Daily Times

According to Article 20 of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, every citizen has the right to profess, practice and propagate his or her religion. Every religious denomination and every sect have the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions. Unfortunately, there are many in Pakistani society who considers the religious beliefs of individuals to be the business of the state.

However, religion is a completely personal affair and is also considered so by the UN Human Rights Charter of 1948. As Pakistan has been a member of the UN since September 1947, it should recognise this.

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948, guarantees that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.” Nearly1400 years ago, Islam not only assured these very rights to all citizens of an Islamic State theoretically but also gave it a practical shape in all Islamic societies. Similarly, Jinnah intended to observe the principle accomplishing these basic rights in the newborn State of Pakistan.

There is a long history behind the religious extremism in Pakistan today. In pre-partition British India, Muslims were a minority, but still the second largest community in India. They were subjected to social and religious discrimination and were sidelined politically and economically. The situation between India’s Hindus and Muslims intensified and this eventually leads to a demand for a separate state. After the horrific bloodshed of partition, two dominions came into being, Pakistan and India.

Since partition, many Hindus and Sikhs on this side of the border migrated, preferring India to living under Muslim authority. As Governor General of Pakistan, Jinnah tried his best to convince these Hindus and Sikhs to remain in Pakistan, but to no avail. He appointed Jugindar Nath Mandal, a Hindu, as Law Minister in his cabinet but after Jinnah’s death Mandal too said goodbye to Pakistan and settled in India.

In 1949, Liaqat Ali Khan took Pakistan closer to radicalism through the Objective Resolution. This filled religious minorities in the country with dread since they would now be considered non-Muslims in an Islamic State.

Since partition, many Hindus and Sikhs on this side of the border migrated, preferring India to living under Muslim authority. As Governor General of Pakistan, Jinnah tried his best to convince these Hindus and Sikhs to remain in Pakistan, but to no avail

Religious parties like Majlis Ihrar, Jamat-i-Islami, Jamiat-i-Ulema Hind had been against the founding of Pakistan. Allegedly, they were controlled by Congress. Their anti Pakistan statements and Fatwas are on record. Once Maulana Maududi expressed his pro-Congress views to Sardar Shaukat Hayat, saying he could pray for ‘Napakistan’. Mullahs also gave Jinnah the title of ‘Kafir-e-Azam’ (Chief infidel) and Pakistan was given the title of ‘Palidistan’ (an unclean place).

When these religious entities were left in Pakistan after partition, they needed something to cover up their own failures and anti-Pakistan stance. Hence they instigated religious and sectarian issues. The Ahmadia issue was conceived in the 1950s and its purposes were to destabilise the State and gain the sympathies of the common people. Using issues like the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, they were able to outrage Pakistani citizens. The resulting chaos resulted in Pakistan’s first ever martial law.

Ahmadis have always remained loyal and sincere to the State of Pakistan. They have given their lives and offered their best services in the creation and defence of the country. Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmed (the supreme head of the Ahmadia community) assured Jinnah of his support in the creation of Pakistan. The record also shows that the Pakistan movement had the support of Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, an Ahmadi lawyer and diplomat.

Zafrullah proved his sincerity to Jinnah. He advocated the Punjab Boundary Commission case and represented Pakistan when the Kashmir issue was brought to the UN. Moreover, as Foreign Minister and President of International Court of Justice and the President of the UN Assembly, Zafrullah Khan was an asset for Pakistan. He had the honour of serving both in the League of Nations and the United Nations. He was also the author of the ‘Lahore Resolution’, passed on March 24, 1940 in Minto Park in Lahore.

Dr Abdus Salam, another eminent figure also couldn’t be given recognition in Pakistan because of his Ahmadi faith. He was the first Nobel Laureate of the country. After winning the Nobel Prize, he came to Pakistan with the proposal of establishing an internation centre for physics. The proposal received a ‘warm disapproval’. The centre for physics was eventually established in Italy instead. When the Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad tried to give him the small honour of naming a physics department after him last year, religious parties turned the step into a major issue.

Ahmadis have also served and sacrificed their lives in Pakistan’s armed forces. Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhary, Lt Gen Akhtar Husain Malik, Maj Gen Iftikhar Janjua (Shaheed), Lt Gen Abdul Ali Malik and Maj Gen Abdullah Saeed are some prominent Ahmadi soldiers.

Despite all this our orthodox society and extremist clerics are unwilling to accept Ahmadis as citizens of the country. Self made ‘mullahs’ and reckless rabble rousers like Amir Liaqat routinely incite anti-Ahmadia hate on national television. It is an unfortunate truth that the statements made by Maulana Khadim Hussein Rizvi in his ‘Dharna’ in Islamabad reflect the sentiments of many Pakistanis.

Ahmadis have no forum or platform to respond to allegations and hate speech against them. Journals, newspapers, and periodicals giving the views of the Ahmadia community are banned in Pakistan. MTA, the official TV channel of Ahmadia ‘Jamaat’, are not recognized by PEMRA and all official websites of the community are forbidden.

Ahmadis are the citizens of Pakistan and expects the equal rights of humanity, religion, worship and belief according to the law of Pakistan. No Pakistani Ahmadi has ever been found to be involved in any terrorist or anti-State activity. However, a conventional hate against them in the society is unconceivable. Anti-Ahmadia Ordinance introduced in 1984 by Zia regime is totally against human rights. Anti-Ahmadia provision of the Ordinance XX has made biased and discriminatory practices against Ahmadis in Pakistan mainstream and acceptable.

