An Ahmadi leader was gunned down in Karachi on Thursday morning.
Mukarram Naeem Ahmed Gondal, president of Jamaat Ahmadiyya’s Orangi Town chapter, was shot by two men on a motorbike as he was leaving his residence for work.
Gondal, 52, was working as an assistant director for the State Bank of Pakistan. He leaves behind his wife among the bereaved.
SITE Police Station SHO Rao Rafique told The Express Tribune that an FIR has been lodged by the police and the investigations are underway. He added that since the FIR was filed against unidentified persons, they have yet to ascertain the reasons behind the killing. Rafique said the deceased was a resident of Meteroville SITE and confirmed he was shot once by the two assailants.
A committee member of the Sadr Anjuman Ahmaddiya Rabwah Pakistan, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune that he was serving as the president of the Jamaat’s Orangi Town chapter for the past 11 years.
“He had no enemies and was very well respected,” he said.
The incident is the second killing of an Ahmadi in Karachi and the eleventh in the country so far this year. Earlier in January, Ahsan Kamal was gunned down in Manzoor Colony.
There have also been various other attacks on Ahmadis in the city, where the victims were able to escape death. Muhammad Akram Bhatti was a victim of one such attack, which left him severely injured.
“This state of fear has made living difficult for us,” said Mukarram Saleemuddin, a Jamaat Ahmadiyya spokesperson. He added that wall chalking inciting religious hatred were cropping up in various localities as well.
According to the Jamaat committee member, there are about 700 to 800 Ahmadis living in Orangi Town who, he claims, are being watched whenever they congregate at their place of worship. There is only one place of worship for the community in the township, he added. He blamed Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi – militant outfits who allegedly have a hold in the area – for a role “in the community’s persecution”.
The committee member said neither law enforcement agencies nor the city’s two dominant political parties – namely Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Peoples Party – are any help when it comes to their protection.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2012.
COMMENTS (32)
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@Ahmadi Muslim: Please ask this question at the grave of zafarullah Khan, a proud qadiani lord. He requested jinnah to come back from England. Abdus salam, the first Pakistani Nobel award winner, please don't mention muslim. In India, there are lots of qadiani who have no idea that they are not accepted as Muslims in Pakistan. They are Muslims under law in India. A stupid petitioner requested judicial court to declare them non Muslim, the judge rejected the petition and ask the person to pay 10000 rupees for wasting courts time. Thank you
What I have witnessed through my life is that religious leaders have always been the hypocrites who create miscreants by brainwashing them in the name of religion. Several innocents were killed in karachi that day, but mentioning this incident is important for two reasons; first, it was a targeted minority persecution and second the victim was an Ahmadi. Contrary to christians and hindus, the Ahmadis are struggling for religious identity along with religious rights in Pakistan. They are persecuted not because of hatred as an unbeliever, but due to the aversion for calling themselves Muslims. Not by one community/sect but by the whole Muslim community (in the world).
So why such hate towards them? Because they deny all other sects/religions and re-establish the true faith, unlike hypocrites who compromise over facts/beliefs to accommodate themselves. It doesn't mean that other religions are wrong altogether, but that they are more corrupted than pure. My Islamiat teacher (who is a Sunni) once lectured that Prophet (PBUH) first removed all wrong believes from among the Quraish before instilling in them the true teachings. But when Ahmadis talk for the same, the whole Muslim community gets enraged.
@Wajahat Ex-Ahmedi: "Accepting Muhammad ( Ssw) as last prophet is one of the basic tenant of Islam." It certainly is important to accept as last prophet (which for you info Ahmadis do believe in..just not in the material sense as you do) but the Prophet himself in his words qualified every human as Muslim who recites qalimah. Your comment suggests you are about to create a new qalimah!!
Nothing in this universe happens without Allah's writ. May be there is a divine purpose behind all these deaths and destruction. Justice at cosmic level operates at a plane which is beyond the comprehension of us, humans. We should watch and wait. Let God play his hands.
is this democracy ?????????????????? love for all hatred for none
@Bazil Mahmud: World is not blind http://www.defence.pk/forums/strategic-geopolitical-issues/197246-express-tribune-exposed.html
@Ashar: lol Allah swt will tell them who is muslim and who is hypocrite ...
@romeo: Well said bro ... lol the page and the site is also owned by them ...
@AD:
God helps those only who help themselves.
All Muslims should be banned from praying and preaching in Western World. Until they learn to tolerate other.
@Wajahat Ex-Ahmedi: Since when was ET quiet about these killings? Do you even read the newspaper? There have been plenty of articles on political killings, killings of Shias, killings of Muslims in Burma....the Ahmadies don't have a monopoly on the articles in this paper but it is very telling when people, rather than simply condemning this brutal crime are trying to downplay it by talking about other irrelevant crimes which have already been reported in different articles.
