Killing Faith with a gun.
June 3, 2010
In the wake of the genocide inflicted upon Ahmadis in Lahore on May 28, a friend commented on my blog “these fanatics have taken up arms against everybody. Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Shia and even all Sunnis who dare say a word against them. For these people anybody not subscribing to their warped ideology is a non-Muslim and liable to be killed.”
This is a valid argument that surfaced in numerous articles written by celebrated journalists across Pakistan. The brutal attacks on two Ahmadi mosques left 92 dead and 150 injured. Within 24 hours, the same attackers brought their wrath on innocent people admitted in the Intensive Care (ICU) and Critical Care Units (CCU) in Jinnah Hospital who had sustained injuries in the mosques. Several policemen, a women and a child died in the brazen and cruel attack. Their deaths reek of a disregard for human life; they reek of a disintegrating culture of morals, they reek of the failure of a nation who is unable to ensure its citizens the safety of their life.
There is no denying that violence and atrocities on any religious fraction question logic and rationality. By focusing my arguments on Ahmadis particularly, I am in no way implying that the lives of other religious fractions mean less. I am simply saying that Ahmadis face a different predicament.
Pakistan has become a breeding ground for religious intolerance. It is shameful that religious intolerance is now the hallmark of a nation that was founded on the basis of freedom of religion. The Gojra incident and the the suside attack on the Ashura procession are incidents that reek of a disregard for human life; they reek of a disintegrating culture of morals, they reek of the failure of a nation who is unable to ensure its citizens the safety of their life
One cannot deny the fact that religious extremists have a regard for the sanctity of life or the teachings of Islam or that state funded madrassahs preach human barbarianism by brainwashing teenage boys to kill in the name of God. The Ahmadiyya predicament however is different. The targeting of minorities and other religious fractions in Pakistan has seen a recent acceleration in violence but atrocities on Ahmadis haven been steady throughout the history of Pakistan in 1953, 1974, and the 1980s.The rise in fanaticism is a recent one, but the laws that discriminate against Ahmadis have been part of the Constitution for almost three decades now.
Currently the Pakistani Constitution houses several articles that are targeted specifically towards discriminating Ahmadis. Article 298B and 298C state that any Ahmadi who “directly or indirectly poses himself as a Muslim, or refers to his faith as Islam, or propagates his faith by words either written or spoken, or by visible representations, or in any manner whatsoever outrages the religious feelings of Muslims shall be punished with imprisonment for upto 3 years. The laws extend to barring Ahmadis from saying Assalam-o-Alikum (peace be on you) or calling their places of worship masjid (mosque) .NO OTHER MINORITY IN THE WORLD is subject to such discriminatory laws.
The next day after these attacks, two Ahmadis were stabbed to death. The father died on the spot and the son was transported to a hospital in a serious condition. Drive down the Mall Road (right in front of the Punjab state assembley offices) in Lahore today and you will see banners inciting hatred against the Ahmadi community and urging the killing of Ahmadis. Extremist religious organizations convene conferences on the topic of Ahmadiyya persecution and their status as non Muslims. Religious leaders routinely announce on broadcast television that the killing of an Ahmadi is indeed a pious attack. The passport and the NIC (national identity card) demand mandatory signatures affirming “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiyani to be an imposter nabi and also consider his followers whether belonging to Lahori Party or Ahmadi or Qadiyani group, to be non Muslim.” Subjugating the Ahmadiyya community to a singular and unique discrimination that no other community faces in Pakistan.
These blatant signs of hatred are witnessed by the people, bureaucracy and the judiciary on a daily basis. Media and politicians refuse to take a stand on the issue because if anyone even dares to highlight some of these atrocities and injustices, they are labeled as “Ahmadis” and that is the worst label you can get in Pakistan. Even if a public figure is sympathetic to the Ahmadiyya cause, their opponents create mischief or harm to him or her, they start labeling the person an “Ahmadi”. Many public figures have had to publicly and categorically deny that they are Ahmadis, because it has been drilled into the Pakistani psyche that Ahmadis are disloyal to their country and have a hidden agenda in whatever they do. Is any other minority in Pakistan subjugated to this level of discrimination?
In the face of fierce and repeated state sanctioned persecution, the Ahmadiyya community has always maintained a peaceful stance. The community refuses to demand anything from the Government or any person in the government because they have said time and time again that they have never put trust in people but they rely on God alone to help them get through these any difficult challenge. This does not mean the government is absolved of any responsibility to protect them.
