- Why so much religious persecution?
On 31st May 2018 the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a statement labelling Pakistan as a ‘country of particular concern’ with regards to religious freedoms afforded by the state. A few months ago, on 22nd December 2017 the US Secretary of State had placed Pakistan on a Special Watch List for “having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom”. However, the US State Department has refrained from USCIRF’s suggestion of placing religious sanctions against Pakistan, even though such reports have been surfacing since 2002. Despite successive US presidents’ ignoring of this, the severity of the situation can’t be undermined.
As a country borne out of the necessity to practice religion openly, we have matured as a country much farther away from the actual ideals set out by Quaide-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. During a meeting of the Constituent Assembly on 11th August 1947, Muhammad Ali Jinnah outlined the vision for Pakistan in terms of its people. He said, “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan.” Seventy years to this, and we realise how far we are from creating Jinnah’s Pakistan. After decades of sectarianism, one believes how much of Pakistan does one get for belonging to the majority Sunni section? Or the multitudes of minorities who exist along with us. How much of Pakistan does a Pakistani get for believing in Jinnah’s vision?
This extensive slicing has occurred over a period of 71 years, but began as soon as Pakistan was created. While some would argue that the existing ethnicities were always too many to bring under one umbrella; interpreting the creation of Pakistan in terms of large differences that existed and were integral for reaffirming beliefs in the notion of separate homeland – one can trace back the inherited division-ist agenda amongst all Pakistanis. This programming and validation can be attributed to a sequence of events.
With the loudly applauded religiosity for persecution of minorities, and quietly appreciated religious extremism for majority, the progression of Pakistani society has been stymied
The possibility of Pakistan’s name appearing on the Special Watch List should be taken as an indicator for the prevailing domestic conditions.
Tracing footsteps
Soon after independence, problems started to pour in for the Ahmadiyya community of Pakistan. The greats like Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, Pakistan’s first foreign minister and the first Asian to preside over the UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice, the prominent leader in the Pakistan Movement, was deposed because of his ethnicity and religious beliefs. Zia, a theocratic dictator couldn’t win over the clergy even with his rigorous Islamic reforms. The forces he unleashed were materialised by Bhutto’s Second Amendment to the Constitution in 1974, declaring the Ahmadiyya faction non-Muslims. While over the years it has been argued that the persecution these people have faced isn’t state-sponsored, the successive failure of the governments to condemn these has mired and ultimately removed any chances for creating a favourable environment for all minorities.
But tracing back, one realises that religion in the creation of our country had always been used as a tool. The tool which used for mass mobilisation has completed a fairly long journey and ended in the hands of religious zealots, propagating a separatist agenda to an end unknown. If the end is to secure a better place in the hereafter, why is it that the prevailing conditions are threatening even bare survival for the majority of people?
With increasing numbers of factions emerging in the political scene; their unmatched support and the religious sentiment that awakens with it – the overwhelming parallels between the struggle for independence and the non-realisation of Jinnah’s vision seems rather logical.
The persecution of Ahmadis at their own mosque in Sialkot is no small incident that can be easily ignored. There’s a reason why certain factions of our society continue to support the anti-state, extremist elements. When religion-based violence exists at every level in society – the lines separating condemnable crimes from the overlooked coalesce together; engendering a largely religious-intolerant society where the rule of law can never prevail.
With the loudly applauded religiosity for persecution of minorities, and quietly appreciated religious extremism for majority, the progression of Pakistani society has been stymied. With sentiments of millions of Pakistani Muslims tied to a rather unique brand of Islam, the faux pas of the political candidates for the 2018 elections would rarely make a mention of this – for censure takes one away from the society; and validation to either creates brands that can limit the scope of political lobbying. But we need to ask ourselves for how long can we let religion; the basis of our struggle, be used as a tool against the society it was to serve.
Is there no room for debate when matters concerning such freedoms are relayed across the world? Are we, as a society, even ready to address these brands of religion as an A-religious debate, and try identify which of these brands are a threat to force, and other merely beliefs of a certain people?
It’s time someone rises to the occasion and tries to answer these.
Categories: Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia, Pakistan, The Muslim Times
Rafiq—- I strongly believe that the root of persecuting Ahmadiyyah is Saudi Government.
Saudi government ask Islamic countries like; Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunai, Pakistan and other Africa countries to BAN Ahmadiyyah or persecute them by destroying Misque and houses.
If Government reject it even against its constitution Saudi will not allow Muslim go to pilgrim—this kind of threat is effective to influence the Authority or president or PM.
Hopefully if Saudi successed to reform Islam teaching and follow Human Right and justice for all— ahmadiyya will be recognize its exisrence as Muslim or Islam. Other Islamuc countries will follow Saudi.
