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Three Ahmadi traders were shot dead in Faisalabad at about 10 p.m. on April 1, 2010. The attackers took away nothing else but their lives. They fled having committed these target killings. Mr. Ashraf Pervez, 60, Mr. Masood Javed, 57 and Mr. Asif Masood, 24 were returning home in their car after closing their business, when the assailants riddled them with bullets. All three received grievous injuries. They expired on their way to the hospital. Mr. Pervez and Mr. Javed were brothers while Mr. Masood was son of the latter. Mr. Pervez has left behind his widow, two sons and two daughters. Mr. Javed is survived by his widow, a son and two daughters; while the other son was murdered in this incident. Mr. Masood has left behind his widow and a one-year old daughter. The family is well-known as Ahmadis in Faisalabad and enjoys very good reputation. They had no personal vendetta against anybody; however the mulla had them in his crosshairs for their faith. In anti-Ahmadiyya riots of 1974, a mob indulged in arson and destroyed their business in Rail Bazar. |
According to the daily Dawn of April 3 the victims “were being threatened by unidentified people … . Sources said that victims Asif, Arshad and Masood (sic) contacted People’s Colony police in view of the threat a couple of weeks ago and the police advised them to limit their movements and hire guards for their security.” The inaction of the police against the plotters, and its mere advice to probable victims raises many questions. Ahmadis have been murdered in Faisalabad before, and suffered kidnappings for ransom recently. The kidnappers told their victims that their faith was the main cause of their ordeal. They had to pay heavy amounts to secure their release. It is reasonable to assume that the criminals or at least their links are known to the authorities, as anti-Ahmadi elements do not bother to keep their sectarian animosity secret. It is noteworthy that the slain Ahmadis had sought police help well before they were attacked. Faisalabad has been a center of anti Ahmadiyya agitation for long. Nine Ahmadis have been murdered here for their faith in the past few years. The administration and the police are well aware of the elements who, under the cover of Khatme Nabuwwat activism, indulge in criminal activities against Ahmadis, but the officials handle them with great leniency and consideration, following the policy of the provincial government on this issue. Anti-Ahmadiyya rhetoric in open-air conferences is permitted to clerics in the Punjab, where the mulla exhorts the audience to violence against Ahmadis by declaring them Wajib ul Qatl (must be put to death). Last year, on one such occasion that involved Christians, the Chief Minister stated: “We do not have the right to rule if we can not protect and provide justice to the minorities” (The Daily Times; August 8, 2009). However the police and the administration get a different message from Lahore than the one sent out to the press. Mian Shahbaz Sharif is the Chief Minister in Lahore; Faisalabad is well covered by a big team of high officials both in the administration and the police; but there was not a single public statement from the official quarters at the occasion of this triple murder of innocent Ahmadis. Since the promulgation of the Anti-Ahmadiyya Ordinance in 1984, 108 Ahmadis have been murdered for their faith. Hardly any of the assailants have been arrested. In a few cases when they were arrested and faced trials, the courts acquitted them, or if convicted, the higher judiciary took a lenient view of their crimes and reduced their imprisonment terms most benevolently. One such case happened in Faisalabad. Since the beginning of this year, five Ahmadis have been murdered to-date. Mirpur Khas, Sindh; March 30, 2010: The Civil Judge Mirpur sentenced three Ahmadis, Mr. Masood Ahmad Chandio, Mr. Abdul Razzaq and Mr. Abdul Ghani to three years imprisonment under Ahmadi-specific law. This case was registered almost four years ago. At the instigation of two mullas, one Muhammad Ali son of Sharo reported to the police and had a criminal case registered under PPC 298-C, 341 and 34 against five Ahmadis for preaching, in FIR 62/2006 at Police Station, Satellite Town, Mirpur. Two of the accused, namely Maula Bakhsh and Muhammad Akbar who were fresh converts were arrested by the police. The other three, Messrs. Masood Ahmad Chandio, Abdul Razzaq and Abdul Ghani went into hiding and applied for bail before arrest. Later, when the plea for bail of the five accused was presented in the court, the two detainees told the court that they had recanted. The magistrate, however, did not release them on bail and sent them to prison. Thereafter, the other three accused applied for bail in the Sessions Court, where the plea was granted. This case lingered on for four long years. The Civil Judge awarded maximum sentence under the law to the accused. The law is specific to Ahmadis, and has been condemned internationally as a bad law by the human rights concerns, because it severely restricts freedom of religion and belief. Sargodha is notorious for its mullas who thrive on anti-Ahmadi activism. It has a running history of Ahmadis’ persecution perpetrated by the clerics in league with the police and the administration. On October 5, 1974 rioters had a field day here while Mr Hanif Ramay, the Chief Minister (PPP) was present in the city. Recently an anti-Ahmadiyya conference was held here on 26 February 2010 at the occasion of the birthday of the Holy ProphetPBUH. As usual instead of speaking on the excellent example of the Holy ProphetPBUH the speakers railed at the Ahmadiyya community. They indulged in lies, slander and provocation. They took a pledge from the audience that they would not visit