According to a report submitted in UN Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Review 27th Session March 2017, Ahmadis under Ordinance of 1984“are barred from using any honorific titles or epithets specific to Islam, building Mosques, displaying the Kalma (the creed of Islam), or reciting the Azan (call to Muslim prayer). Ahmadis also cannot ‘pose’ as Muslims, call or refer to their faith as Islam, or to preach or propagate their faith. Any act by an Ahmadi which is perceived by any person in Pakistan as being associated with Islam is deemed a criminal and arrest able offense punishable with up to three years imprisonment”.

After the promulgation of Anti-Ahmadia Ordinance since April 1984 to October 2017, 765 Ahmadis booked for displaying Kalima, 38 for calling Azan, 447 for posing as Muslims, 161 for using Islamic epithets, 93 for offering prayers, 806 for preaching, 27 for celebrating Ahmadia Centenary, 50 or celebrating 100 years anniversary of the eclipses o sun and moon, 56 for defiling the Holy Quran, 1159 in other cases of religious grounds, 304 under the Blasphemy Laws PPC 295-C. “The entire population of Rabwah ie Ahmadia headquarters in Pakistan was charged under section PPC 298-C on December 15, 1989 and again on June 8, 2008”. While “a case against the entire Ahmadi population of Ahmadis in Kotli, was registered for taking up repairs and improvement in their worship place in 2008”.

It is not just the public, Legislation against Ahmadis and the aggressive social consent in Pakistan pushing Ahmadis towards isolation. In public places and markets, anti-Ahmadia stickers and banners are displayed and never removed by authorities despite being against the anti-terror act of Pakistan. At the entrances of the shops in various markets and malls, customers are welcomed with a note on stickers ‘Quadiyanis/Mirzais are not allowed’. Column for religion in official documents, anti-Ahmadia ordinance 1984/Laws, hate speeches by religious stratum and a certain social fabric ultimately amplify sense of complex and in-security among Ahmadis.

Ahmadis have also served and sacrificed their lives in Pakistan’s armed forces. Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhary, Lt Gen Akhtar Husain Malik, Maj Gen Iftikhar Janjua (Shaheed), Lt Gen Abdul Ali Malik and Maj Gen Abdullah Saeed are some prominent Ahmadi soldiers

Amnesty International’s 2016-17 Report discusses discrimination with Ahmadis in Pakistan which remained “…continued to face restricted access to employment, health care, education and other basic services”. State seems failed to provide security to Ahmadis. Up-coming generations of Ahmadis in Pakistan are bit disheartened and uncertain of their future, which consequence the brain drainage of Ahmadi intelligentsia and men power from Pakistan to Europe, UK, USA and Canada. Religious harassment in educational institutions, work places and markets is so common that it leaves Ahmadis with no option other than hiding their religious identification. Furthermore, Ahmadis are not allowed to commence annual conventions, open games, gatherings and religious programs for Ahmadis.

In many open hate-speeches, print and electronic media as well as in literature, extremists declare the Ahmadis as ‘Kafir’ (non-believers) and ‘wajib-ul-qatal’ (duty bound to be killed). Using street power, they under-mind the regimes to fulfil their hostile agendas and use Ahmadia issue as an escape goat to flee from any situation they cannot handle logically or morally. Thousands of Ahmadis have been massacred and critically wounded in the name of religion since 1947. But these goriest circumstance even cannot remove of weaken the patriotism from their hearts and souls.

In May 2010, about 86 unarmed Ahmadi worshipers in Garhi Shahu and Model Town Lahore were assassinated in open fire during worship. But action by the government against these violent extremists is still in wait. In Lahore, Chakwal, Takhat Hazara, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Quetta, Peshawar, Mirpur Khas and all over the Country Ahmadis are distressed being a soft target. This might be one of the reasons that US placed Pakistan on ‘Watch List’ regarding poor human rights conditions in the Country.

According to the reports of human rights violation in Pakistan from 1984 to October 2017 264 Ahmadis have been killed while only in 2017 number of Ahmadis target-killed was 4. Overall, 7 Ahmadia worship places demolished 33 sealed, 21 set on fire or damaged, 17 forcibly occupied and 57 construction of which was barred by the authorities.

‘Dharna Mullahs’ also demanded the removal of Ahmadis from Pakistan while Ahmadis are intending to play their role in development and prosperity of Pakistan. In 2010, when Nawaz Sharif somehow used words ‘brothers of the Muslims’ for Ahmadis, he received the shut-up call from with stern response from religious bodies. The question arises; can we develop the country according to the will of religious extremists and Mullahs? Can they integrate the Pakistan with ‘modern state system’ with fanatic ideologies? The Mullahs who are not willing to offer prayers after each other, how can we unite numerous sects and prosper the ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan’? It can only be possible with mutual co-operation and collaboration of all the communities living in Pakistan beyond the faith.

No doubt religious harmony, tolerance and co-operation are the needs of the time. Religion or faith is an individual’s business, not a State determined phenomenon. The charter, which Mr Jinnah declared in his August 11speech, is the pathway to find a peaceful and prosperous Pakistan for all the communities.

The writer can be reached at busharathistorian@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, January 23^rd 2018.