Religious freedom (or the lack thereof) in Pakistan cannot be emphasized enough. Due to the preposterous demeanor of Pakistan's self-righteous right-wing, many in the world today are aware of Pakistan's notorious blasphemy problem. Much frustration has been expressed on liberal Pakistani blogs and through international media outlets -- especially after the heartless murders of Governor Salmaan Taseer and Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti -- on the abuse of these laws. Even though nothing is expected to change anytime soon, at least the first vital step toward that goal is being taken: raising awareness.
Unlike the general blasphemy laws, however, the specific anti-Ahmadi Muslim laws of Pakistan have not found even this much of luck. They have been conveniently forced out of the discussion and few are aware of the existence and continuous abuse of these draconian laws. The silence of the liberal Pakistani blogosphere and the international media in this regard is baffling.
So who are the Ahmadi Muslims and what are these laws?
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), who claimed to be the long-awaited messiah. Ahmad single-handedly waged a struggle to bring about a renaissance of Islam. He declared that in this age the doctrine of violent jihad was against the teachings of Islam, a declaration met with edicts of heresy. Ahmad urged Muslims to emulate Prophet Muhammad's example. Accordingly, Ahmadi Muslims champion a complete separation of mosque and state, promote universal human rights and interfaith dialogue and practice nonviolence and non-retaliation amid brutal persecution in parts of the world. There are more than 600,000 Ahmadi Muslims living in Pakistan with tens of millions in 200 countries.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA -- the oldest Islamic-American organization -- has helped foster the Islamic ideals of peace and loyalty to nation through its Muslims for Peace and Muslims for Loyalty campaigns, respectively. It recently launched the nationwide Muslims for Life blood drive campaign to commemorate 9/11 and demonstrate Islam's emphasis on sanctity of life. The Community's charity organization, Humanity First, has been at the forefront of disaster relief both nationally and worldwide. Help, for instance, continues to be dispensed to the victims of Hurricane Katrina to date. Ahmadi Muslims have a central leadership, the Khalifa.
It is not surprising, therefore, that Muslim clerics perceived the rapid spread of the Community in its early days as a threat. Having failed to defeat them through reason and discourse, they took to sticks and stones -- literally.
After the formation of Pakistan, anti-Ahmadi Muslim groups organized to conspire and instigate massive nationwide riots. Friday sermons became an opportunity to spew venom against the Ahmadi Muslims. They were declared "apostates" and "worthy of being killed." Extremist right-wing influence ushered in violent street protests. The State succumbed to their pressure tactics and declared the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to be non-Muslim in 1974. In April of 1984, Pakistani President Zia-ul-Haq issued Ordinance XX. Zia was a military dictator who had taken over the country after a coup d'état in 1977. To legitimize his autocracy, he assumed de facto leadership of Pakistan's extremist cause. Because the hatred and violence had failed to halt the progress of the Ahmadi Muslims, he decided to use force.
Under the new laws, Ahmadi Muslims were arrested for using Islamic terminology. For example, saying the Salaam (greeting of peace) meant imprisonment. Thousands of Ahmadi Muslims filled jails across the country. On one side of prison sat rapists and murderers and on the other sat those who invoked peace on a passerby. The right-wing went on to demand the death penalty. Zia conceded and introduced the death penalty for propagation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and distribution of Ahmadi Muslim literature.
These barbaric anti-Ahmadi Muslim laws exist to date. Hundreds of Ahmadi Muslims remain behind bars in Pakistan -- and hundreds have been killed.
These vicious laws are a threat to international religious freedom. They continue to embolden religious extremists in other countries like Bangladesh and Indonesia where similar demands to outlaw the peaceful Ahmadi Muslims have been put before the governments. In the case of the latter, these demands have been accepted in part, setting in a fresh wave of violence (caution: graphic). Because the hatred against the Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan was promoted and not checked by the State, it continues to be exported as far out as the U.K.
Pakistani and International media make no mention of this dangerous state-sanctioned violation of religious freedom and basic human rights. Despite the fact that Pakistan's anti-Ahmadi Muslim laws are a blatant breach of the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there has been no outcry from the United Nations either.
United States' foreign policy recognizes religious freedom worldwide as one of its goals. While the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims gained momentum under Zia, the United States -- a close ally -- was busy funding his government and supporting the Afghan revolution. The plight of the Ahmadi Muslims went unnoticed. Three decades later, it is very encouraging that the U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2010 on Pakistan takes serious exception to Pakistan's anti-Ahmadi Muslim laws. Much, however, needs to be done to effect a change on ground. I am hopeful that as a primary supporter of international religious freedom, the U.S. will continue to play a positive role to this end.
