffered a great deal for their faith, at the hands of the state and society.

Sheikh Ahmad is survived by his widow, two sons and two daughters.

Mr. Saleem uddin, the spokesman of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat stated that a campaign to vilify Ahmadis is being carried out in the country through hateful propaganda, which leads to such woeful and condemnable incidents. The authorities should take serious notice of this murder and bring the culprits to justice. According to the spokesman, the murder of Ahmadi leaders and activists is the result of a conspiracy hatched by prejudiced and anti-social elements who consider it licit to indulge in murder and violence in the name of religion. They play a leading role in fanning the fire of religious hatred and sectarianism by inciting the people under cover of sanctity of faith. Mardan is specifically targeted, he said.

Update on the alleged blasphemy case in Sargodha

Sargodha: It was reported last month that mullas had fabricated an accusation of blasphemy and violation of anti-Ahmadiyya law against three Ahmadis belonging to Haveli Majoka in district Sargodha, and the police had registered a case under PPC 295-C and 298-C against the accused. The accused were granted temporary bail.

The next appearance before the court, for the confirmation of the bail was on November 4, 2010. Their opponents appeared in court in large numbers to influence the judge. However, on this date, the lawyers were on strike for their own reasons. The police investigation was still in progress. Therefore the judge gave a new date of November 15 for the hearing of the bail application.

On November 15, the police recommended that there was no evidence to support the accusation of blasphemy. Accordingly, the judge struck the PPC 295-C, but cancelled the temporary bail for the charge under the anti-Ahmadiyya law PPC 298-C. The police thereby arrested the accused and sent them to prison. It is noteworthy that the state attorney ADPP opposed the grant of bail.

A request was made by the accused to obtain bail. On the date of the hearing, dozens of fanatics entered the court room to harass the judge. Twice they were expelled from the court room. At this the agitators shouted slogans against the judge.

Later the judge granted bail.

This case is one of numerous others which show how the state, the mulla and the wicked use the blasphemy law and other laws to target innocent people.

Still another innovation in denial of freedom of religion

Sargodha: An overview of the persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan shows that mullas have achieved all their anti-Ahmadiyya objectives that were decided in the 1950s. Ordinance XX promulgated in 1984 provided an opportunity to religious bigots to widen the net and curtail the religious freedom of Ahmadis in many ways, yet despite this, their thirst to persecute Ahmadis has not yet been quenched. Recently, the mullas of district Sargodha (in the Punjab) made new demands and the spineless Punjab Police and the administration readily yielded – thanks to policy guidelines from Lahore.

The Majlis Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat, district Sargodha applied to the District Police Officer (DPO) that “Qadianis slaughter sacrificial animals on the festival of Eid, for which they have no right, as this practice is Islamic, and Qadianis being non-Muslims cannot pose as Muslims; as such they should be forbidden from this.

The DPO promptly issued a directive to the area SHO (police inspector) Qadianis should be firmly forbidden to undertake this (animal sacrifice). Keep the applicant informed. Render a compliance report within 2 days.

Ahmadis in the district were careful not to give the police an excuse to move against them.

Only a few days earlier the President had declared, “We shall not allow the targeting of minorities in the name of faith or belief.” (The Lahore Post, November 5, 2010)

Assault on an Ahmadi in Lahore

Gulshan Park, Lahore; November 16, 2010: Mr. Maqbul Ahmad Dogar arrived home at about 8:30 p.m. after work. While he was about to enter, an unknown person put a pistol’s muzzle on his temple. At this, Mr. Dogar grabbed him. One of his two accomplices opened fire at Mr. Dogar who was shot in the leg but he did not let go the attacker he was holding. Hearing the shots, the inmates rushed out to inquire. The two accomplices fled, while the captured man was handed over to the police.

Mr. Dogar had a fracture in the leg due to the gun shot; he had to be admitted in a hospital for operation and treatment.

Mr. Dogar is a well-known, practicing Ahmadi.

Ordeal of girl student in a university

Faisalabad: Miss Hina Akram, a student of the National Textile University, Faisalabad recently had to leave her studies on account of intense faith-based harassment at the hands of some members of the faculty. It reflects very poorly on the academic environment in a professional state-owned university in the Punjab.

