Threats and arrests for Pakistani Ahmadis on the eve of Eid

Police forces are forcing worshippers to sign (illegal) statements pledging not to perform rituals, even in private homes. Local sources report people being detained or abused. Recently, a respected doctor, Sheikh Mahmood, was killed in Sargodha because he was Ahmadi. Activist groups and NGOs appeal to the government to protect religious rights and freedoms.

Lahore (AsiaNews) - With the approach of Eid-ul-Adha - the ‘feast of sacrifice’, celebrated at the end of the Hajj, the major pilgrimage to Mecca - incidents of harassment, arrests and abuse against the Ahmadi Muslim minority in Pakistan are repeating themselves again this year. Persecution and violations of human rights and religious freedom are being carried out by the police themselves, who are arresting worshippers and forcing them to sign illegal statements promising not to perform qurbani (ritual sacrifice of an animal) even in their homes. Local sources report that Ahmadi groups have been forced to sign several statements in various districts of Punjab and parts of Sindh.

Ahmadis (about 2% of the Pakistani population) are a religious movement inspired by Islam that emerged in the late 19th century. Their founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, believed himself to be a prophet who appeared after Muhammad, which is why Sunnis consider them heretics. They are the most persecuted community in the country. According to a 2018 report, between 1984 and 2017, 260 worshippers were killed, 27 religious sites were demolished, another 33 were closed, 22 were set on fire or damaged, and 17 were occupied by force.

Analysing the latest incidents in recent days, activists and human rights groups speak of a “blatant violation of religious freedom”, because there is no legal or judicial basis for forcing members of the minority to submit such writings. These acts are not only “discriminatory” but also “unconstitutional and inhumane” in the face of a community that is being punished simply “for peacefully practising their faith”. Every year, the authorities take these illegal actions to deprive Pakistani Ahmadis, who are patriotic and peace-loving by nature, of their rights, just to appease extremist groups, and this is ‘unacceptable.’ For this reason, pro-rights movements are appealing to the government to act ‘immediately’ to stop this illegal practice.

The persecution of the Ahmadi community is certainly not new, as it has long been subjected to violence of all kinds in Pakistan. Last month, a renowned Ahmadi gastroenterologist, Sheikh Mahmood, was killed in Sargodha because of his faith. He was more than a doctor, above all because of the humanitarian spirit with which he carried out his profession and put himself at the service of the sick, treating and helping them personally.

All this despite pressure from anti-Ahmadi movements, which had threatened him and ordered him to leave his job. The 58-year-old doctor always refused to give in, continuing his work and paying with his life. Furthermore, in the last week of May, unknown assailants - believed to be linked to fundamentalist Muslim groups - set fire to an empty cold storage room in a hospital in Shakargarh, a town in the district of Narowal. The motive behind the attack was that the body of an Ahmadi woman had previously been kept there.

Aamir Mahmood, spokesman for the Ahmadi community, told AsiaNews: "This is a completely illegal act that violates Article 25 of the Constitution. Such incidents foment hatred against Ahmadis and constitute a threat to their freedom of religion or belief. The government and law enforcement agencies should immediately take note of these threats and ensure the protection of the community so that it can practise its religion without fear.‘ ’Last year, during Eid-ul-Adha, members of the Ahmadi community were arrested in several cities and complaints were filed against them for performing sacrifices during Eid," he recalls.

Amelia Gill, a pro-rights activist of Pakistani origin currently in the United Kingdom, told AsiaNews: "This massive hatred will ultimately backfire on those who are fuelling hatred in society. Even the instigators of hatred will face the consequences, because hatred will return to them and this fire will burn their own homes. Hate, distorted religious education and behaviour,‘ she concluded, ’kill a society's critical faculties and render its citizens incapable of thinking and looking at things in an innovative or critical way. Basic education, training and a good environment must be liberal and a source of appreciation, not restricted and faith-based. This is how a society can produce truly free individuals and a peaceful society."