Rabwah Times

Pirate Kites take over Washington skies

Indian and Pakistani families came together on Sunday to celebrate the South Asian kite festival of Basant. Traditionally celebrated in Spring, the families have been coming together at Gunpowder Falls Park in Maryland for the past 7 years to celebrate the historic festival. The event which lasted from 12 pm till 5 pm was hosted by ‘Patang Pirates’, a group of avid kite flyers from India & Pakistan. The group was founded by friends Shukoor Ahmed, Nasir Jamil and Mazhar …

The Pakistani-American Woman Taking Down Terrorists in Court

A Pakistani-American lawyer has made a name for herself by taking down international terrorists in Court. Since 2009, 37-year-old Zainab Ahmad has worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in New York, and so far she has prosecuted 13 people for terrorism, without losing a single case. Zainab who grew up in suburban Long Island, New York says she had planned to be a hospital administrator, but things went sideways after the September 11th attacks, and she ended up at Columbia …

Bangladesh: Ahmadiyya Imam attacked in Mosque

Imam Mostafizur Rahman was hacked with sharp weapons indiscriminately inside the mosque around 9pm The imam of an Ahmadiyya mosque in Mymensingh was critically injured after he was hacked by a group of three youths inside the mosque Monday night in a suspected militant attack. Imam Mostafizur Rahman, 35, of Khanpur mosque in Ishwarganj area was hacked with sharp weapons indiscriminately around 9pm after the Esha prayers. The attackers tried to flee as locals came to his rescue. The imam …

European Union celebrates Europe Day in Pakistan with ‘Euro Village’

The European Union delegation celebrated its first Europe Day celebrations in Pakistan by arranging a mini ‘Euro Village’ in the capital city of Islamabad. The event was led by EU’s envoy to Pakistan Jean-Francois Cautain. The family friendly event was held on May 6th at the Lok Virsa Heritage Museum and highlighted the diverse cultures of the European Union Member States through food, musical performances, and art exhibits. It was organized to raise awareness about the different cultural traditions of …

Pakistan proposes Tax increase for non-Muslim Town

Pakistan has announced plans to increase Taxes for a non-Muslim majority town. The tax increase will impact residential homes and businesses. The Town of Rabwah’s Municipal Committee announced the proposed tax increase through a public notice which was published in a local newspaper on April 29th. The proposed new rates amount to an estimated 100% increase. Majority of the town’s residents are of Ahmadiyya faith, a sect which considers itself Muslim but has been declared non-Muslim under Pakistani law. Meanwhile, …

Pakistan arrests Hindu man for Blasphemy

Pakistan’s has arrested a Hindu businessman in southern Balochistan province for allegedly sharing blasphemous content on WhatsApp. Prakash Kumar, a Hindu business owner  was arrested under Sections 295-A and 295-C of Pakistan’s penal code for allegedly sharing a blasphemous image on WhatsApp, a popular messaging application.The police station where Prakash was being held was attacked by an angry mob, led by an influential religious cleric and a politician from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League party, demanding that police hand him …

Pakistani Hindu wins Emerging Young Leaders Award

A Pakistani Hindu has become the first Pakistani to be awarded the Emerging Young Leaders Award. The award is granted by the U.S. Department of State to a group of young leaders in recognition of their efforts to promote positive social change in their communities. Raj Kumar who is a member of the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network won the award after serving in various leadership positions within Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network and has worked on projects focusing on countering violent extremist voices …

‘Blasphemers deserve death penalty’ says PTI

One of Pakistan’s leading political party which calls for “moderation and freedom to practice the religion” has reaffirmed its support for Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI) which is headed by cricketer turned politician Imran Khan tweeted its support for the blasphemy laws and endorsed the death penalty for those who commit of Blasphemy. In series of tweets, PTI stated that the party severely condemns ‘false propaganda that the party plans to make changes to blasphemy laws’. PTI’s official twitter …

Protests await Pakistani leaders in Washington

Pakistani-Americans are planning to hold a protest in Washington on Thursday to protest what they call a “systemic crackdown on freedom of expression in Pakistan”. The demonstration is being held outside The Foreign Policy Institute as Pakistan’s political elite gather for an event to discuss Pakistan-US relations. The protest comes as Pakistan intensifies crackdown on bloggers and activists. Several bloggers and activists went missing from various Pakistani cities between January 4 and 7, sparking nationwide protests. Earlier this month, activist and academic …

لاہور میں احمدی ڈاکٹر قتل

پاکستان کے صوبہ پنجاب کے دارالحکومت لاہور میں پولیس کے مطابق ایک احمدی ڈاکٹر کو نامعلوم حملہ آور نے گولی مار کر ہلاک کر دیا ہے۔ پولیس کا کہنا ہے کہ 68 سالہ ڈاکٹر اشفاق کو بظاہر ہدف بنا کر قتل کیا گیا ہے تاہم اس بارے میں حتمی رائے تحقیقات کے بعد ہی قائم کی جا سکے گی۔ یہ واقعہ جمعے کو ملتان روڈ کے علاقے سبزہ زار کالونی میں پیش آیا جب نامعلوم مسلح شخص نے ڈاکٹر اشفاق …

Ahmadi doctor shot dead in Pakistan

A doctor from the minority Ahmadiyya community was shot dead in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Friday. 69-year-old Ashfaq Ahmad and his 11-year-old grandson were making their way to the local Mosque for Friday prayers when they were attacked by a lone gunman on a motorbike near Moon Market. The popular market area is situated in the suburb of Allama Iqbal Town. Dr Ashfaq Ahmed had retired as a professor from Lahore University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. He held …

Maltese Muslims call for Peace at annual Symposium

Maltese Muslims called for peace at an annual symposium held on March 28th. The annual Peace Symposium titled “Jihad & Terrorism” was organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Malta, in collaboration with University of Malta’s student council. The symposium also featured a Holy Quran exhibition. Speaking at the symposium, President KSU (Student Council) Steph Dalli said, “Diversity enriches our societies and communities and provides ample opportunities of sharing and learning from each other. The motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim …