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Pakistan

Pakistan Police Arrest Christian Teenager for Facebook Post

A 16-year-old Pakistani Christian has been arrested for Blasphemy for liking a Facebook post. The teenager who is from Punjab has been jailed pending trial. On 18th September, 16-year-old Nabeel Chohan from Chak 66, Bhai Pheru, District of Kasur was arrested and charged under Pakistan’s infamous Blasphemy law. He was arrested by the Police after locals filed a complaint against Masih under Section 295/ 295A of Pakistan’s penal code. The complainant alleged that he was going through Masih’s Facebook account …

Ahmadis fearful of celebrating Eid in Rabwah

“The right to celebrate Eid and other Islamic traditions has been snatched away from us because they are associated to Islam and since we have been declared non-Muslim we can not celebrate” In 1974 Pakistan declared the Ahmadis a non-Muslim minority using a constitutional amendment. Since then they have been stopped from celebrating “Muslims Holy Festivals.” 60-year-old Ijaz Ahmad is a resident of Rabwah and works in a small company. He says like every year he likes to celebrate Eid …

Extremist group Khatm-e-Nabuwat hosts conference against Ahmadis in Rabwah

On September 7th, Extremist organization Khatm-e-Nabuwat held an anti-Ahmadiyya conference in Pakistan’s only majority Ahmadiyya town of Rabwah. The conference was organized to mark the 42nd anniversary of Pakistan declaring minority Ahmadiyya as non-Muslims. Conference speakers included Ministers and Islamic preachers. Local District Police Officer Mustansar Feroz also paid a visit to the conference site to make sure security arrangements were adequate. Speaking at the conference serving PML-N Minister and head of International KhatmeNabuwat Movement, Ilyas Chinioti said: “Qadianis are …

Pakistani Ministers target Ahmadis in Punjab Assembly

Decades of persecution and a full ban on the Ahmadiyya faith has not changed the Government’s attitudes toward Pakistan’s most persecuted faith group. Ministers in Pakistan’s Provincial Assembly of Punjab continue to make sure the Ahmadis are not given any rights or recognition. On August 31st, Minister for School Education, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan came under fire over the alleged transfer of government schools to the Ahmadiyya community and organizations associated with it. In a fiery speech, Ghiyas-ud-Din said that …

Thousands of Ahmadis fleeing persecution in Pakistan and seeking Asylum overseas

More and more Ahmadis are leaving Pakistan and seeking asylum overseas as persecution in Pakistan increases. Sources within Pakistan and stats released by the U.S. indicate that Ahmadis are the largest asylum seeking group from Pakistan.Newly published statistics by Germany, U.K., and the US revealed that over 10,000 Pakistanis had sought asylum in these three countries over the past year. Data from US Department of State which classified refugees by religion showed that most of the 376 Pakistanis who applied …

Germany’s largest Islamic convention underway in Karlsruhe

Karlsruhe, a German city close to the French border is hosting Germany’s largest annual Islamic convention this weekend. Over 35,000 Muslims are expected to attend the Jalsa Salana, the 41st annual convention of Germany’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Thousands of Muslims have traveled from all over Europe to hear the keynote speaker, The Khalifa of Islam, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad. Ahead of the convention, the Khalifa laid the foundation of two Mosques, One in the German town of Frankenthal and …

Suicide bombers target Christian Colony in Pakistan

Four suicide bombers with arms and ammunition attacked a Christian Colony in Pakistan’s Northwestern city of Peshawar. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway Taliban faction, claimed responsibility for the attack. The colony which houses around 30 Christian families was attacked early Friday morning. Local police official Shaukat Khan said four suicide bombers entered the Christian colony. One of them went into a church, but no one was there at the time. Police and security forces arrived at the scene after which an exchange …

What you need to know about Pakistan’s New Cyber-Crime Law

The notorious Cyber Crime bill passed by the National Assembly with only 9% of its 342 members is now a law. The bill which has been termed Draconian by almost every other Public media outlet has some extremely upsetting features that if allowed to be implemented will be nothing short of a calamity for the nation of Pakistan and its people. Particularly the younger, social media generation. The act which has been given the title of the ‘Prevention of Electronic …

Norwegian Muslims gather to pray for Utøya attack victims on 5th anniversary

Muslims from across Norway gathered on the island of Utøya to pray for victims of the Norway attacks. Six years ago in 2011 34-year-old Anders Breivik shot and killed 69 people on the very same island. The Island is owned by Norway’s Labour party and most of Breivik’s victims were members of the Labour party’s youth wing. On August 19, 2016, the country’s oldest Muslim Youth association hosted their annual youth retreat in union with the Labour party’s youth wing. …

UK’s Birmingham City Council aided Muslim religious extremists against Ahmadis

In a shocking report, UK’s IBTimes has revealed how city council of Britain’s second most populated city, Birmingham favored Muslim religious extremists against the persecuted Ahmadiyya sect. The report revealed how Birmingham’s education authorities blocked one of UK’s oldest and most peaceful Muslim sect from being represented on an interfaith council. City of Birmingham’s Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) told members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community that in order to be represented on the city’s SACRE committee they …

Canadian High Commission shuts down anti-Ahmadiyya Twitter troll

The High Commission of Canada to Pakistan fired back after receiving a message calling Ahmadis “non-Muslims” on social media. On 23rd August 2016 the twitter account of the Canadian High Commission shared a picture and wrote: “Acting High Commissioner Stuart Savage delighted to visit Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.” The picture of the acting High Commissioner was followed by another tweet in which the HC compared the area of Faisal Mosque, Islamabad to that of the Bait-un-Nur Mosque, Calgary. The Bait-un-Nur …

Pakistani textbooks filled with hate: Study

Earlier this year a study of Pakistani public school textbooks revealed that Pakistani textbooks negatively portray religious minorities and suggest that these minorities are untrustworthy and inferior The study which was sponsored by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reviewed 78 Pakistani textbooks and discovered religiously prejudice and bias in 24 books. Mr Azhar Hussain, president and founder of Pakistan-based NGO Peace and Education Foundation (PEF) presented the report. USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George. said: “Pakistan’s public school …