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Pakistan & Iran’s Blasphemy laws among the worst in the World

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released a ground-breaking report that takes a look at blasphemy laws around the world and compares them to international human rights standards. The report covers instances of the blasphemy laws in 71 countries which include countries like Paksitan and Indonesia, known for harsh punishments like the death penalty to countries like Canada and Switzerland which have minor penalties like fines. Among the six countries which were ranked the worst in terms …

Pakistani Truck art is coming to Washington

Truck art which is a common sight in Pakistan and South Asia, where buses and trucks are decorated with elaborate floral patterns and calligraphy. Now a Pakistani advocacy group is planning to bring the art form to the influential audience of the Washington area. AdvoPak plans to host a live painting event at Dupont Circle this coming Sunday, the event will feature prominent truck artist, Haider Ali. His work has previously been displayed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. Ali …

The Days of Jalsa

And so as another year passes the days that have been long awaited by the member of the Jamaat finally arrive. For it is once again time for the faithful to gather at the hand of the khalifa to participate in a 3 day event which will inevitably alter the course of their spiritual lives. The event which draws people in the thousands to the open green fields of Alton, Hampshire holds great significance not only for Ahmadi Muslims around …

Blasphemy, the Fate of Ahmadiyya in Lombok, Indonesia

Though Indonesia has claimed a principle of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (“different but one”), in reality, the country has faced fragmentation over the differences in its society, with its people blaspheming and killing each other. Ironically, the inter-religious conflict which has occurred is no longer between practitioners of different religions, but between practitioners of the same religions. The indigenous people of Lombok are the Sasak. They are the majority ethnic group that represents 89% of the island’s total population; the remainder …

The Former Hamas member who now preaches Peace

Sheikh Muhammad Jaber planned an attack on Israeli soldiers but was arrested and spent several years in prison. Today he openly walks around in Hamas stronghold of Hebron, calling for peace with Israel and preaches against violence. If Sheikh Muhammad Jaber of Hebron was ever asked what he thought of the Jews, he would simply have said, “You have to kill and slaughter them.” In the 1980s, when he was affiliated with he planned an attack against Israeli soldiers in …

Rabwah girls get top scores in national exams

Students from Rabwah’s Nusrat Jehan School scored top positions in the annual exams of Pakistan’s Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB). In secondary school exams, Samreen Raja of Nusrat Jehan Academy Girls High School got the second position with 1,029 out of 1,100 marks, scoring 93.54% while for Higher Secondary School exams Nusrat Jahan College’s Muqaddas Alvi stood third by obtaining 1,022 out of 1,100 marks and 92.90%. Associate Director of assessment, Dr Naveed Yousuf, congratulated the students and said, “It is …

Marriage: When culture and religion clash

Somewhere in Islamabad from what I understand, a girl is preparing for her wedding. Maybe she is booking a hairdresser or shopping for new clothes and jewelry. Maybe she is visiting friends and family and receiving their blessings and well wishes. Maybe she is fantasizing about her new life as a new bride and the impending move to the United States. Maybe she wonders what kind of man this cousin of hers is that her relatives and relations have chosen …

Opinion: The Crazy Fanatics.

Crazies. Everybody’s got them—from religions to nationalities to political parties. Every social unit in humanity has its share of fanatics. Unfortunately, we Muslims have them in droves, and in recent years their fanatical, narrow-minded view of what defines a religion has moved to the driver’s seat and become the mainstream in Islam. Indeed, it seems that it’s becoming a rare site to see a religious person who is not a crazy lunatic. For many, matters of religion have gotten so …

Ahmadiyya leader welcomes Indian PM Modi to Israel along with Israeli PM Netanyahu

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Tuesday, He was greeted by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with representatives of various communities including the Ahmadiyya. The welcoming party at Tel Aviv airport was made up of various leaders from all over Israel, which included representatives of the Druze, Bahais and the Ahmadiyya. The President of the Israeli chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Muhammad Sharif Odeh greeted the Indian PM alongside Israeli PM Netanyahu and …

Eight wounded in shooting near French mosque

A targeted shooting outside Arrahma Mosque in the southeastern city of Avignon, Provence leaves 8 injured. The attack which took place at 10:30 pm on Sunday night included at least two hooded gunmen wielding a handgun and shotgun who fired onto worshipers leaving the mosque. According to police reports four people were injured on scene while a family of four in a nearby apartment were also injured due to shrapnel. The La Provence newspaper reported that a 7 year old …

Algerian activist fined for sharing video ‘insulting’ the President

A court in Algeria has fined a Human Rights Activist and Blogger for sharing a video which ‘insulted’ the country’s President. On June 15th, 2017, the Court in the city of M’sila convicted the Algerian citizen for sharing a video on his blog which allegedly insulted the President of the Republic, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.  The video from 2003 showed the President receiving a hostile reception in the city of Boumerdès following an earthquake, the quake caused the death of more than 2000 …

Pakistan-origin Lord Ahmad appointed as UK Foreign Office’s Minister of State

A Pakistan-origin British peer has been selected to serve as UK Foreign Office’s Minister of State. His new role was announced on June 13th, 2017 as Prime Minister Theresa May finished reshuffling the cabinet. Before his appointment as Minister of State, Lord Ahmad served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, while from 2015 to 2016 he served as Minister for Countering Extremism. .@tariqahmadbt appointed as Foreign Office Minister of State pic.twitter.com/SLboQl4yPU — Foreign Office ?? (@foreignoffice) June 13, 2017 …