The threats against the Ahmadi community keep coming. This time a ‘banned’ Jihadi organisation is joining hands with local traders to hold a rally near an Ahmadi religious centre in Satellite Town, Rawalpindi.
A number of banners put up around the town by adherents to the Ahle Hadith school of thought advertising a rally close to an Ahmadi worship site near Holy Family Hospital (HFH) against the “unconstitutional” activities of the marginalised community. This comes just weeks after Ahmadis living in F-Block of Satellite Town began seeing a number of banners with bigoted messages cropping up in the area.
The followers of JuD leader Hafiz Saeed, who has been declared a terrorist leader by the UN for his role in establishing the banned Jihadi outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba, appealed to “all Muslims brothers” to gather at HFH at noon on January 29 to force the Ahmadis to cease all acts of worship in the locality.
“The situation has created a hostile environment for us...they are being forced to flee from the area to protect their families,” a member of the Ahmadi community said.
“Local people have no issue with us, but some people from outside the area have instigated a campaign against us,” another member said.
“[Ahmadis], a few years ago, purchased a building in Satellite Town from their own people and set up a worship place, from where, in addition to preaching in the area, they are creating problems for neighbours”, a Jamaatud Dawa worker said.
However, JuD Spokesperson Asif Khursheed said that Jamiat Ahale Hadith has no direct connection with JuD. “Our concentration is only on the Difa-e-Pakistan Council to be held on January 21 at Liaqat Bagh in Rawalpindi,” he said. “But yes, we enjoy a cordial relationship with Jamiat Ahal-e-Hadith,” he added.
A resident of F- Block said that the Ahmadi community now fears recurrences of recent attacks on their community, like May 2010 in
Lahore, where 93 people were killed.
The Express Tribune spoke to a number of Ahmadis, who emphasised that the community had committed no unlawful activities and pled for the hate campaign to stop so they could feel safe in the area.
“The building was built after Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya purchased the land. As a registered organisation, under the relevant rules they can carry out worship in the building”, said a senior member of the Ahmadi community, asking not to be identified. He added that after getting permission from the district administration, they installed moveable barriers and a few security guards every Friday after last year’s attack in Lahore.
“We removed the barriers and guards from the main road in front of the building after some people objected to their presence “, he added. He explained that the religious centre was shifted to the current building because the old centre in a building near Committee Chowk could not accommodate worshippers.
‘Unconstitutionally’ patriotic?
A Rawalpindi-based research scholar said that the contribution of Ahmadis to Pakistan is significant. “Just like other Pakistanis, we are very loyal to both, the country and the Constitution of Pakistan,” he said, adding that they are contributing in every field.
Nobel Prize winner Dr Abdul Salam and the first foreign minister Zafarullah Khan, who Muhammad Ali Jinnah referred to as “my son”, were both Ahmadis, but they were loyal to Pakistan, and like other Pakistanis, they earned a good name for their motherland.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2012.
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@RAHUL:
Pakistanis have done well to learn nothing from your country - which is why, despite news like this, you will never see even a fraction of the carnage that hit the streets of Gujurat almost exactly ten years ago.
The Muslims of the subcontinent broke away from you and Nehru's 'Akhand Bharat' precisely because you carry a higher level of hatred in your blood than we ever could - so keep your hypocritical advice to yourself and save your energy for protecting your own marginalised communities.
H
This is INSANE...Its like...I will not let you pray/worship because i feel you should not pray...Hah
Lets be reasonable, lets focus on building up rather than breaking what is already there...a lot has been lost over the years...ALLAH pak is signaling us in many ways to mend our ways else we would be replaced by better ppl/nation. NOW is the time.
Ahmadi's are son of PAKISTAN, their efforts in making and building Pakistan are beyond doubt...
JI, JUD, LJ gone are your days PLEASE turn to righteousness and don't spread chaos, Anarchy and war on ALLAH's Earth!!!