Meanwhile, please join me in doing the least we can do: take that first step toward change: raise awareness.
Follow Kashif N. Chaudhry on Twitter: www.twitter.com/KashifMD
IslamAhmadiyya - Ahmadiyya Muslim Community - Al Islam Online ...
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, USA
The Persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
The Persecution of Indonesia's Ahmadi Muslims - The Daily Beast
There's also conclusive evidence that Ahmadis endorse 100 lashes as punishment for premarital relationships.
Based on the above, claims of tolerance and compatibility with Western culture are rejected.
Seek below
1) There is no punishment for apostasy in Islam. The punishment is being referred to in your link was for treason/armed rebellion. I gave you the example of Al Awlaki. Why was he attacked and killed? The American was not killed because he left US soil but because he took up armed rebellion against it. Similar is the case with Islam. The Quran endorses freedom of choice and conscience. As such, there is NO punishment for apostasy. The reason why most apostates were left alone and a handful were taken down by the Islamic State in Medina was their armed rebellion and treason against the State. Read this piece on apostasy and Islam by the former President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association USA http://www.huffingtonpost.com/faheem-younus/wait-dont-kill-the-aposta_b_989852.html
Question for you? Does our government endorse death for Americans who leave the US? Or was Al Awlaki's case special. I expect an answer this time.
Ahmadi Islamic group endorses:
1. 3.Cutting of hands for theft.
Proof. Verbatim quote:
"there can be no better punishment than the one imposed by Islam,
that is, the punishment of cutting the hands." Iftikhar Ahmad Ayaz
http://www.alislam.org/library/articles/Philosophy-of-Punishment-in-Islam.pdf
2.Death penalty for some case of apostasy;
Proof.
Quote:"The execution of an apostate is permissible only when it is designed to restrain the apostate from continuing his aggression..."
“aggression is then defined as "rebellion, treason or grave disorderliness, "
This clearly establishes a class of apostates liable for death penalty.
3..100 lashes fro premarital relationship.
Proof:
"Adultery, prohibition includes dating, secret paramours and experimental living together. As these are regarded as heavy sins, they carry severe penalties. (See Holy Qur'an, 24:3-4).
http://www.alislam.org/books/pathwaytoparadise/LAJ-chp3.htm
Qur'an, 24:3-4 “The fornicatress and the fornicator, then flog each one of them with hundred lashes.”
http://corpus.quran.com/wordbyword.jsp?chapter=24&verse=2
I only used authoritative website on Ahmadi branch of Islam.
A religious branch which uses such punishments forfeits the right of being describes as progressive or liberal. Sorry, but this is an unavoidable conclusion for a Western secularist like myself.
Political and military weakness provides no justification for intolerance.
No one but a religious fundamentalist can devise such a statement.
As I stated previously. the sectarian conflict between these two arch-conservative Islamic groups can only produce a winner who will then immediately oppress the loser based on allegedly superior understanding of the Koran.
Regardless of who will come out on top this will be the result.
We should stay away from these conflicts as far as possible.
http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2011/09/exposing-dr-tahir-ul-qadri-rest-of.html
His arguments led directly to the criminalising of Ahmadiyya belief, the imposition of the death sentence for blasphemy, and the reintroduction of stoning to death as a punishment.
Qadri is feted by Western liberal governments for his proclamations, most notably his widely publicised fatwa against terrorism. In his native Pakistan, however, he showed a very different face.
"and most Muslims I know or know of, don't have a problem with freedom of religion."
- Well Doug there is one certain Pakistani who did the Ahmadi great damage and hurt. You know him very well and he is one of your heroes. He is Shiek AlIslam Tahirul Qardri.
http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2011/06/concept-of-jihad-allama-tahirul-qardri.html
Allama Qadri, known to be an extremely vocal opponent of the Ahmadi Muslims and the founder of their community in the past, appears to have squarely surprised many in promoting Ahmadiyya concept of Jihad.
The famous, on again - off again Pakistani maulana, Allama Tahirul Qardri has adopted the point of view put forth by Hazrat Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad of Qādiān, India, over 120 years ago
http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2011/06/concept-of-jihad-allama-tahirul-qardri.html
Allama Qadri is no stranger to the Ahmadiyya community because of his past use of vulgar language about the community and its founder.