@omer "religion has all the basic tenants of Islam " Is not quite right . Accepting Muhammad ( Ssw) as last prophet is one of the basic tenant of Islam. And its not only pakistan who decided it its whole UMAA. Even In South Africa Ahmedi are not considered muslims.
For your correction Pakistan declared Ahmedies as Non Muslim in 1974, Where as Ahmedies elders Specially Mirza bashir sb specifically said all muslim as kafir in early and mid 1900's. Mirza tahir sb has video on you tube saying main stream Muslims as kafir.
So be mindful of what you say.
Thanks
There are 2 articles on Burma on the opening page. Then there's the blogs section, with over 350 comments combined on the topic. How about Palestine, Kashmir, Uzbekistan, Syria, Bahrain, Mexico, Sudan, Congo, etc...everywhere but Pakistan...especially on minorities.
ET is a Pakistani news group that usually reports on Pakistani issues. I do not know why the recent Karachi killings are missing, but Dawn has it, and I'm sure ET will update accordingly and give it its due and the motives behind them which most likely be political, ethnic, sectarian, etc.
However, we should stop hypocritically deflecting, obstructing, censoring and downplaying from this Pakistani story of an anti-Ahmedi murder, which is no less of a priority and crisis, because of whatever anti-minority prejudice most hold and the trend of religious violence in the country.
Allah alone is the judge, only He decides who is Muslim and who is not. The parliament has trespassed in His realm by legislating in spiritual affairs.
@Tch tch Of course they. So do the highly qualified/skilled people target killed for no apparent reason than belonging to Shia (i am sure you have no idea of the numbers here at all!), Ahmadis, etc. When a country is made in the name of religion, you have to classify people according to religion to classify the numbers killed each day. What i dont understand though, is why in the world you are sad about reading this mention about an Ahmadi? where are the other sects/clans when someone belonging to them dies? if a silent majority belonging to a certain sect does nt speak up for the people belonging to their sect, how does this warranty that others should nt speak up tooo?
There is an ongoing Jihad against most peace loving Muslims, smaller sects and minorities. Make no mistake about it, when these forces are "not in full power" they are doing systematic target cleansing of common citizens. What would happen if and when these rightwing forces come in power via elections like Egypt? I am no friend of ruling coalition but they are our need if we want to live at all. The other options are only more fanatic and worse.
@Ashar What special treatment? They have been declared non muslims, even though religion has all the basic tenants of Islam. Their mosques get destroyed, they are killed all over the place and discriminated in the work place and society. Wow you have an open mind!
For our justice system bigotry is acceptable and weaker has to live in fear or sacrifice truth. While we are hearing cases against laws developed by the legislatures, has our judiciary ever thought of blasphemy laws that directly contradict with freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of..........and so many freedoms in our own constitution.
So if ahmadis die then it is a hate crime but what of the hundreds who have been kille dover the months in Karachi? Stop giving ahmadis special treatment.
Yet another example of how state sponsored persecution emboldens terrorist attacks against a peaceful minority who have done nothing to harm or otherwise denigrate their neighbours or countrymen. May Allah bless the family Mukarram Naeem Ahmed Gonda and grant him a seat in paradise, Ameen.
And then there will be those who would question, why talk about death of one man, why worry if an Ahmadi was killed out in the open, there are so many who loose their live every other day in our homeland. Why talk about Ahmadiyya persecution when Shia Hazaraz are also persecuted.
The question should be, why not. And what level of ignorance have we achieved to question if some one talks about a human being who was killed for no reason.
And it was truly said there would be a time when A killer will not know why he killed, and the one who was killed will not know why he was killed.
Yes we bow down to the All mighty, the Protector, the Merciful and to the All Seeing, and He is enough for us.
These religious fanatics have made this country a lawless land. There is no one who can stop these hate pollution factories of murderers from the society but remember one thing that there is an Almighty Allah. HE has all the powers to crush these brutal fanatics and blow their pieces into air.
Surly to Allah belong and to him shall we return
“O Allah! We make You a shield against the enemy and we seek Your protection against their evil designs.”
OH ALLAH! Destroy Those Who Destroy Innocent.
I hear a distant echo of militancy and talibanization getting a stronghold in Karachi. Not too distant.
@Ahmadi Muslim: MInd what r u writing.................Allah is Almighty, Rahman and Rahim. We can seek HIS Blessings and Protection from evil and shaitan............... and follow HIS Command......follow the Command and Sayings of our Beloved Prophet (SAW)
@Ahmadiya Muslims This is not just a time to pray but to play as well. We are uniting with other forces who are persecuted as well. Pray everything will be fine. Take help from internal as well as external forces, All Praise be to Allah.
Do the 12 other people killed in Karachi at the same day deserve a mention???
"O Allah! We make You a shield against the enemy and we seek Your protection against their evil designs.”
Love for all hate for none: no hate for killers as well ?
Hear a moral outcry from the 'moderate muslims'? Nope, can't hear anything