Dr. Sheikh Mahmood Ahmad (a famous Ahmadi doctor) for treatment and would not avail the services of Mr. Waqar (a reputed Ahmadi advocate in Sargodha). Another conference was held in a village Chak 35-North in district Sargodha. They led a procession on the occasion of 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal and did not fail to abuse the Ahmadiyya community. Some well-wishers of the community from the Tiwana family tried to stop the marchers. This resulted in a quarrel. Police cases were registered against both parties. The marchers also implicated an Ahmadi in the case registered against the Tiwana family, accusing him of aiding and abetting the incident. Rabwah: This month Press Section of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya issued its annual report on: Anti-Ahmadiyya news published by the Urdu newspapers – 2009. It makes interesting reading. The report was restricted to the major Urdu national dailies. During the year 2009, it was a matter of routine for the Urdu papers to print anti-Ahmadiyya statements and hate-promoting news in bold headlines. However, no paper had the courage to print the Ahmadiyya viewpoint. In 2008, one thousand and thirty-three such news items appeared in the press, but in 2009 these increased to one thousand, one hundred and sixteen items. Almost all of these were prejudiced, hate-promoting and false. The daily Nawa-i-Waqt (Editor: Majeed Nizami) printed the most news at 162 i.e. one almost every other day. The daily Express stood second, and the daily Jang (founded by Mir Khalil ur Rehman) and the Khabrain were in third position. Mullas are in the habit of making slanderous statements. These are published without any verification. As a result, common folk get agitated and inflict physical and costly harm upon Ahmadis. As a result of such provocation and hateful propaganda eleven Ahmadis were murdered last year for their faith. A few of these headlines are translated below:
etc. etc.
A forum for indulging in political and sectarian rhetoric
Rabwah, February 28, 2010: The Ahrari mullas were helped by the authorities to once again hold their conference in Rabwah where they have no regular presence except an office and a mosque. They held a two-days conference here; the audience were transported to Rabwah from other towns. We translate below excerpts from a press report from the daily Ausaf of March 1, 2010:
This is what was reported in the press; the unprintable rhetoric was more hateful, provoking and abusive. The World Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat Council published a calendar for 2010 which carries provocative writings against Ahmadis. It carries a slogan: The only cure for Qadianis: Al Jihad, Al Jihad. It motivates the public to undertake the murder of Ahmadis. It asserts: ‘… they (Qadianis) have no right to live in Pakistan; it urges: “Cleanse your streets of Qadianis.” etc. Several such hate-promoting pamphlets against Ahmadis are distributed throughout the country, regularly and systematically. Recent attacks and hostile activities against Ahmadis result from the efforts of sectarian agitators and social anarchists who promote murder and violence in the name of religion and play a pivotal role in provoking communal hatred in society. Last year when this calendar was published the Ahmadiyya central office wrote to the authorities to ban all publications that promote sectarian hatred, but they took no effective action. Consequently eleven Ahmadis were murdered for their faith in 2009. In the prevailing crisis, the negative role of the print and electronic media further encourages extremist elements. These elements undertake violence against harmless groups in the name of religion, thereby harming the country. Since 1984 when Ahmadi-specific laws were enforced, 108 Ahmadis have fallen victim to religious hatred and extremism. Edicts of murder against Ahmadis are routinely issued. Such murders and attempted murders continue in the new year too. Despite prohibition, the publication of this calendar that promotes and prompts violence calls for appropriate action by the authorities without any further delay. The World Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat has boldly written its following address on the calendar and also offered free anti-Ahmadiyya literature: World Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat Council
124/24 Alama Iqbal Road, Shadab Colony Garhi Shahu, Lahore Phone: 0334-4090965, 0300-8126070, 0321-4081955 www.khatm-e-nubuwwat.org Geneva; March 19, 2010: The Asian Human Rights Commission took note of Ahmadis’ deprivation of political and human rights in Pakistan and issued an Immediate Release at the occasion of the meeting of the Human Right Council in Geneva during the month of March 2010. The statement is reproduced below: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRC-STM-050-2010 March 19, 2010 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission
PAKISTAN: The electoral process is self-contradictory and denies the Ahmadi minority its right to vote
