Daily Times

Sir: Since 1974, when the Ahmadiyya community was singled out and declared non-Muslim for constitutional and legal purposes, the atrocities committed against the community have been ever increasing. In spite of the outcry aired by the community, human rights organisations as well as Amnesty International, no respite or relief has so far been seen by community members. Rather the enactment of the 1984 Ordinance by General Ziaul Haq further paved the way to add more and more miseries to the lives of members belonging to this community.

Hundreds of innocent community members so far have been murdered. The biggest setback was faced in May 2010 when two worship places of the community in Lahore were attacked and more than 90 worshipers were killed in terrorist attacks. Selected target killing of community members now has become a routine phenomenon. Closure and confiscation of community worship places has seen a new spiral in recent months. Erasing of kalima, the Quranic verses, demolition of minarets and domes of community worship places are very frequently undertaken by the police. Banning of the community’s religious periodicals has also been ordered. Community members face explicit discrimination in all daily societal spheres including education and employment. Key posts have become a taboo for them. Due to a separate electoral roll, the community has been deprived of its voting rights. Except for a small section of the English language press, electronic as well as the large Urdu media of the country has closed its eyes to the gross violations of human rights of the Ahamdiyya community members. When we look at the history of how all this started with the Ahmadiyya community, startling revelations come to our notice. Recently, Dr Mubashir Hassan (one of the closest mates of Mr Bhutto, who had the honour of passing the so-called law) gave the historic statement on television that passing the anti-Ahmadiyya law was an absolute ‘political move’ to please mullahs and the Saudis, to win support for the upcoming summit and to bag a few seats of the assembly. Another close associate of the Pakistan People’s Party opined, “A majority of illiterates sitting in a parliament and a parliament having the audacity to declare a section of society and a segment of Muslims as non-Muslims…Who does not know that political expediency played a role and Bhutto allowed himself to become an instrument in this act of infamy. Since when do humans have the power to intervene in matters purely beyond their wisdom or jurisdiction; religions are for God to decide for their correctness or truth.” Some very close associates of General Zia also expressed almost similar viewpoints for the enactment of the 1984 Ordinance.

ZUBAIR KHAN

Frankfurt,

Germany