Pakistan’s Hypocrisy on Freedom of Religion and Belief

“We believe that states have the primary responsibility for the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of its people.” So said Mr. Qazi Saleem Ahmed Khan of Pakistan, on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, on the floor of the UN Human Rights Council just a few weeks ago. Mr. Khan would later lament what Pakistan sees as an “increase in religiously motivated crimes.” It was heartening to hear such remarks from Pakistan. However, as …

A Pakistani’s American Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I am reminded of the many reasons why I am thankful. The concept of gratitude in the US began for us five and a half years back when we left Pakistan and came to America. The very first time I stepped on US soil, it felt like my mother took me in her arms. America became our new adopted homeland because life in Pakistan for us became too dangerous. The horrific day came upon us on …

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 …

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 …

Persecuted Ahmadiyya Muslims who fled Pakistan celebrate Australia Day

Four years ago, Asif Khan took his wife and two children and fled Pakistan, where as an Ahmadiyya Muslim he was part of a heavily persecuted minority group. Yesterday, Mr Khan said he thanked Allah for bringing him to the other side of the world as he celebrated Australia Day among a peaceful sea of red, white and blue at the Masjid Baitul Huda Mosque in Marsden Park in Sydney’s northwest.

Hope for Thailand’s Pakistani Refugees

Bangkok’s little-known population of Pakistani asylum seekers uses community action to respond to the challenges facing refugees without a camp. In an unremarkable concrete apartment block on the outskirts of Bangkok, over 100 families from Pakistan wait.

Christian Television Station set on fire in Pakistan

A group of masked men set fire to Christian Television Channel Gawahi TV in Pakistani port city of Karachi overnight. The attackers fled as the building collapsed due to the fire. According to employees, the arson attack occurred at 2.30am (local time). The fire destroyed entire complex including studios, computers, Bibles and cable network equipment.

Malaysian Department of Islamic Affairs (JAIS) threatens Ahmadis with arrest

Malaysian State of Selangor’s religious enforcers have threatened several followers of the minority Ahmadiyya Muslim Community with arrests in order to compel them to appear in the Shariah court to continue a trial that has been postponed twice since last year. According to the Ahmadis, the Selangor Department of Islamic Affairs (JAIS) is preparing arrest warrants to force 39 of its members ― three of them minors ― to appear before the Islamic courts, consequently violating a civil High Court …

Ahmadiyya Religious Persecution and Migration

Waqas Ahmed, 30, from Claremont Meadows. Arrived from Pakistan in 1995 There are laws in Pakistan that make the lives of Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan difficult. The older you get, the harder it gets. You live a life of always finding shelter, being very careful about how you choose your words, how you show emotion. We can’t openly defend ourselves. We cannot call ourselves Muslims over there, if we do, we can potentially go to jail. We believe in the …

Je Suis Charlie! Ahmadiyya Muslim Community condemns Charlie Hebdo gun attack

In a statement, The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community condemned the attack at the office of Charlie Hebdo in Paris on Wednesday, which left 12 people dead. Nasim Rehmatullah, vice president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of the US said “Nothing justifies this barbaric and inhumane attack,” Rafiq Hayat, National President, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, said: “Under no circumstances does Islam permit a person to take the law into his own hands. It is never right to mock the sensitivities of any religion; nevertheless, there is …

Ahmadiyya: Persecuted from birth to death

Rabwah, Pakistan – Seeing her lying in her hospital bed, it’s difficult to tell what Mubashara Jarra has been through. Outwardly, she appears fine. No intravenous tubes snaking into her body, and no bandages covering up her wounds. “I’m feeling much better,” she says, in a low voice. It is, perhaps, only her vacant eyes that betray her ordeal. Jarra, 32, was trapped in a room, along with many of her family members, in her home in the Pakistani city …