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Bid to assassinate Pervez Musharraf foiled

ISLAMABAD – Law-enforcement agencies foiled another attempt to assassinate former president Pervez Musharraf and arrested seven suspects from Islamabad in the wee hours of Saturday. Officials said the suspects belonged to a banned militant organisation Lashker-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). The intelligence agencies facilitated police to arrest them. According to details, law enforcement agencies on a tip -off arrested seven militants from different areas of the federal capital.

Ahmadi man forced to leave business & home in Gujranwala

A man was forced to abandon his woodworking business and flee Gujranwala with his family after his erstwhile friends and neighbours discovered that he was an Ahmadi. Imran Ahmed, 35, started out as a daily wager at a woodwork shop in Gujranwala. He saved up money for three years, then invested Rs100,000 in machinery and setting up his own workshop. As his business grew, he hired two carpenters to work for him. “Things were going really well, but nobody knew …

Ahmadi man along with his Sunni neighbor shot dead in Orangi Town, Karachi

A man belonging to Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Zahoor Ahmed Kiyani, 46, was shot dead along with his Sunni neighbour Noorul Wahid in Mujahid Colony area of Orangi Town. The police officials said that the deceased was sitting outside the house with his neighbour, when at least two armed men on a motorcycle came came up-close and shot him multiple times. When the neighbour ran after the culprits to stop them from escaping, they shot him dead too.The bodies were taken …

Visit to Rabwah – Home of Persecuted Ahmadiyya Muslims

Pakistan has seemingly ensured that no Ahmedi demographic, including the dead, are spared the harsh reminder that they do not belong “That looks very biblical,” I said out loud while approaching the place Ahmedis call their sanctuary, Rabwa. Incidentally, the name of the city was changed by the state to Chenabnagar, because Rabwa translated to ‘land of God’ and divinity and its access was prohibited for Ahmedis. I wanted to observe what is it like for them living banished in …

Indonesian Chief of Army Staff to be questioned over harassment of Ahmadis

Members of the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense will question Army chief of staff Gen. Moeldoko, the sole candidate to replace retiring Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Adm. Agus Suhartono, over his alleged involvement in what could be deemed as harassment against Ahmadis in West Java in 2011. Although Moeldoko will most likely get an endorsement from most lawmakers. Commission I lawmakers said that it was important to bring up the allegation during a fit-and-proper test slated for Aug. …

Pakistan TV show gives away babies to boost ratings

Pakistan’s television wars have plumbed new depths in the battle for Ramadan ratings with the country’s most controversial presenter giving away abandoned babies on his prime-time show. Aamir Liaquat Hussain has presented two babies to childless couples so far during Islam’s holy month. His show’s heady mix of charity, piety and kitsch has made it a hit with viewers but also attracted accusations that he is using religion to generate headlines. In an episode broadcast last week, Mr Hussain shocked …

Saudi Arabia will send Imams to Pakistan

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia would send imams, one each from Masjidul Haram in Makkah and Masjid-i-Nabawi in Madina, to Pakistan every year. Talking to visiting Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Mohammed Yousaf, President of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais made the announcement. He said this was being done to promote ties between the two countries. He said that King Abdullah attached great importance to Pakistan and its people.

Centenary Milestone for one of Britain’s Oldest Muslim Communities

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – whose ethos is Love for All Hatred for None – marks a historic milestone tomorrow 25thJuly 2013, its centenary in Britain. At more than 100 of its centres set up throughout Britain, thousands will gather at the crack of the dawn to offer special prayers, followed in the evening by a collective breaking of the Ramadan fast at the sunset. It would be a day full of thanksgiving- but also a day for renewing a long-standing commitment to Britain and its prosperity. …

State of religious freedom in Pakistan considered “Dire”

Panelists at a religious freedom session on Pakistan called for reform of the nation’s laws, calling the situation for minorities dire. In June alone, 47 religious minorities were killed in Pakistan, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The victims included an 18-year old Christian man tortured to death by police after he was suspected of kidnapping a Muslim woman, the commission said. “Basic law enforcement and legal reform are desperately needed,” Knox Thames, director of policy and …

Persecuted Ahmadiyya Muslims worship freely in the US

Inside the Bait-ul Qadir mosque on Fond du Lac Ave., a small group of men gathers before the midday prayer. They speak of the weather, their families, the inanities of daily affairs — but also the great mysteries of life and the path to salvation. “We are what we do. And in the next life, we will be judged by our actions,” said Rashid Ahmad, an imam, who at 90 commands the quiet respect of his fellow worshippers. “You cannot …

Malala, Salam and Zafrullah

As I looked at Dr Salam’s tombstone, I felt a pang of guilt and shame at what we have done to the Ahmadis in Pakistan. We have abolished their religious freedom and in the process our own The disgusting manner in which Malala Yousafzai has been targeted by a section of our society recently is upsetting but unsurprising. It is a bit of a local tradition, it seems, to abuse those who do something for the hapless people in this …

Ahmadi Muslims & Jews breakfast together

Fasting is an act of worship, a historic tradition and a test of obedience and holiness. Fasting deepens one’s connection to God. It encourages charity and care for the poor. And those who fast are helped to remember the blessings of life. Members of two faiths shared those and other thoughts on fasting at a rare gathering Tuesday evening in Lynwood, USA. After the sun was down, the event ended with a sumptuous meal where Muslims and Jews joined together …