Its easy to point a gun and shoot, if only faith could die an involuntary death.
Why America should care about the Lahore attacks.
May 31, 2010
On Friday 28th May several thousand peace loving Ahmadi Muslims belonging to a minority Muslim sect were offering their Friday prayers in Lahore. As they listened to the sermon, several armed gunmen entered two Ahmadi mosques and brutally attacked the worshipers. The brazen and coordinated attacks on two Ahmadi mosques left 93 dead and several hundred injured.
The terrorists opened indiscriminate fire and threw hand grenades; leaving dead bodies strewn across the mosque floor. Blood sprayed against the white walls and the floor riddled with bullets, shards of glass and broken limbs. Automatic rifles spared no children or elderly in the blood bath that ensued. Even a young child offering water to his dad wasn’t spared and was shot at point blank range. For nearly four hours the wounded were inside the mosque, as police gathered the courage to go inside. Most of the victims bled to death because they were trapped inside the mosque for hours while these barbarians continued on their killing spree. Others died on the way to the hospital and several died soon after they reached.
These attacks were not any random act of terrorism – this is a systematic plan to rid Pakistan of any progressive and intellectual Islamic thought. Ahmadis represent an enlightened streak of Islam that believes in peace and kindness. The organization that took responsibility for the attack had this message for Ahmadis “This is a final warning to the [Ahmadis],” said the chilling message, “Leave Pakistan or prepare for death at the hands of Muhammad’s devotees.” Pakistan has falsely been assuring America that it is an alley in fighting the War on Terror. Pakistan has received several million dollars in aid to track down Taliban operations and to eliminate extremist/ fundamentalist operations. Most of this money has been siphoned off to the generals and to appease political opponents and bribe officials.
Ahmadis have faced persecution since half a century. Ask any Ahmadi and they have lost a loved one in the 1953 riots against the community. In 1974 several hundred people were brutally tortured and killed just because they belonged to the Ahmadiyya community. In 1984 the government passed laws that stated that Ahmadis could go to jail for calling themselves Muslims or even saying Asslam O Alaikum (peace be on you).
A year ago, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had warned the government of threats facing the Ahmadiyya community, but the government failed to take adequate measures to secure the lives of Ahmadis. It was shocking to see the media reach there before the law enforcement agencies and see live coverage of gunmen firing from the minaret and hearing the blasts from inside the mosques while the police deliberated on future course of action.
Religious scholars routinely issue ‘fatwas’ against Ahmadis and often encourage their murder, citing heaven as a reward for the murder of an Ahmadi. People of the Ahmadiyya community are still being blatantly killed, kidnapped and tortured. Ahmadis have yet to receive fundamental rights of freedom. The attacks shed light on Pakistan’s retarded version of Islam that preaches hate and violence against its citizens. Ahmadiyya motto is “Love For All Hatred For None” and Ahmadis continue to practice it even after these horrific attacks. The peace loving Ahmadis have never retaliated with violence and do not plan to do so. If Pakistan continues to fail in protecting its progressive and enlightened population basic human rights and freedom of religion to its citizens, these terrorists will leave a trail of blood and bullets for Pakistan’s coming generations.
As millions of Ahmadis across the world watched for a sign from Pakistan’s rulers to condemn the attacks, they turned away in disappointment as the heads of state failed to acknowledge the death of Pakistani citizens, just because they were Ahmadis. Even the US embassy issued a generic message categorizing it a random act of terrorism not acknowledging the exclusive targeting of the Ahmadiyya community.
These attacks are a cause of concern for America, particularly because if such attacks continue, America cannot hope for Pakistan to serve as a loyal alley in driving out religious extremism. If America hopes to eliminate religious extremism from Pakistan, this is the time to wake up and acknowledge the atrocities on progressive Islamic thought within Pakistan.
If today, world leaders fail to acknowledge these attacks and demand a repeal of the anti Ahmadi laws, they should be prepared to deal with conservative milieu of religious fundamentalists and corrupt law makers whose version of Islam involves violence and intolerance. For America particularly, these attacks are a wake up call, if it hopes to wipe Pakistan of religious extremism, decisive measures need to be taken now or Pakistani fundamentalists will raise the levels of blood, slaughter and violence to a dizzying height.