Pakistan claims to provide a universal right to vote to all its citizens, which proves to be contradictory to the facts. Indeed, the members of the Ahmadi community have been denied this fundamental right. The shameful regulations implemented against Ahmadis are in violation of the 1973 Pakistani Constitution and the process of democracy itself. Right before the elections, the Election Commission issued instructions based on the circular [No.F.1 (6)/2001-Cord] of 17th January, 2007 to maintain a separate electoral lists system, entitled “Preparation of Separate List of Draft Electoral Rolls for Ahmadis/Quadianis”. The eighth amendment to the 1973 Constitution, enacted in 1985, imposed this separated system. Since then, elections have been held in the country with separate electoral lists for different religious groups. This system is primarily aimed at Ahmadis, the most vulnerable and discriminated minority in Pakistan. In 2008, for being registered as voters, those who claimed to be Muslims had to sign a certificate of faith and deny the veracity of the holy founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Of course no Ahmadi would agree to do so; they were thus de facto denied their right to vote. The marginalization of Ahmadis, leading to a discriminatory electoral system based on religious beliefs is in violation of national and international legislations, as well as the spirit of democracy itself. Under the Pakistani Constitution, every Pakistani citizen has the right to vote irrespective of their race, religion, creed or belief. Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also states that “every citizen shall have the right and opportunity to vote and to be elected.” Articles 19 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also guarantee the right to vote to every citizen. The right to vote is one of the most basic and fundamental rights that must be guaranteed to every citizen and without which a state cannot call itself a democracy. The fact is that the Pakistani legislation is discriminatory against all religious minorities in general, and against Ahmadis in particular. It is not only about the right to vote, but all aspects of public and private life. In 1984, General Zia ul Haq promulgated anti-Ahmadiyya Ordinance XX in which the Ahmadis were outlawed. The Penal Code explicitly discriminates the Ahmadi community in its section 298-C: “any person of the Quadiani group or the Lahori group (who call themselves ‘Ahmadis’ or by any other name), who directly or indirectly, poses himself as a Muslim, or calls, or refers to, his faith as Islam, or preaches or propagates his faith, or invites others to accept his faith, by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representations, or in any manner whatsoever outrages the religious feelings of Muslims shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.” It must be reminded that Article 20 of Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees each citizen’s freedom “to profess religion and to manage religious institutions”. Article 33 gives the state the responsibility to “discourage parochial, racial, tribal, sectarian and provincial prejudices among the citizens”. Moreover, Article 36 ensures that the state “shall safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of minorities, including their due representation in the Federal and Provincial services”. The Asian Human Rights Commission therefore strongly calls for significant governmental measures in order to tackle this issue and restore the democratic norms in their true spirit. The Pakistani government must repeal all discriminatory laws against religious minorities, for all Pakistani citizens must be equal before the law. The 1973 Constitution before the shameful anti-Ahmadi amendments must be restored. Moreover, all national and international texts that guarantee fundamental rights, such as the right to vote, must be literally implemented. The electoral system based on separated lists must be outlawed and all Pakistani citizens must be treated equally, irrespective of race, religion, creed or belief. It is only through these essential steps that justice and the rule of law can be restored and that Pakistan could finally call itself a democracy. # # # About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984. The daily Nawa-i-Waqt, Lahore of March 5, 2010 reported the following news from Burewala, Punjab dispatched by its correspondent:
The facts and statistics of the anti-Ahmadiyya riots of 1953 are quite different, as discovered and recorded by a prestigious high level judicial inquiry. Soon after the riots were brought under control by the martial law authorities, the government, appointed the Punjab Disturbances Court of Inquiry, Lahore with M. Munir (Chief Justice LHC) as its president and M.R. Kayani (Judge LHC) as member. This Court of Inquiry submitted a detailed report after almost a year of hard work and inquiry. It also recorded all the deaths of rioters in different cities at the hand of law enforcment agencies that included the army and the police. The judges recorded the following deaths: Lahore – 23; Sialkot – 5; Rawalpindi – 1; Faisalabad (Lyallpur) – 7; Sahiwal (Mintgomary) – 1. These add up to a total of 37. The mullas have quoted in the past different figures on different occasions, the highest being 30,000 dead, but they seem to have generally settled on the figure of 10,000 – i.e. 26,900% increase over the actual total. Some senior mulla is perhaps an admirer of Adolph Hitler, and has passed the word from his Mein Kampf to his minions: “The broad masses of the people… will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one.” (Chapter 10) As the call for holding the ‘Martyrs Day’ was given by the Majlis Ahrar Islam, it will be appropriate to quote here the Court of Inquiry on the role of the Ahrar in the 1953 agitation: “The conduct of the Ahrar calls for the strongest comments and is especially reprehensible. We can use no milder words for the reason that they debased a religious issue by pressing it into service for a temporal purpose and exploited religious susceptibilities and sentiments of the people for the personal ends.” (P.259)