Some months ago, Hina’s father met Mr. Rao Arshad, a teacher at this university. Mr. Arshad told the father that he considered Hina to be an ideal student.

Later Mr. Arshad came to know from an Islamist colleague that Hina was an Ahmadi. He was very upset to hear this, and reacted furiously. He sent for Hina and openly conveyed his anger and displeasure. He said that he was most concerned about her Afterlife (Aakhrat). He advised her firmly to convert to Islam. He even offered her refuge and care with a Muslim family, and gave her some anti-Ahmadiyya literature to read. Hina was disturbed by this and told him plainly that she was an Ahmadi by choice and had no intention of joining their variation of Islam.

Roa Arshad didn’t take the refusal lightly and warned her of the consequences. He told her that she was a Kafir (infidel), and will suffer the consequences. “You will face such a fire of animosity in the campus that not even the Vice Chancellor will be able to help you”, he told her.

True to his word, Mr. Arshad and his colleague started a hate-campaign against Hina among the students and the faculty of the university. An effective social boycott was implemented against her. Insulting and hateful literature was distributed in the university. When pushed to the wall, Hina was promised relief in return for accepting ‘Islam’.

Hina’s father called on the Rector and complained. The Rector offered a few words of sympathy but did not follow them up with action. The situation remained very tense and hostile against Hina. Unable to fight through the prevailing hostility, Hina had to terminate her studies and stopped attending the university. She was in the 6th semester of her B. Sc. course; but that is the end of her professional education — years gone waste. The Islamist teachers seem to care more for their students’ Afterlife than for their education, for which they receive their salary.

Attack on an Ahmadiyya mosque

Moghalpura, Lahore; November 18, 2010: A few unidentified persons randomly fired at the Ahmadiyya mosque in Ganj Bazar in Moghalpura Lahore at about 10:00 p.m. Some Ahmadi guards and youth were on duty inside the mosque. One of them fired back in the air. At this the attackers retreated and fled.

The police were informed and arrived on the scene. They were provided CCTV footage. The police recognized one of the men, Zaheer Fauji who is a local. They arrested him and an FIR was registered.

The electronic media and the press reported the story the next day. Some of them presented it as a fire-fight between two private rival groups. The police initially supported the same version but are investigating further.

The Moghalpura Ahmadiyya community has faced opposition and aggression from the local mullas in the past. They perhaps want to convey that Ahmadis remain their targets.

The police took special note of the incident and directed all units in various districts of the Punjab to remain vigilant and alert.

Personal vendetta and the blasphemy law

Goth Ch. Sultan, district Hyderabad: November 21, 2010: Another recent incident further highlights now clearly that unscrupulous elements misuse the blasphemy laws against their adversaries in personal vendettas.

Someone, reportedly, tore pages of the Holy Qur’an and threw these inside the local mosque on November 21, 2010. A few Ahmadi families also live in the village. The police were approached and requested that a case under the blasphemy law PPC 295-B be registered against the Ahmadis. The police started an investigation.

The next day at about 11 p.m. the opposition took to firing in the air in the vicinity of Ahmadis’ homes. Ahmadis informed the police who came over and told everyone to calm down. After the police departure, the miscreants started firing again. The police came back and the miscreants fled. Fortunately, no one was hit.

Ahmadis own a large tract of agricultural land in the village. Adjacent to this land, is a farm owned by a tribal chief who has strong links to certain politicians. He has asked Ahmadis to sell their land to him. They are reluctant. Perhaps this is what best explains the motives behind this incident.

Ahmadi principal removed for his faith

Islam Nagar, District Sialkot; November 2010: An Ahmadi principal of a school has been removed for his faith, and a junior non-Ahmadi teacher has been promoted to his post. The new principal has promoted anti-Ahmadiyya propaganda in the school. The two Ahmadi teachers, at the school, are greatly disturbed by this.

Ahmadis barred from animal sacrifice on Eid

Kotli AJK; November 2010: The following story in Azad Kashmir is based on reports in the daily Nawa-e-Waqt, November 16, 2010 and the daily Jammu wa Kashmir, November 16, 2010.

