Persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan

 Ahmadis, also known as Qadianis in Pakistan, are members of the Ahmadiyya Community, a branch of Islam that emerged within the Sunni tradition of Islam. The Ahmadiyya movement originated in the city of Qadian, and its adherents believe in all of the five pillars and all of the articles of faith required of Muslims

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.However, Ahmadis are considered non-Muslims by many mainstream Muslims since they consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the movement, to be the promised Mahdi and Messiah awaited by the Muslims

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. Pakistan is home to the largest population of Ahmadis in the world, with estimates ranging from 0.22% to 2.2% of Pakistan's population

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.Ahmadis in Pakistan have often come under religious persecution and discrimination. The Second Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, Ordinance XX, and the Twelfth Amendment of AJ&K declare Ahmadis to be non-Muslims and further deprive them of religious rights

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. Ahmadis have faced violence and attacks on their properties, and their places of worship have been shut down or desecrated by hard-line Islamists with the support of the state

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. Hundreds of Ahmadis were killed in the 1953 Lahore riots and the 1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots

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.Ahmadis are an easy target in Pakistan, and all you need to lynch them or torch their houses and places of worship is an allegation of blasphemy

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. Ahmadis face legal barriers in obtaining government identification and travel documents, and Pakistani law requires citizens to declare their religion when applying for a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) or passport

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. To register as voters, Ahmadis must either renounce their faith or agree to be placed in a separate electoral list and accept their status as non-Muslims

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.The Pakistani government has excluded the long-persecuted Ahmadiyya community from a new government commission aimed at safeguarding the rights of the country’s minorities

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. Ahmadis have been excluded from the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), an interfaith body aimed at increasing religious tolerance and addressing issues of persecution in the country of 220 million people

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. Ahmadis are among the most persecuted communities in Pakistan, and to exclude them from a minority rights commission is absurd

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.Ahmadiyya Muslims face persecution and discrimination in a range of Muslim-majority countries, including Algeria, Pakistan, and Malaysia

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. Ahmadis have been categorized as a non-Muslim minority in national law in 1974, and this provision is still included in the current Constitution

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. Ahmadis have long faced persecution, discrimination, and hostility in a range of ways

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.In conclusion, Ahmadis in Pakistan face religious persecution and discrimination, and their rights are often violated. The Pakistani government has excluded them from a new government commission aimed at safeguarding the rights of the country’s minorities, which is a worrying trend of growing state persecution of members of this community.

Citations:

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmadiyya_in_Pakistan

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Ahmadis

[3] https://www.dw.com/en/why-pakistan-persecutes-the-minority-ahmadi-group/a-18868784

[4] https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/08/pakistan-ahmadis-kept-minorities-commission

[5] https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2018/07/pakistan-must-repeal-discriminatory-measures-leading-persecution-ahmadis-say

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qadiani

[7] https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2021-10/2021%20Ahmadiyya%20Persecution%20Factsheet.pdf

[8] https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/29/pakistan-ensure-ahmadi-voting-rights

[9] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/5/8/hrw-slams-exclusion-of-ahmadis-from-pakistan-minority-commission

[10] https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/faq/ahmadiyya-movement-pakistan

[11] https://www.uscirf.gov/publication/ahmadiyya-persecution-factsheet

[12] https://www.humanrightspulse.com/mastercontentblog/state-legislated-persecution-ahmadiyya-in-pakistan

[13] https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/surviving-ahmadi-pakistan

[14] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/26/ahmadi-persecution-pakistan-blasphemy-islam

[15] https://www.refworld.org/docid/510f9ef32.html

[16] https://peaceforasia.org/state-legislated-persecution-the-history-of-the-ahmadiyya-in-pakistan/

[17] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2021/02/pakistan-persecution-of-ahmadis-must-end-as-authorities-attempt-shutdown-of-us-website/

[18] https://theconversation.com/who-are-pakistans-ahmadis-and-why-havent-they-voted-in-30-years-100797

[19] https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/07/international-community-must-pay-attention-persecution-ahmadi-muslims

[20] https://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/bangladesh0605/3.htm

[21] https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/11/26/pakistan-surge-targeted-killings-ahmadis

[22] https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/06/01/pakistan-massacre-minority-ahmadis

[23] https://inkstickmedia.com/the-perils-of-being-ahmadi-in-pakistan/