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Asia

Pakistan: Men sentenced to three years in prison for “Excessive use of Quran”

A Pakistani court on Wednesday sentenced two men to three years in prison for “Excessive use of Quran” The two men, Idris Ahmed and SabaulZafar were charged with”excessive use of Quran and Islamic literature” along with illegal possession of the Islamic Holy book. Both men were given a three-year prison sentence and fined PKR 50,000 (USD 475) by the anti-terrorism court. The men who belong to the minority Ahmadiyya community were arrested by Pakistan’s security forces in December last year during …

Review: Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora

In his book, Islam, Race, and Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora, Dr. Craig Considine explores the experiences of several Pakistani American and Pakistani Irish men. He expertly unpacks these experiences while also being extra diligent in avoiding the notion of a singular diasporic identity and maintaining and furthering the heterogeneity present within the community. Further, these experiences are brilliantly contextualized through the compendious exploration of histories of Boston and Ireland, the settings of his research. Ultimately, the book puts an …

Pakistani Barbers told not to style Beards

A local council in the Pakistani province of Balochistan has banned ‘designer beards’ The ban was announced by the Municipal Committee in the town of Omara, which is the seaside suburb of Gwadar city and has a population of around 35,000. The local council announced the ban at a special meeting held on Friday to discuss a course of action for the upcoming Islamic holy month of Ramadhan. During the council meeting, a local leader of an Islamic political party, …

Bangladesh: Women honored for arresting Islamist attacker

Mosammat Ayatunnessa along with Achhia Khatun and Minara Khatun tied up a fleeing militant until police arrived Three women of the Ahmadiyya community have been honoured in two separate programmes for their exceptional bravery in the arrest of a suspected militant in Ishwarganj upazila of Mymensingh. They are Achhia Khatun, Mosammat Ayatunnessa and Minara Khatun. Mymensingh Superintendent of Police (SP) Syed Nurul Islam awarded each of the three with Tk5,000 and a sari at a ceremony at the Mymensingh Police …

Everything you need to know about Pakistan’s ‘Ehtram-e-Ramazan’ Ordinance

The Ehtram-e-Ramazan ordinance which was first introduced in 1981 and was passed on the 25th of June 1981 is an ordinance with the official purpose of providing measures to observe the sanctity of the month of Ramazan. The ordinance extends to the whole of Pakistan and has been in force since it has been passed. The ordinance prohibits any person who, according to the tenets of Islam, is under an obligation to fast; to eat, drink or smoke in a …

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 …