Now how far US can demand Princes Salman to REFORM Islam— can Saudi obey Human Right and freedom of religion and justice for all? We have to wait and see.
Pray tonGod Rafiq— for God every thing will be possible.
All love ❤️
This time you are right of course. Yes, it is the Saudi Government who pressures countries around the world to take measures against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at. Wikileaks showed a communication from the Saudi Embassy in Indonesia to the Religious Affairs Ministry in Jakarta to that effect. In Africa I can tell you a funny story. The Saudis sent an Indian Wahabi to lobby against Ahmadis. The guy could not get even an audience with any Minister. He met with the Ahmadi Missionary. The (Pakistani) Ahmadi Missionary felt sorry for him and finally picked up the phone and arranged for the Wahhabi to meet a Minister ! Quite funny actually. But come on: for the USA Human Rights always comes way AFTER political aspects. I recall in the Human Rights Session of the UN in Geneva the Human Rights Commission was going to take action against Pakistan on the Ahmadiyya Issue. The Americans blocked it because they did not want to annoy the Pakistanis, whom they needed for the ‘Afghanistan access’. US is spending billions in Pakistan over the years. They never made a condition that ‘We will give you the funds when you stop persecuting Ahmadis’. They could have easily done it if they really wanted to. etc. etc. etc. Moreover how can you trust Americans, many of them Israeli dual citizens, to know how to ‘reform Islam’ as ‘Progressive Muslim’ calls it.
Dear Rafiq— as we know that some leaders good and honest and some are not— depand also his interest at that time.
US need Pakistan to fight Taliban, that is why US cound bot help Ahmadiyyah—but general US often help minority every where— dont give up— try harder and harder— Allah do not like those who not strive to defand the truth or defand the oppressed people.
Allah want to see Ahmadiyyah —are ahmadiyyah serious to struggle and defand their right to exist on erath like LGBT and Israel.
Do you ( Ahmadiyyah ) support the existance of LGBT and Israel publicly, I never hear Ahmadiyyah support LGBT and Israel Rught to exist.
If you do not support them, that is why US and Allah do bot support the right existance of Ahmadiyyah in Islamic countries.
Ahmadiyyah should support the right existance of LGBT and tiny State of Israel in Middle East.
All love ❤️
I think I gave you my view on LGBT. No need to go on making a big fuss about it. I do not want to ask you what you do in the privacy of your bed room and I have no interest to know what the LGBT folks do in privacy. Fullstop. Right to exist of the tiny State of Israel: Did I ever say anything to the contrary? I am just saying that they should observe equal rights for all citizens and equal rights for all they are responsible for, including the occupied territories and the blockaded territories. Anything wrong with equal rights for all?
Do you agree Rafiq— Human Right or US athority ask Ahmadiyyah: we fight for Ahmadiyyah’s right to exist and free to worship Ahmadiyyah faith in Islamic countries — but Ahnadiyyah has to support the right of Israel to exist and the right of LGBT.
What is your respond, please answer clearly and honestly Rafiq
All love ❤️
I never read anywhere that Ahmadiyya are against Israel’s right to exist. Anyway, Ahmadiyya is a spiritual and not a political movement. LGBT ? Interesting that you connect Israel and LGBT. Are they both a bit ‘strange’ ?
Your answer are not honest or clear answers.
I know that Ahmadiyyah do not want to support the equal right for existance of LGBT AND ISRAEL.
As long as Ahmadiyyah do not want to support LGBT AND ISRAEL— Ahmadiyyah also fo support justice for all.
Even Ahmadiyyah claim that Ahmadiyyah support @justice for all” but in reality they do not.,
Very sad indeed. Allah is the most knowing.
All love ❤️
First of all: I am not a spokesperson of Ahmadiyya. My views in these comments are my personal views. ISRAEL: Are my views so difficult to understand? I promote ‘equal rights for all’. And we have to look at all the individuals for which the State of Israel is responsible, including the occupied territories and the blockaded Gaza. All persons living within the territories controlled by Israel should have equal rights. Not 3 months jail if the media observes an Israeli soldier murdering an unarmed Palestinian school girl and 6 months jail if a Palestinian school girl slaps an Israeli soldier. Not one liter of water for a Palestinian Christian or Muslim and ten liters if you are Jewish. Get it? Equal rights for all. Equal justice for all. And yes, Palestinians kicked out of their homes have more rights to return than a Brooklyn Jew of Eastern European origin.
Jinnah was an ecumenical Shia and Shia theology states the Mahdi with an Ishmaelite DNA not Persian DNA.