By A. Abdul Aziz, Press secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim JamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢at, Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The hate campaign against Ahmadi Muslims reached new heights in Pakistan and even innocent children are not spared now. Government of Pakistan seems to succumb under pressure from extremists

These were the findings of an annual report, the Persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan, released by the Ahmadiyya JamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢at, Pakistan ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ recently. The report said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-There was an open hate campaign against Ahmadis in Pakistan and young children studying in nursery grade classes are not even spared from this horrific discrimination and hatred.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Six Ahmadis lost their lives because of the fact that they were Ahmadis and more than 20 were injured in assassination attempts. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The hate filled posters; stickers, fliers and calendars were openly distributed across Pakistan,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ it added. The report specifically mentioned the hate campaigns faced by the Ahmadis in Faisalabad where fliers and leaflets were openly distributed calling people to kill Ahmadis. The government and security agencies failed to take any concrete action against such actions. Punishing the culprits behind these leaflets and hate material was a far cry. The extremists have increased efforts to isolate the community and the campaign to encourage people to boycott Ahmadis and Ahmadi products was also a major issue. Expelling children from educational institutions also increased and even kids studying in nursery were not spared. Ahmadi children faced expulsion from schools or outright refusal by the educational institutions to admit them.

The government seemed to succumb under the pressure from extremists and decided to look other way while these acts of hate and terror were carried out. All the acts, perpetrated after the Anti-Ahmadiyya Ordinance 1984, were against the fundamentals of the constitution. The post-1984 era was marked an increasingly difficult period for Ahmadis. The report urged the government to consider Ahmadiyya-specific laws and ensure that Ahmadis in Pakistan were given equal rights as any other citizen. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Ahmadis are facing legal, social, cultural and political discrimination because of these laws which are against the very base of our society where equal rights of individual are prime,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ it added.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-There have been 210 deaths after the imposition of these discriminatory laws in 1984, 254 assassination attempts on various Ahmadis, 23 Ahmadi places of worship were demolished and 28 were sealed by the administration, 16 places of worship were forcefully taken over, 29 graves of Ahmadis were opened and desecrated and 57 Ahmadis were refused burial in common graveyards,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the report read further.

The report also read during 2011 Ahmadis were not allowed to build places of worship anywhere in Pakistan. At many places, police forcefully stopped the construction of places of worship. As a matter of fact, according to the constitution every citizen was free to practice his or her faith and build places of worship. Just because of prejudice, Ahmadi businesses were targeted and Ahmadi officials were being victimised. According to the report, in 2011 as well, Ahmadis were not allowed to hold any convention in Rabwah, where 95 percent people belonged to Ahmadiyya community. The report called moderate and conscious circles to urge the government of Pakistan to take measures to curtail the prejudice on the basis of faith.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 in a small town Qadian, in Punjab, India.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Its founder, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) claimed to be the Promised Reformer of the age.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  AhmadiyyatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  stands for the brotherhood of mankind and tries to establish peace on earth through love, persuasion and tolerance.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is a spiritual organization and has no political agenda. It has membership of 220 million spreading in 200 countries including Sri Lanka. This is the only Islamic sect spiritually governed by the system of Khilafath. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is currently led by the Fifth Khalifa of its Founder, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad who resides in South West London.