Anti-Ahmadiyya hatred – The International Human Rights Committee (IHRC), an NGO created by the Ahmadiyya community, reported yesterday that on 2nd February 2023 at around 3.30 in the afternoon, the opponents of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community razed to the ground the minarets of the Ahmadiyya Hall built in 1950 in Saddar Karachi. A wave of bigotry against Ahmadis has intensified since the start of 2023.
Nasim Malik, General Secretary IHRC reported that “Once again, we want to inform you that in the late night on 3rd February 2023, unknown assailants while entering the boundary wall of the Ahmadi Mosque in Noor Nagar district Umerkot, Sindh Pakistan, set the fire on mosque by pouring gasoline. Due to the fire, all mats and chairs were burned. Local residents became aware of the fire when they arrived for the early morning prayers”.
The letter from Malik continued saying that “in another targeted attack, some unknown persons on 3rd February 2023, during late night, damaged the minarets of the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Goth Chaudary Javed Ahmed at Goth Ghazi Khan Mirani, also in district Mirpurkhas, Sindh Pakistan. The Ahmadiyya Mosque was set on fire. Intolerance and hatred towards Ahmadis in Pakistan are nothing new; rather it has spread over decades and gained momentum each passing under the State’s supervision. Systematic marginalisation of Ahmadis in all walks of life because of their religious beliefs is not considered condemnable and Ahmadis are being treated without even basic human rights.”
The letter continued saying:
“Such brazen acts with impunity violate fundamental rights of religious freedom and also fly in the face of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s decision in 2014 to protect places of worship. There is no legal justification for this action. These are state-sanctioned incidents of violence by extremists against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Unfortunately, Government Officials in Pakistan are engaged in such illegal activities to win the pleasure and approval of the ferocious opponents of the Ahmadis. We request the Government of Pakistan to respect and follow the eight-point directive given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2014, which emphasised the provision of protection for the places of worship of all religions in Pakistan. The destruction of Ahmadiyya Mosques in Pakistan is in glaring contravention of Article 20 of the Constitution of Pakistan and the Supreme Court of Pakistan verdict of 2014.
On July 13, 2021, UN human rights experts expressed their deep concern over the lack of attention to the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Ahmadiyya community around the world and called on the international community to step up efforts in bringing an end to the ongoing persecution of Ahmadis.
We once again urge the international community to pressure the Government of Pakistan to honor its responsibility to provide protection to all its citizens, ensure freedom of religious practice to Ahmadis, and bring perpetrators of such vicious attacks to justice. The Government of Pakistan must also bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards as ordained by Article 2, 18 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 25, 26.”
The European Times wonders if the European Union and Pakistan will ever talk effectively about this issue in any negotiation so that the lifes and properties of Ahmadies are duly respected.
