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Asia

Pakistani Minister requests non-Muslim Police escort after threat from Islamists

A Pakistani Minister has been forced to conduct a shake-up of his security detail after threats by Islamists. Pakistan’s provincial law Minister, Rana Sanaullah has ordered that only non-Muslim officers be deployed for his security. Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have started conducting background checks on all his security detail and also asked the Minister to restrict his movements. However, sources close to the Minister say that he is not satisfied with the background checks and has already hired a private security firm to take …

Pakistani singer Abrar-ul-Haq expresses support for Islamists

Pakistan’s prominent singer and politician Abrar-ul-Haq has announced his support for Islamists who are protesting against the Government in the city of Narowal. In a video message Haq urged the Government to give in to the demands of the Islamist protestors. The protestors are part of Tehrike-e-Labbaik-Ya-Rasulullah (TLYR) who have shutdown the capital Islamabad for the last few days and have called on the Government among other things to release blasphemy killers, hang blasphemers and limit the activities of Ahmadis, …

Pakistan’s capital Islamabad shutdown by Islamists

Several thousand Islamists in Pakistan have effectively blocked a main crossing near the national capital, Islamabad, crippling the daily life of millions of people and underscoring challenges facing the country’s counter extremism efforts. The rally began with a few hundred members of the small radical Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah party who had gathered earlier this week at the main Faizabad crossing outside Islamabad. By Friday afternoon, the gathering grew to over 3,000, disrupting public life and prompting police to set …

Indian Vice President Awards Ahmadi Officer

On Monday the Indian Vice President awarded an officer from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community with a Vigilance Excellence Award. The Vice-President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu awarded Shri Munawar Khursheed, the Former DIG of India’s Railway Protection Force with the Vigilance Innovation award for his “Outstanding contribution in Vigilance Innovation”. Rasheed who currently serves as Chief Vigilance Officer of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited was credited for implementing an Integrated Fuel Management System which has brought about 100% transparency in fuelling, …

Pakistani politician who ran ‘Jihadi Camp’ invited to speak at an event in Canada

A Canadian-Pakistani newspaper is set to host a senior Pakistani politician who ran Jihadi camps from his farmhouse. Sheikh Rasheed, President of Awami Muslim League ran a training camp for Kashmiri separatist militants from his farmhouse on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad. Rasheed who is a member of Pakistan’s national parliament is set to speak at Swagat Banquet Hall in Mississauga on October 30th. The event is being hosted by Urdu Times, a weekly Urdu language newspaper which came …

Pakistan, Dr Salam and the Ahmadi Question

On 7 September 1974, the long unfulfilled dream of Pakistan’s religious conservatives finally became a reality with the passing of the second constitutional amendment which declared Ahmadis non-Musim. For the man who spearheaded this movement, Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, it was a singular moment of glory and as he left parliament on the day of its enactment he was met by jubilant crowds who hailed him as a hero. A theological dispute sold to the people as a struggle …

U.S. Thanks Pakistan for rescuing American-Canadian family from Taliban

U.S. has thanked Pakistan for helping secure the release of a Canadian man, his American wife, and their three young children. In 2012, the family was taken hostage by the Haqqani network. Their three children were subsequently born in captivity. In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said: I applaud the innumerable lines of effort from across the U.S. Government. I’m particularly proud of Ambassador Hale and his Mission Islamabad team for their engagement with Pakistan. These …

Pakistani court sentences three Ahmadis to death for blasphemy

A Pakistani court on Wednesday condemned three Ahmadi men to death on charges of committing blasphemy. The court also fined the men Rs 200,000 (USD 2,000) each, and if they are unable to pay the fine, they would have to undergo six months of rigorous punishment. In his decision, Additional District and Sessions Judge Mian Javed Akram stated that the three individuals, Ehsan Ahmad, Ghulam Ahmad and Mubasher Ahmad from the Ahmadiyya community of Bhoaywal town had committed blasphemy by …

Ahmadi Lawyer, wife and son shot dead in Pakistan

A lawyer, his wife, and 2-year-old son were shot dead by unidentified gunmen who on early Monday stormed their home located in Rehman Garden in Sheikhupura and opened fire. The five-year-old son of Advocate Rauf Ahmad Thakur miraculously survived the attack by hiding under the bed. Thakur who was of Ahmadiyya sect of Islam married Abida Bibi against the wishes of her family around 8 years ago, Ahmadis are considered heretic under Pakistani law and are not considered Muslims. Police suspect …

Rohingya Crisis: UK Minister of State Lord Ahmad meets Bangladesh PM Hasina in London

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has requested help from the UK and the international community, to help resolve the Rohingya crisis. Hasina who was on her way back to Bangladesh from U.S. made a stopover in London where she met Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon who currently serves as the UK Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Briefing media, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said Hasina told Lord Ahmad that the UK should continue pressing Myanmar government. …

Ahmadi captain leads Indian Air Force Day Parade

Just days after Pakistan Army issued a statement endorsing the laws against minority Ahmadi Muslims, India made a point by having an Ahmadi lead the 85th-anniversary celebrations of the Indian Air Force. During the parade which was held at Hindon air base near Delhi, Group Captain Syed Muzzaffer Yunus accompanied the Indian Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa for inspection. Yunus who belongs to the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) in January 2014 for rescuing more …

Former Malaysian MP wants Ban on peaceful Islamic teachings

Malaysia’s prominent female Islamic scholar and former member of the Cabinet Dr. Mashitah Ibrahim has called for action against “the dissemination of deviant teachings of Qadianis”, a peaceful minority Islamic sect considered heretic by mainstream Muslims. She made the comments on Thursday during a panel discussion on the Islamic school fire which killed 21 children. The Executive Chairman of the Pondok Malaysia Development Foundation said “We do not want Malaysia to be like the neighboring country where freedom of Islam …