Qari Abdul Waheed Qasmi, the president of the Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat (safeguarding the end of prophethood) said in a press conference that the collective sacrifice of animals would be offered by them on Eid in areas where Qadianis (Ahmadis) are active. As Qadianis deny the end of prophethood and are a non-Muslim minority, they are not allowed to sacrifice animals on Eid-ul-Adha as this is Sha‘ar-e-Islam (an Islamic practice), nor can the meat of their sacrificial animals be distributed among Muslims, for it is haram (forbidden by Sharia) for them. If Qadianis (Ahmadis) sacrifice animals and distribute meat among Muslims, the Tahrik Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat would invoke the law against them on the charge of blaspheming against a Sha‘ar-e-Islam.

This shows how the law is maliciously appropriated to deny freedom of religion to Ahmadis. Ahmadis had to act with caution on Eid day and be very discreet while offering their animal sacrifices.

Plight of an isolated Ahmadi household

Mubarakpura, District Sheikhupura: Mr. Naseer Ahmad is the only Ahmadi family in the village. Although he has faced faith-based opposition for sometime, it seems it has now reached an almost unbearable level. In a recent letter to the community headquarters he reported that his family is being treated like Shudras (Dalits) by the people of the village.

“Almost a dozen mullas stormed my village on 20th of May this year, and subjected me to great harassment”, he wrote. Thereafter his maltreatment persisted and the villagers insisted that he must recant and rejoin mainstream Islam. Some students who attend a madrassah in Batti Chowk, Lahore have taken the lead in this campaign to harry the family. On October 19, 2010 the madrassah students brought along some of their teachers from Lahore who attempted to kidnap Mr. Ahmad’s 15-years old son. They did not succeed but the incident has left a telling effect on the family.

Mr. Ahmad has appealed for prayers in his letter. He is greatly upset.

Provocation by a mulla

Basti Shadi, District Rahim Yar Khan; October 22, 2010: A mulla, Rashid Madni is quite active against Ahmadis in this area. He delivered a Friday sermon against Ahmadis provoking the people against them, and distributed hateful anti-Ahmadiyya literature. The police were informed in time. They came before the Friday sermon, and did not allow the mulla to switch on the sound-amplifiers, and instructed him after the sermon to refrain from provocation in the future. The Numberdar (local revenue chief) and people of the village also told the Assistant Superintendent of Police that they had long been living with Ahmadis in harmony and had not faced any problem? They promised the ASP that they would not invite the mulla to their village again.

When the mulla was expelled from the village and not allowed to visit again, he met with the ASP/SHO of Sadiq Abad. He complained to him that the Ahmadis of Basti Shadi had built minarets on their mosque which was illegal. He also presented him copies of the anti-Ahmadi laws. The SHO sent for the district president of the Ahmadiyya community. He met the SHO and explained him the whole situation. The SHO promised to co-operate and maintain the law and order situation in his jurisdiction.

When the mulla found no encouragement, he collected 70 or 80 men at a place outside the village and held a conference. He threatened, that if the administration did not co-operate with him, he would demolish the minarets of Qadiani mosques. Some of the participants indulged in firing shots in the air.

Nobody from the village attended the conference. Although the SHO is maintaining a semblance of law and order, the mulla needs a firm hand to deter him from disturbing the sectarian peace of the local community.

The mulla and the state jointly deny property rights to Ahmadi

Rabwah: Rabwah has always been a prime target of mullas. Its land was purchased by Ahmadis from the government in 1948 on a lease of 99 years. It was barren land at the time. After 1974, a sizable part of this land was confiscated by the Punjab government to implant mullas there. Twenty-two Ahmadi families were living on the confiscated land. The Lahore High Court accepted the ownership of Ahmadis on their plots and houses in 1976, however the provincial government dragged its feet in implementing the court order. Most of the Ahmadis sold their plots and houses while others were forced to flee from their homes. One such case is that of Mr. Bashir Ahmad. He is the owner of H. No. 15/23 Darul Nasr East. He was harassed into renting out his home in 2005.

During the last five years Mr. Bashir Ahmad has been targeted by the mullas of the so-called Muslim Colony, who enjoy support from the police. Mr. Bashir has been attacked, his tenants thrown out of his house, and the house finally occupied by miscreants.

