Credit:Viewpoint on Line.net by Irfan Khan of Germany.
Migrating minorities
by Durriya Hashmi | ||
While the Hindu community has a slight possibility to escape the hatred and extremist violence, Pakistani Christians — the usual suspects in blasphemy cases — ask where are they supposed to go?
“It’s not only the minorities of Pakistan who wish to flee the country rather any sensible person who wants to live free and happily finds it impossible to live in this insecure society” says Zainab Naqvi, a resident of Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore. She is indeed worried about the rapid transformation of her local mosque into a grand madrasah.
A recent Gallop poll suggesting that one third of Pakistani people wish to leave the country backs up this common sentiment. When inquired by an anchor about this mass discontent Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gillani, curtly replied: “Why don’t they leave then? Who’s stopping them?”
Unlike Christians and Hindus the Ahmadiya don’t consider themselves a religious minority. They reckon it a propaganda to declare them non-Muslim. Irfan A Khan, an Ahmadi Muslim who lives in Germany, says: “Ahmadis were not a minority until a law was promulgated to challenge their faith in Islam. The radical Islamists are even turning Shia Muslims into a minority”.
He says, “Ahmadis are not leaving the country en masse. However, the anti-Ahmadi laws protecting the hate-mongers and a continuous victimization of Ahmadi Muslims is forcing many to seek refuge in Europe”.
He pointed out that only recently graves of Ahmadis were desecrated in Hafizabad and Khariyan, domes at Ahmadi mosques were torn down but neither the media nor the politicians condemned it. “In this scenario, I cannot think of going back to Pakistan even if I am concerned about the Talibanisation destroying my country,” he says.
Irfan holds organizations like Difa-e-Pakistan Council, responsible for fanning hatred against non-Muslims. He accuses them of campaigning against the Ahmadiya community. “The only solution to end the violence against non-Muslims in Pakistan”, he thinks, “is to establish a secular state allowing everyone to follow his/her faith”
Categories: Ahmadis And Pakistan, Asia, Pakistan
To me the problem can be solved if anti ahmadiyya and blasphemy laws are repealed together and fanatic mullahs are accounted for strictly.
The efforts to get these discriminatory laws abolished from the Constitution should be cohesive and integrated from all concerned and these should be initiated well in time particularly once some amendment is under consideration. Last time once 18th Amendment was to be tabled in National Assembly, it is in my knowledge that few started their input just one day before that. Are we really interested to get discriminatory laws abolished, when we demonstrate this level of commitment to the cause? Such hard jobs need a whole hearted effort many months in advance on all fronts, I reckon.
I fully support Mr Zubair Khalil Sahib. The problem can only be solved by repealing the Blasphemy law and the infamous anti-qadiani ordinace of 1984.
Long overdue! Repeal Blasphemy law for the honor of deen of Rasul Allah(s.a.s.).