Half a centenary later, the Ahrar have not bothered to change their colours. A few weeks ago, according to a press report, the DCO Sahiwal had ordered Abdul Latif Khalid Cheema to stop speeches in public (Zuban bandi) (The daily Din; December 22, 2009). This was a very appropriate order meant to promote peace in society. The orders perhaps have been withdrawn. Officials in Pakistan are made to wilt before the extremists by politicians. Mr. Shahbaz Sharif knows it; he complained to the Taliban for not sparing his province despite … . Lahore; March 12, 2010: Two mullas who never fail to display their Saudi and Kuwaiti links through their names are frequent visitors to Pakistan on clandestine missions, namely: Maulana Abdul Hafeez Makki (Saudi Arabia) and Dr. Ahmad Ali Siraj (Kuwait). They call themselves respectively Aalmi Amir, and General Secretary of the International Khatme Nabuwwat Movement. Recently they appeared in ‘Express Forum’ and the daily Express published their statements as a three-column news-item in its issue of March 12, 2010. The headlines and a few excerpts from this report will suffice to show the mischief these two propagate and promote in the name of Islam:
The views and self-contradiction of these mullas is monstrous. Their public statements and TV appearances promote nothing but hatred and animosity. It is about time someone took notice and inquired into their mission and financial sources – and whether they really represent Saudi and Kuwait interests. Conventional wisdom would suggest that a state which permits internal aggression against a small community, is bound to experience further aggression against other communities regardless of their size, resulting in some sort of implosion. Lahore: Dr Ahmad Ali Siraj speaking in the Express Forum; Maulana Abdul Hafeez Makki is also present. Lahore, Faisalabad, DI Khan, Karachi; March 2010: We mention below some news from the print media, and also highlight stories published earlier that have a direct link with these deplorable events, in the hope that those who control the destiny of the state of Pakistan will learn their lesson. The communal violence that erupted in Faisalabad and DI Khan on 12 Rabi ul Awwal, the birthday of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) was reported by the Daily Times on March 1, 2010 under the following headlines:
Eight days later the same newspaper reported numerous attacks in Lahore including one by a suicide bomber:
The next day the daily reported that “the CM (Chief Minister) said he was deeply shocked by the incident and the whole nation condemned this brutal act.” According to an English proverb: It is no use crying over spilt milk. What the political masters of this province permitted and promoted jointly with the clerics since the installation of the democratic government in 2008 is on record in the daily Express of June 03, 2009 in a huge advertisement in the vernacular press. It was on the issue of terrorism, and was paid for by the Government of the Punjab. This ad mentions that the Servant of the Punjab, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting of prominent Ulama of different schools of thought on July 1, 2009, and the participants issued a Joint Declaration. Article 2 of this Declaration was worded as below (translated):
Mr Sharif should not expect such Ulama to deliver on peace and harmony in society. There is no other way to restore stability and peace in the province than an immediate, open and abiding break between the state and the mulla. A few days later The Daily Times of March 12, 2010 reported on March 12, 2010:
The death of anybody through target killing is sad news. Murders and assaults have become all too common in Pakistan. The entire society and particularly its leaders should condemn this trend, and shun any support or encouragement to mindless violence on disputable grounds. Maulvi Jalalpuri was not an ordinary mulla; he used to write regularly for the daily Jang, and his edicts on religious issues were widely read. In the issue of September 16, 2005 Jalalpuri replied to a question on marriage between a ‘Qadiani’ and a ‘Muslim’. Rather than giving a plain ‘No’, he chose to elaborate it; that according to him:
One wishes that the present day Ulama renounce violence and promote peace and harmony in society which will benefit all, including themselves. Rabwah: Stone blasting in Rabwah’s hills is a problem that refuses to go away – thanks to the stone-mafia and corrupt bureaucracy. A report published in the daily Ausaf of March 12, 2010 is translated below:
Quaidabad, district Khushab; 26, 27 March 2010: Mullas tried their best to disrupt marriage ceremonies of Ahmadis here. They put pressure on the invitees to refuse to attend the functions. They threatened a cook hired for the occasion, who then refused to report for duty. The transporters who were engaged for the occasion failed to turn up. However, alternate arrangements were made and the ceremonies were a success. A mulla named Athar Hussain played a key role in all this. He is always active against Ahmadis. He contacts influential people in the area and urges them to fire Ahmadi employees and implement social boycotts of other Ahmadis. He promotes sectarian hatred and religious extremism in the area. Islamabad: Mr. Waleed Ahmad, an Ahmadi student of engineering at COMSATS Islamabad escaped an attempt on his life in the university premises. He was a target of sectarian hatred for some time. Recently the Jamiat (the student wing of Jamaat Islami) obtained an edict from a mulla, announced that Waleed is Wajib-ul-qatl (must be killed), and attempted an assault on him. He escaped from this with help from some other students. It is note-worthy that such extremism is flourishing right under the nose of the government, in the capital, in a well-known university. The News International, a daily published from Lahore published a story on March 23, 2010 with the following headline:
The daily commented on this news in its editorial. This comment is very apt and deserves to be placed on record for consideration and follow-up. Excerpts:
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