When the police inspector was asked to help, he plainly excused himself for fear of the mullas and advised the complainant to approach higher officials.

Now the owner is living on rent.

Another report from Azad Kashmir

Bhimbar, Azad Kashmir; October 2010: Azad Kashmir has been mentioned previously in these dispatches. Ahmadis are persecuted there, and the politicians do not conceal the fact that they are involved in the harassment. This encourages extremist elements, which include banned outfits, to openly harm and harass Ahmadis.

On October 8, 2010, opponents held an End of Prophethood conference in Dheri Wattan near Bhimbar. The event was organized by members of the outlawed Jaish Muhammad. The speaker urged that those who had joined the Ahmadiyya Jamaat should be made to recant. They passed a resolution to implement a boycott of all Ahmadi businesses. Accordingly Mr. Khurshid Ahmad who runs a clinic is experiencing a complete boycott. A fresh convert to Ahmadiyyat has been turned out of his home and separated from his family.

Jaish Muhammad have distributed anti-Ahmadiyya hate literature in bazaars and offices. This drive is backed by Pir Atiqur Rehman, a minister who finds it politically advantageous to support religious thugs and immoderates.

The hate literature carries the following UK address:

Khatme Nabuwwat Academy
387 Katherine RoadForest Gate
London E7 8LT       United Kingdom
Phone: 020 8471 4434
Mobile: 0798 486 4668, 0795 803 3404
Email: khatmenubuwwat@hotmail.com

Threats to a bereaved family

Mardan; November, 2010: Sheikh Javed Ahmad, an Ahmadi of Mardan has received numerous threats. His nephew Mr. Aamir Raza and his brother Mr. Mahmud Ahmad have been killed by anti-Ahmadi extremists in the past two months. Now, it seems he is the target of opponents. He receives threatening phone calls almost daily. His family and children are living in great fear. Authorities have not been able to apprehend the murderers of his nephew and brother.

It is a very difficult situation for Sheikh Javed Ahmad to find himself in.

Agitation at several places

Khanewal

Mullas generated agitation in several parts of district Khanewal. They distributed anti-Ahmadiyya hate literature in the area and urged shopkeepers not to sell goods to Ahmadis. A social boycott was attempted against Ahmadis in the district. In special meetings mullas declared Ahmadis to be Wajib-ul-Qatl (liable to death).

District Khushab

Banned religious organizations are active in district Khushab against Ahmadis. They sent anti-Ahmadiyya SMS to mobile phones. Athar Hussain group, in collaboration with different organizations, held a Na‘at Conference (to glorify the Prophetsa) from the platform of Majlis Raza. This was convened in the main market by blocking the roads. This conference was also held last year and its purpose was to provoke the audience against Ahmadis. They published an anti-Ahmadiyya calendar with the following inscription: “The only cure for Qadianis – Al Jihad, Al-Jihad”. Hateful literature, stickers and pamphlets were distributed in the area and people were urged to boycott Ahmadis socially.

Tehal, District Gujrat

A mulla delivered a Friday sermon against Ahmadis on October 23, 2010 and declared them apostates. He said that apostates were liable to punishment in the sight of God and the Holy Prophetsa. They should recant otherwise God will cast them in hell. He urged people to socially boycott Ahmadis.

Islam Nagar, District Sialkot

A mulla Qari M. Afzal is active against Ahmadis. He obstructed the construction of an Ahmadiyya mosque in Chowk Data Zaid and urged Ahmadis to recant. He is building a madrassa in Islam Nagar and remains busy in provoking people against Ahmadis.

An Ahmadiyya press release from London

London, 13 November 2010: In the context of human rights and freedom of religion, it is appropriate to place on record excerpts from a Press Release issued by the central office of the Ahmadiyya … Jama’at. The occasion was an incident of poppy-burning in London on Remembrance Day and a report of attacks on Christian Community in Iraq.

“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat hereby condemns absolutely reports that a small number of so-called Muslims gathered in Hyde Park on Remembrance Day and raised anti-UK slogans and burned a poppy, which acts as a symbol of the sacrifices made by those who lost their lives during the war.
“… The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat condemns this act in the strongest terms. A fundamental teaching of Islam is to show loyalty to your nation and thus such acts are nothing to do with the religion.”
“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat also condemns in the strongest terms recent attacks on the Christian Community in Iraq. Any form of terrorism or extremism must be condemned in the very strongest terms and is categorically rejected by the teachings of Islam. The Holy Qur’an specifically instructs Muslims to protect the places of worship of all other religions and it invokes that all men and women have right to religious freedom.”
“Thus the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat extends its heartfelt condolences to all of those who have been directly affected by these attacks and indeed to the wider Christian community. We pray for those left bereaved that may God grant them patience during these very difficult times.”

Repeal Blasphemy Law — demands Human Rights Watch

New York; November 23, 2010: The Pakistan government should immediately introduce legislation to repeal the country’s blasphemy law and other discriminatory legislation, Human Rights Watch said today. A few extracts from the statement are quoted below:

“Pakistan’s “Blasphemy Law,” as section 295-C of the penal code is known, makes the death penalty mandatory for blasphemy. In 2009, authorities charged scores of people under the law, including at least 50 members of the Ahmadiyya community, a heterodox sect that claims to be Muslim but has been declared non-Muslim under Pakistani law. Many of these individuals remain in prison.”
“Legal discrimination against religious minorities and the failure of Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to address religious persecution by Islamist groups effectively enables atrocities against these groups and others who are vulnerable. The government seldom brings charges against those responsible for such violence and discrimination. Research by Human Rights Watch indicates that the police have not apprehended anyone implicated in such activity in the last several years.”
“Social persecution and legal discrimination against religious minorities has become particularly widespread in Punjab province. Human Rights Watch urged the provincial government, controlled by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party, to investigate and prosecute as appropriate campaigns of intimidation, threats, and violence against Christians, Ahmadis, and other vulnerable groups.”
“On November 18, armed assailants opened fire at an Ahmadiyya mosque in Lahore, the Punjab capital. The mosque had no police protection despite a May 28 attack on two Ahmadiyya mosques in the city that killed 94 people and injured well over a hundred. Those attacks were believed to have been carried out by groups affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban.”
“The November 18 attack did not result in further loss of life only because of private security provided by the mosque management. Local residents told Human Rights Watch that the police initially sought to portray the attack falsely as a consequence of a dispute within the Ahmadiyya community and only made arrests when the mosque authorities provided security camera footage identifying the attackers.”
“The Punjab provincial government is either in denial about threats to minorities or is following a policy of willful discrimination,” Hasan said. “Provincial law enforcement authorities need to put aside their prejudices and protect religious minorities who are clearly in serious danger from both the Taliban and sectarian militant groups historically supported by the state.”
“Since the Pakistani military government of General Zia-ul-Haq unleashed a wave of persecution in the 1980s, violence against religious minorities has never really ceased. Attackers kill and wound Christians and Ahmadis, in particular, and burn down their homes and businesses. The authorities arrest, jail, and charge members of minority communities, heterodox Muslims and others, with blasphemy and related offenses because of their religious beliefs, as a means of transacting vendettas and settling scores. In several instances, the police have been complicit in harassing and framing false charges against members of these groups or stood by as they were attacked.”
“Human Rights Watch urged concerned governments and intergovernmental bodies to press the Pakistani government to repeal sections 295 and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which includes the blasphemy law and anti-Ahmadiyya laws. They should also urge the government to prosecute those responsible for planning and executing attacks against religious minorities.”
“Continued use of the blasphemy law is abominable,” Hasan said. “As long as such laws remain on the books, Pakistan will remain plagued by abuse in the name of religion.”

Op-ed: Our intolerant ways

Islamabad: Mr. Babar Sattar who is a lawyer based in Islamabad wrote an article in The News International of November 20, 2010, titled: Our intolerant ways. He wrote this after a recent court verdict of death on charge of blasphemy against Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman from Nankana Sahib (Punjab). His is a penetrating, scholarly, and sagacious opinion not only on the blasphemy laws but all religious laws in Pakistan. Excerpts:

“The biggest challenge for Pakistan is curing the disease of intolerance afflicting our state and society. It is intolerance toward the choices of other individuals, groups and identities and a violent exhibition of such intolerance that lies at the heart of most of our fault-lines and conflicts. The death sentence slapped on Aasia Bibi - the 45 year old Christian farm worker from Nankana Sahib - under Pakistan’s unconscionable blasphemy law is only the latest manifestation of our intolerant ways. The immoral and unjustifiable laws forming part of our statute books, the discriminatory manner in which laws are applied by state institutions, and the bigoted cultural ethic prevalent in the society that encourages the state to institutionalize intolerance in the name of religion, honor or order, together create a vicious cycle that dismembers the foundational promise of our Constitution i.e. all citizens are to be treated as equals.”
“In Pakistan we have unfortunately opted for the retrogressive path. Instead of identifying our social, cultural and religious biases and drafting laws to curtail them, we have incorporated laws to endorse and reflect our bigotry. Our greatest folly as a nation has been that we have erased the distinction between crime and sin, and endowed the state with the obligation to implement religion and piety. We are probably the only country in the world that insists that the state has (or can have) a religion. Once a state claims to have a religion (as opposed to its citizens in their individual capacities) how can it ever function as a group professing a different faith? Such a state can be benevolent and can patronize individuals who believe in a different religion, but can it ever deliver on its guarantee of equality?”
“If we wish to be a society where individuals are legally equal and (to borrow from Martin Luther King) judged by the content of their character and not the label of religion that attaches to them due to their incidence of birth, we must take the state out of religion. So long as the state actively interferes with the lives of citizens to implement religious diktat as opposed to providing a framework where everyone is facilitated in practicing his/her religion without interference from anyone else, our fellow Pakistanis who associate with Christianity. Hinduism, Sikhism and other religions will remain lesser citizens. Let us start by seeking the abolition of the blasphemy law, but on the basis of principle and not as apologists seeking charity for others.”

Ahmadis behind bars

1.
Three Ahmadis; Mr. Basharat, Mr. Nasir Ahmad and Mr. Muhammad Idrees along with 7 others of Chak Sikandar were arrested in November 2003 on a false charge of murdering a cleric. The police, after due investigation found no evidence against the accused. Yet they faced a ‘complaint trial’ for a crime they did not commit. Based on the unreliable testimony of the two alleged ‘eye-witnesses’ (who were discredited in court), seven of the accused were acquitted, but on the same evidence these three innocent Ahmadis were sentenced to death. They are being held on death row at a prison in Jehlum, while their appeal lies with the Lahore High Court. They are now in the eighth year of their incarceration. Their appeal to the Lahore High Court is registered as Criminal Appeal No. 616/2005 dated 26 April 2005.
2.
Four Ahmadis, Mr. Naseer Ahmad, Mr. Ameer Ahmad, Mr. Ameen Ahmad and Mr. Shahid Ahmad of Lathianwala have been wrongfully charged for murder in district Faisalabad with FIR No 682/12.09.2010. A passerby was killed during an exchange of fire between Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis. The fire-fight broke out because Ahmadis had to defend themselves against perpetual harassment and aggression. The police could not specify whose bullet had caused the casualty; they arrested four Ahmadis, nevertheless.