This extremism thinking is eating Pakistan from inside. Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been very safe place to live for everyone including Ahmadis. I am afraid situation will be a bit different now.
I wonder if there's a law against inciting hate ...
If not, this country certainly needs one...
Sad these extremists are still living in STONE AGES. We support our Ahmedi brothers & sisters.
This is a SICK county where there are no laws no Protection for minorities . When can we live again Together in Peace . as PAKISTANIS as not as sindhi ,pathans, christian,muslims ,ahmedis etc etc One County we are Pakistanis
Declaire Pakistan as a secular state by amending its constitution or be ready for it's further disintegration . Now the baned organization are acting by taking the help of Trader's associations . In India as well they are active under the banner of Marxist and Trader's organization .
aslam@Muslim:
y it is biased? whenever any1 talks about the rights of ahmedis you people label them bias! Islam never teaches such acts to protest against non muslims and do not allow them worship. what problem do u have if they worship,its a basic right of every individual.u r in a state whose base was laid on the basis that every1 is allowed to preach and practice their religion,said by Quaid e Azam and u dont even allow ahmedis to practice their religion! advice for u is if u dont like them then u may leave this country and let every one live as they want,and this is for all people of ur mentality.
They want to put up the foundation for house attacks in Pakistan.
Whatsoever Ahmadis are they are Human Beings and Patriots. They have contributed a lot of which no comparison can be made with these extremists. If Quaid-e-Azam had been there no religious extremism evil could start and prevail in Pakistan. Holy Quran invites non-Muslims to come with solid argument. But Pakistan is the opposite. Here if Ahmadis try to engage the majority then Zia's ordinance is the one to follow?
@Ali Wali: @faraz: Yeah from inflation and bad government. People should know who is enemy
@7 Oceans: Pakistani media, government, militant mullahs are worsen enemies and Pakistani people must have to stop them otherwise inflation, poverty, prices. You know what I am saying, Yeah just to gain vote, forget about the public, they are mad, we can use them.
People don't understand that these mullahs want to keep them away from big issue of inflation and want Pakistan to be in deep dig. They even want to make more worsen the situation of this country. It is the decision that people should take that what make our country stronger. Will anybody come to invest here in Pakistan in 70's many president would come and attended O.I.C conference but today no one come. No cricket team has been visited Pakistan since a long period of time, no president has been come to visit Pakistan. That's why Pakistani should not allow these mullah and if government involved, not to registering it, STOP it. This country is made for every one but unfortunately politician made it their own property and use these matter to gain VOTE, and also to refrain people that they can raise other important issues.
This is yet another example of mistreatment of Ahmadis in Pakistan. It is unfair to assume that Ahmadis are causing trouble in the area, when Ahmadis are trying to do all they can to preserve the peace in the area. Ahmadis have been doing their best to be an asset to Pakistan and to make a good name for Pakistan in the world. Furthermore, every person in Pakistan should be allowed to practice their religion, whatever that religion may be, without fear of persecution.
This is yet another example of mistreatment of Ahmadis in Pakistan. It is unfair to assume that Ahmadis are causing trouble in the area, when Ahmadis are trying to do all they can to preserve the peace and the threat of violence is coming from others. Ahmadis have been doing their best to be an asset to Pakistan and to make a good name for Pakistan in the world. Furthermore, every person in Pakistan should be allowed to practice their religion, whatever that religion may be, without fear of persecution.
Ahmadis are true Muslims and peace-loving citizens of Pakistan. They deserve complete security and protection to be provided by the Government of Pakistan. Mullaiyaat and Fanaticism is a Cancer for Pakistan. This must be cured. Any sort of persecutions and embarrassments in the name of Blasphemy must stop. All secular forces of Pakistan must wake up and unite together.......they should not be like silent watchers of their neighbor's house getting ablaze...lest their own homes may be set ablaze by the same fire one day.
Pakistan needs to borrow the Indian theme of 'Unity in diversity'. I consider this as Nehru's greatest achievement, i.e. convincing us that this is the only way.
