RABWAH, Pakistan (Reuters) – Crammed into buses and mini-vans, more than 10,000 Pakistanis traveled to a mosque on the outskirts of the small Punjabi town of Rabwah, for the sole purpose of denouncing followers of the minority sect based here as “infidels and enemies of the state”. For members of the long persecuted Ahmadi community, who are forbidden to call themselves Muslims and face discrimination and violence over accusations their faith insults Islam, the open vitriol on display at the …
On Monday over two dozen countries criticized Pakistan’s human rights record at the universal periodic review (UPR) of UN Human Rights Council. The criticism came not only from developed countries like the U.S. and U.K but also from developing countries like Ethiopia and Namibia. Majority of the countries made recommendations on the status of women, minority rights, and religious freedom. The United States in its recommendations urged Pakistan to abolish blasphemy laws and protect freedom of opinion and expression. The …
A Pakistani Shia leader has warned that the public and the government should be made aware of the “dangers” posed by Baha’is and Ahmadis. Shia cleric Allama Iqbal Bahishti urged the Government to be watchful of the ‘heretic’ Baha’is & Ahmadis. Allam Iqbal Bahishti who is the provincial secretary-general of Pakistan’s largest Shiite political organization the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) made the comments while speaking to members of the press on November 11. Bahishti said: The Islamic world was split into two …
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 …
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, …
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 …
وفاقی وزیر قانون وانصاف زاہد حامد نے بدھ کے روز ایک ویڈیو بیان میں اپنے مذہبی عقائد کی واضح الفاظ میں وضاحت کرتے ہوئے کہا ہے کہ میں حلفاً بیان کرتا ہوں کہ میں خاتم النبین حضرت محمد کی ختم نبوت پر مکمل اور غیر مشروط طور پرایمان رکھتا ہوں اور یہ کہ میں کسی ایسے شخص کا پیروکار نہیں ہوں جو حضرت محمد کے بعد اس لفظ کی کسی بھی مفہوم یا کسی بھی تشریح کے لحاظ سے پیغمبر …
يرتبط إبراهيم الصوفي، شاب يمني ينتمي إلى الطائفة الأحمدية، إحدى الفرق الإسلامية الحديثة، بعلاقات جيدة مع محيطه الاجتماعي ذي الغالبية السنية والزيدية في اليمن، لكنه لا يخفي تعرضه لانتقادات كثيرة بسبب معتقداته الدينية المخالفة لهذا المحيط. يقول الصوفي (39 عاما)، والذي يعمل مدرسا في مدرسة حكومية بصنعاء “مشكلتنا هي في جمود عقول كثير من اليمنيين، إذ لا يتقبلون أي نقاش حول الفكرة التي نؤمن بها”. والأحمديون هم طائفة إسلامية أسسها ميرزا غلام أحمد، الذي ولد في بنجاب (شمال الهند) …
Girl from Rabwah scored big at the 13th annual Spelling Bee regional competition organized by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper. The competition was held on October 28th at the Ali Institute of Education in Lahore. Mikail Faisal Ejaz of Aitchison College Middle School, Lahore, Vaneeza Salman Mokal of Bloomfield Hall School, Lahore and Sania Ayala of Maryam Siddiqa Higher Secondary School, Rabwah got top positions in the age 9 to 11 age group. As many as 1,000 schools from across the country …
A documentary on the experience of Pakistani refugees in Nepal will be featured at the Human Rights Film festival in Barcelona on November 18th. The film covers the plight of Ahmadi refugees from Pakistan who escaped persecution in the Islamic republic and sought refuge in the Himalayan city of Kathmandu. There are around 350 Ahmadi refugees in Nepal who have been granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The emotional documentary provides an insight into …
Hiding behind the religion card has always been the strategy of many politicians in Pakistan who are guilty of their hideous sins of corruption and misconduct. This time it was Safdar Sahab. Capt (r) Safdar Sahab, My apologies I can’t greet you with Salam, the constitution doesn’t allow me to do so. Hope you are relaxing in one of your mansions, contended after playing the religion card to veil your own wrongdoings of corruption and dishonesty. But let me tell …
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, …