From the Press

*
Chenab Nagar: Mahmud Ahmad (Ahmadi) murdered in Mardan is buried (here)
The daily Lahore Post, Lahore; November 10, 2010
*
Chiniot: DCO stays construction of Qadiani place of worship on complaint by the ulama
The daily Ausaf, Lahore; November 10, 2010
*
Chenab Nagar: Ahmadis terrified of ‘hate campaigns’
Lahore: Thousands of Ahmadis of Chenab Nagar (formerly Rabwah) are living in a curfew like situation while awaiting another disaster, as extremists keep pressurizing them by running hate campaigns through anti-Ahmadi conferences, distribution of provocative material and inviting participants from terror-ridden areas like Wazirastan, in their events.
The Daily Times, Lahore; November 25, 2010
*
Case moved in court against Qadiani for preaching
The daily Jang, Lahore; November 7, 2010
*
Sargodha: Protest over Qadiani’s burial in Muslim graveyard. Dead body removed elsewhere. An attempt to bury Shahzad was first made in Chak 24, then in 19 North.
The daily Nawa-e-Waqt, Lahore; November 2, 2010
*
Chenab Nagar: People in utter protest over cancellation of train stop
The daily Khabrain, Lahore; November 27, 2010
*
TI High School Chenab Nagar has become an easy target for terrorists. Its outer wall facing the railway track has crumbled; it proves incompetence of officials.
The daily Aman, Lahore; November 14, 2010
*
Carnage in mosques (in Darra and Badher)
At least 65 people, 18 children among them and 70 injured in a suicide attack on a Friday congregation in the mosque in Darra Adam Khel area of the Kohat Frontier region.
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 6, 2010
*
Bomb and gun attack rocks Karachi
1000 kg explosives flatten CID building; at least 17 killed, over 100 injured.
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 12, 2010
*
640 killed this year in 37 suicide attacks
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 29, 2010
*
Two schools blown up (in Mohammad Agency)
The daily News, Lahore; November 3, 2010
*
AMTKN (Aalami Majlis Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat) stages demo against women blasphemer’s release.
The daily News, Lahore; November 23, 2010
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Religious parties threaten protest (over move to release the blasphemy convict)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 24, 2010
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Violent reaction if blasphemy law amended — (Maulvi) Ludhyanvi
The daily Nation, Lahore; November 29, 2010
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Burney asks UK to ban Maulana Fazl’s entry
The daily News, Lahore; November 24, 2010
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50 respected ulama (ulama e karam) banned to enter district Chiniot
The daily Jang, Lahore; November 27, 2010
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Entry of 116 ulama banned in Faisalabad
The daily News, Lahore; November 30, 2010
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We shall not allow targeting of minorities in the name of faith or belief. — President Asif Zardari
The daily Lahore Post, Lahore; November 5, 2010
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Impose the amplifier law firmly and take severe action against those who make provocative speeches. - Shahbaz Sharif
The daily Khabrain, Lahore; November 12, 2010
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Terrorism forbidden in Islam — Grand Mufti (of Makka)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 16, 2010
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We – Pakistan, the US, the West and Saudi Arabia – are equally responsible for nourishing the militancy that defeated the Soviet Union in 1989, and which seeks now to defeat us all.
Pervez Musharraf’s interview to the Newsweek Pakistan, November 22, 2010
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LeT hideouts should be hit by drone: US experts
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 16, 2010
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Amnesty urges release of Pakistani Christian woman (sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 19, 2010
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Conviction of ‘blasphemy’ shocks Commission (NCSW)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 14, 2010
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HRW calls for repealing (Blasphemy) law
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 24, 2010
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Asma gets UN Human Rights Award
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 20, 2010
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Pope slams ban on burqa
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 22, 2010
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CM directs withdrawl of cases again ulama
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 8, 2010
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Religious activists: PPP slams withdrawal of cases (in the Punjab against leaders of two banned outfits)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 20, 2010
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Taliban true followers of Islam: minister (Maulana Ataur Rehman – JUI (F)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 24, 2010
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These who like to be called ‘liberal’ should remember that no one can pardon the crime of blasphemy – Shujaat (PMLQ)
The daily Din, Lahore; November 24, 2010
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LHC restrains President from pardoning Aasia
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 30, 2010
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Conviction for ‘blasphemy’ shocks (NCSW) Commission
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 14, 2010
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One-year jail term for misuse of loudspeakers (in the Federal Capital)
The daily Nation, Lahore; November 6, 2010
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Former Chief of Haj operations arrested (for corruption)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 14, 2010
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Litigation causes $2bn loss to OGDCL (Pakistani state company for oil and gas development)
The daily Dawn, Lahore; November 14, 2010
 Op-eds

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History must not lie
The Pakistan movement may have used the idiom of Islam to draw mass support. But the objective was to secure a better economic future for the Muslims of India, not to create an Islamic entity.
S. Javed Burki in the Dawn of November 9, 2010
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The Blasphemy law
The worldwide outrage caused by awarding of the death sentence to Aasia Bibi on a blasphemy charge was bound to happen sooner a later, in view of Pakistan’s inability to scrutinize a law that satisfies neither human rights advocates nor many authentic authorities on Islam. It is time this shortcoming was seriously addressed.
IA Rehman posted in the Dawn; November 25, 2010
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The Wrong way to ‘Combat Islamophobia’
Because no one can agree on what constitutes blasphemy, laws that attempt to ban it are themselves vague, highly prone to arbitrary enforcement and are used to stifle everything from political opposition to religious inquiry. Particularly when applied in countries with weak democratic safeguards – e.g. strong executives, subservient judiciaries, corrupt law enforcement – blasphemy laws do nothing to achieve their supposed goals of promoting religious tolerance and harmony and instead are disproportionally used to suppress the freedom of religious minorities or members of the majority religion that hold views considered unorthodox.
In Pakistan, for example, Christians and Ahmadiyya (Muslims who do not believe Muhammad was the final prophet) make up only 2 percent of the population, but have been the target of nearly half of the more than 900 prosecutions for blasphemy in the past two decades. The remaining prosecutions have been made against Muslims themselves, often simply as an easy way to settle personal scores that have nothing to do with religion. Mere accusations of blasphemy have led to mob violence in which people have been maimed or killed and whole communities devastated.
The governments of countries that already have such problematic laws on the books are precisely those countries leading the charge to create an international blasphemy law through the United Nations. The motivations of states like Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia – countries with appalling records on religious freedom and broader human rights – are unquestionably hypocritical and have more to do with their desire to score points with unhappy domestic populations and religious extremists than the desire to foster religious tolerance.
Support for blasphemy laws is high among the general public in the Islamic world. Even the staunchest advocates of human rights in the Middle East, individuals who are openly critical of their corrupt and authoritarian leaders, balk at the idea that the publication of the Danish cartoons or the burning of a Koran should be protected forms of freedom of expression. In a part of the world where one’s religion is as key to one’s identity as nationality and race, most people simply view such forms of expression as a bigoted attack on their very existence.
Paula Schrifer of the Freedom House in the New York Times of November 9, 2010
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Ahmadiyyat (and Saudis)
In fact, the 1974 decision was most probably the outcome of Saudi pressure on Mr. Z.A. Bhutto. International press supports our theory. Encyclopedia of Asian History carries this entry:
Ahmadiyya: Founded by Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (1839-1908) … At the urging of their Saudi financial partners, the Government of Pakistan declared them a ‘Religious Minority’ and revoked its previous classification of them as Muslims despite that Ahmadis remain some of Islam’s most effective missionaries, especially in Europe and East Africa.
Syed Naseer Shah in the monthly Naya Zamana, November 2010
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‘To hell where they belong’
Salman Taseer, governor of the Punjab, recently spoke with Newsweek Pakistan:
What is your biggest concern?
I worry about terrorism… . Some 48 terrorists have been released by an antiterrorism court recently because they could not be prosecuted, or rather there was a failure to prosecute them. This is disgraceful. If the Punjab government was solidly against the militants, this would not have happened. You can’t have your law minister [Rana Sanaullah] going around in police jeeps with [outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba’s] Ahmed Ludhianvi, whose agenda is to declare Shias infidels and close down their places of worship, and then say you want harmony in this province. You can’t have the chief minister, who is also the home minister, standing at Jamia Naeemia pleading with the Taliban to please not launch attacks in the Punjab because he shares the same thinking against the U.S. as they do. What message does this send out to the local magistrate and police officer? There has to be zero tolerance toward militants, and the only way you can have this is if the government is totally committed. Do you think the PMLN government is going to take them on? No. Dealing with the militants has to be no holds barred. Their lives should be made hell; they should be prosecuted, and sent to hell where they belong. You saw what happened with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal [a coalition of religious parties] government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa during the Musharraf years. They turned a blind eye, and in five years the terrorists had established a whole network of safe havens and training camps to launch their campaign of terror. The MMA government never claimed to be with them, but never took them on. If you take the same approach in the Punjab, you’ll get the same results.
Newsweek Pakistan; November 15, 2010
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Save our shrines
Half a century after the seizure of shrines, Pakistan is facing its gravest internal security threat yet: war with a militancy fuelled by radical, petrodollar Islam. If the Sufi shrines had remained family-run enterprises untouched by the withering grace of the state, their soft power could have served as a critical weapon in this flight.
Newsweek Pakistan; November 15, 2010
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