Ahmadiyya community was the only religious community in favour of Pakistan while Islamic religious parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Ahrar and others were openly and fiercely against the creation and partition of India into a great Muslim country of Pakistan. It is famously attributed to Allama Iqbal that he persuaded Quaid-e-Azam to return to India and asked to lead Muslim League. In fact it was a collective effort taken up by Iqbal, Liaquat Ali Khan and more by an Ahmadi leader Maulvi Abdur Raheem Dard. Who was stationed in London and invited Quaid e Azam to Fazal Mosque (Ahmadiyya worship place) in London in 1934. Quaid e Azam annouced his return at the Ahmadiyya worship place to India. Sir Zafrullah Khan attended the round table conferences, he drafted the Qrar Daad-e-Pakistan, which was read on 23 March 1940, he was the first Foreign Minister of Pakistan, a confidante of Quaid e Azam, President of 17th UN General Assembly session, Vice President and later President of International Court of Justice making Pakistan one of the great faces of Muslim world. General Abdul Ali Malik fought the Chwinda war at the Sialkot border the biggest tank battle after 2nd world war in 1965 in defence of the homeland. Dr Abdus Salam's contribution in Theoretical Physics is considered equal to nearly 200 PhDs. He won Nobel Prize in 1979 making Pakistan proud by keeping his nationality as Pakistani. These were all Ahmadi persons, their history is conviniently omitted from Pakistani history books due to the pressure from religious extremists parties such as JI. Since the promulgation of laws against Ahmadis in 1974 and 1984, the Ahmadiyya intelligentia slowly and gradually migrated elsewhere. Ahmadis started a major university in Rabwah in 1970s which was nationalised and later shut down. Their schools and properties were confiscated for one reason or another in the past 30 years. Some laws deny them any human rights in this country. JuD is using those laws to further their hateful agenda. It is much more unfortunate for Pakistan to deny opportunities for such a progressive community whio was at the forefronts of Pakistan movement.
@True Muslim. Your correct - unfortunately being a minority in Pakistan is dangerous business which implies that the "land of the pure" isn't so pure and that while Islam maybe the state religion not many seem to really practice it.
"A Rawalpindi-based research scholar said that the contribution of Ahmadis to Pakistan is significant. “Just like other Pakistanis, we are very loyal to both, the country and the Constitution of Pakistan,” he said, adding that they are contributing in every field."
So you're justifying their right to pray by basing it on their "significant" contribution to society? Not because they are gasp actual human beings?
@Umar Farooq:
Of course they did. That's the problem.
@Muslim:
In what way? Can you explain or is it just your way of expressing sectarian hatred?
@Hassan & @Muslim - How is this biased?
@Muslim
So what exactly is inaccurate in this article? Or are you just upset that this news is accurate but portraits Pakistan in a poor light - if so that's not the fault of the author. Don't shoot the messenger.
JUD is not a proscribed organisation in Pakistan, held by the Division Bench of Honourable Lahore High Court in the case of Abdul Shakoor Vs The State.
As always another biased article by Express Tribune!!
Why these jihadis don't work for poverty, umemployment, tolerance etc. Torturing to peace full communities is their basic aim.
A terrorist declared by the UN holds rallies openly. But he is one of the so called strategic assets that our country has. USSR had the biggest nuclear arsenal in the world, but it imploded due to internal dissent. Pakistan if it continues will unfortunately face the same. We imploded in 1971, as we then believed that the problem was solely due to Indian support to the Bengalis. we have always imploded, as we have internal fault lines which we we donot acknowledge. Terrorists in this country continue to be heroes. It is soon that we reorient our security policies, and give weighteage to the internal dimensions, otherwise armagedon is in the making.
Biased news.
Why so much useless and unauthentic detals?
“Our concentration is only on the Difa-e-Pakistan Council"
Than why blaming JUD? :O
Now that his jihadi business in Kashmir has ended, he has turned inwards.