I am an Ahmadi. Since I was a little girl I walked into the mosques you plundered yesterday. Holding my father’s finger in one hand and fixing my dupptta with the other, the six year old me sat and listened to the ‘khutba’/Friday sermon in the halls you covered with the blood of my brothers, uncles and family friends yesterday.
I grew up hearing of the atrocities you laid on my ancestors during 1953, 1974, and then in the 1980s, how you tortured sons in front of their mothers, how you dragged husbands on stoned roads while their wives watched and sobbed from within the house, how you raped sisters in front of their brothers. For me these were stories of a history, tales of gallantry and heroism, of conviction and strong faith, tales of a time that had no effect on me. But today these stories are no longer history, they resonate a past that characterizes Pakistan’s flawed human rights.
Various religious fractions have perpetrated violence against us, the most recent being Amir Liaqat who publicly claimed on 8th September 2008 on Aalim Online that Ahmadis are “Wajib-ul- Katal” this led to several killings of Ahmadis in the preceding days. A few months back, the Khatm-e-Nubuwat Conference that was held in Lahore, was an event that gathered all mullah’s from various parts of the country to spread hate against Ahmadis. My father’s car was stoned as he drove through the Mall road because some crazy bearded Mullah recognized his goatee as a trademark Ahmadi.
As outside threats grew, security became tighter. I remember passing through the long corridors through countless Ahmadi boys who had volunteered to “protect” us women, children and elderly, while we prayed, they laid down their lives in jeopardy, standing in the scorching heat of Lahore. The last few months were tough for me as an Ahmadi woman, as we were told to refrain from praying in the mosque due to security concerns. My last Eid-ul-Azha in Pakistan is one I can never forget. It was the first Eid, I didn’t say my Eid prayers because the mosques were high security zones, because there were terrorist threats. It is the only Eid prayer I have missed in more than two decades.
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the only country in the world that legitimizes legal persecution of Ahmadis. For more than two decades I have been inside Dar-uz-Zikar (Garhi Shao) and Bait-ul-Noor (Model Town) every Friday. Dar-uz-Zikr literally means the house of Allah’s remembrance and Bait-ul- Noor means the house of Eternal Light. The innocent Ahmadis whom you attacked were in the house of God. In the halls you plundered, I have said my Eid prayers and bowed my head on the straw mats that are now covered with bodies, bullets and blood. The minarets you climbed and fired from, resonated of Allah’s words, the Imam whose body you pierced with bullets taught me to love Allah, to shun evil and to be compassionate in the face of extreme hatred. The same Imam taught me to “Love For All, Hatred For None”- an Ahmadi motto we are taught from childhood. But you killed him.
Many of my cousins, my kin and blood relatives were present in the mosques. While some managed to escape, others got wounded and more than a hundred lost their lives. A particular mention is that of Dr. Asghar. A kind hearted, god fearing soul who had dropped his son for an exam and never went back to get him. He was like a younger brother to my father. My father lost his only brother in the 1971 war, who laid down his life while protecting this country – yesterday, you took the man he called brother.
By tomorrow hundreds of Ahmadi households will reek with new stories of martyrdom, of courage and heroism. These stories of men of faith, men who believed in God and His Messenger will give strength to another generation of Ahmadis. This is no longer history.
I am proud to be an Ahmadi, from our birth we our taught to be brave, and god fearing. An Ahmadi is instilled with high patriotism and strong respect for his nation. Pakistan’s only Nobel Prize winner Dr.Abdus Salaam was exiled from his country because of his religious beliefs. Chaudry Zafrullah Khan who served as the first foreign minister to Pakistan was also discriminated against his religious beliefs. These extraordinary men have respected their country even though their country refuses to acknowledge their extraordinary contributions
I was raised in a liberal environment. I got my education from private institutions, had Sunni friends but I was never taught to hate them, instead was constantly reminded of my Huqooq ul Ibad. Most of my Sunni friends have stood by me in the face of these senseless persecutions and respect my religious beliefs, as much as I respect theirs. But I am not content with respect anymore, Face book and Twitter condolences mean nothing. It’s easier to write four lines on a social networking site and say that you care. I need more from you, I need our nation’s supposed guardians to stop making hollow promises and stand up, be courageous enough to take a step towards truth and firm stance against the persecution of Ahmadis. You say it is not God who lies in my heart, but tell me does He live in your heart? You who kill His people in His home, do you think God lives in you?
