by A. Abdul Aziz

U.K. based International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) has reported that a wave of bigotry against Ahmadis has intensified since the start of 2023. 

 Wave of attacks on Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosques has taken place in the first week of August 2023, as the situation is becoming worst day by day for the already marginalized Ahmadis in Pakistan. 

The assailants desecrated the minarets of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosque in Chak 168 Murad, Bahawalnagar.  On August 8, in EB 373, Thana Sheikh Faazal, Tehsil Burewala, Distt Vihari, the police broke the minaret of the 53-year-old Mosque

This marks the 14th such attack on an Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosque since the start of the year with attacks taking place in Sindh and Punjab. 

The police and government institutions are all acting as a party against the Ahmadis and instead of providing safeguards to Ahmadi places of worship, they are themselves caring out the vandalism of these holy sites, at the behest of extremist and bigoted religious clerics. 

It is extremely shocking that in Pakistan, there has been such a sharp increase in attacks against people of the Ahmadiyya community and also incidents of damage to their property, especially Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosques and graveyards. 

The places of worship of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community are under constant attack by miscreants, put to mischief by their extremist clerics, who have no fear of the law as they are confident no action will be taken against them. 

In the line of atrocities, on 5th Aug 2023, the arch of the Ahmadiyya place of worship was broken with hammers at noon in Mali Para area of Sanghar city. Sad scenes of this event quickly started circulating on social media.

None of the accused in any of the incidents have been brought to justice which gives rise to more atrocities to be committed which will again go unpunished.  Authorities continue to stand by and even be complicit in atrocities committed by radical clerics in Pakistan.

In Pakistan, there has been a sharp increase in attacks against people of the Ahmadiyya community and also incidents of damage to their property, especially Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosques and graveyards. 

Human rights groups have repeatedly expressed their deep concern over the lack of attention to the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Ahmadiyya community and called on the international community to step up efforts in bringing an end to the ongoing persecution of Ahmadis. 

It is repeatedly urged 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.