Qasin Rashid, while highlighting the duplicity in Allama Qadri’s claim, wrote:
“Mullah ul Qadri believes the punishment for apostasy in Islam is death. Aside from the fact that this is not true, Mullah ul Qadri insists that a peaceful Islam can co-exist with an Islam that kills those who choose to accept a different faith. He is a prime example of a walking contradiction.”
This is factually incorrect.
According to authoritative Ahmadi website the punishment for adultery is 100 lashes without any stipulation that said "severe" punishment is applied in Muslim countries only. It is applied to all Muslims, anywhere in the world without reservation.
http://www.alislam.org/books/pathwaytoparadise/LAJ-chp3.htm
Listen to this answer by the 4th Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Tahir Ahmad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kMTlFbVIx0
The punishment can ONLY apply to a Muslim and ONLY in a perfect Islamic society, which is explained in the video. Almost all of the few people who were punished in the time of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) were those who voluntarily came forward and confessed their sin. Even then, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) tried not to punish them.
In today's world, these punishments cannot be implemented. Why? Read this - http://www.alislam.org/books/shariah/
Dr. Jaafar Sheikh Idris
http://islamworld.net/resources/cache/549
Secularism cannot be a solution for countries with a Muslim majority, for it requires people to replace their God-given beliefs with an entirely different set of man-made beliefs. Separation of religion and state is not an option for Muslims because is requires us to abandon God's decree for that of a man.
"Islam demands strict separation of mosque and state."
- Islam and the state in my knowledge and from living many years in muslim countries, is one.
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/intro_islam.htm
F. State and Religion:
Muslims believe that Islam is a total and a complete way of life. It encompasses all aspect of life. As such, the teachings of Islam do not separate religion from politics. As a matter of fact, state and religion are under the obedience of Allah through the teachings of Islam. Hence, economic and social transactions, as we educational and political systems are also of the teachings of Islam.
AIFD
http://www.aifdemocracy.org/news.php?id=6619
Events like this demonstrate that American Muslims need to be open about the need to separate mosque and state and to defeat the insidious supremacist ideology of shariah in government and Islamism in general.
You might find this piece from the Washington Post interesting. http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/10/demystifying_shariah.html
"Religion should not be the business of the state. As Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has a clear vision that religion should not legislate in the domain of man's relation to God. Islam offers guiding principles in matters of man's relation to man. These principles can easily be translated into secular laws based on justice, tolerance and love for mankind.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the oldest Muslim organization in North America, has consistently advocated the principles of non-coercion, absolute justice and separation of mosque and state. Its motto is: "Love for all hatred for none." For the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, there can never be any contradiction between being observant Muslims and being loyal, law-abiding citizens."
provides zero proof of separation between mosque and state.
This statement is devised to protect Muslim practice in U.S. when said practices contradict U.S. law.
A far better case for separation will be made when Ahmadi Muslims reverse polarity to state "Politics should not be the business of religion."
This is a serious breach of the concept of separation of mosque and state. No person who utters such a statement can be taken seriously on this subject.
I do not think it has to do with the doctrine at all. These extremsist have shown their hatred to anyone (whether Sunni, Shia, Sufi, etc) who do not represent their idelaogy, and I suspect many Pakistani majority who are already powerless stay out due to fear of murder or death...Pakistan has taken a seriously ugly turn in the past couple of years and its seems to be getting worse and worse...its a very frightening trend
Anyone interested to learn more about ahmadi Muslims please log on to www. Alislam.org
Regardless of which one comes on top.
Please answer three simple questions, if you will:
1. Do you reject Islamic stipulations for punishing apostates, adulterers?
2. Are able to admit numerous cosmological and scientific errors in Koran?
3. Are you willing to accept other religious minorities, including Buddhists, building houses of worship in Mecca?
thank you.
And I agree:
Given the freedom to do so, followers of oppressive philosophies will always oppress.
Jinnah, one of Pakistan's founders, envisioned a secular state there, and most Muslims I know or know of, don't have a problem with freedom of religion.
And so, hopefully Pakistan can, and will, change its laws to create a more equitable environment for everyone living there --- especially since the sub-continent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) is know for its tolerance, historically.
Fanaticism and intolerance didn't come to Pakistan in a big way until U.S.-funded Wahhabis were imported from Saudi Arabia to fight the Soviets, back in the 1980s.
Extremism and intolerance are fairly recent innovations, in Pakistan, and are still in the significant minority -- just (unfortunately) a loud and violent minority.
This statement is contradicted by facts.
According to numerous international studies majority of Pakistani population subscribe to intolerant and arch-fundamentalist views.
Proof1-- "many Pakistanis endorse extreme views about law, religion and society. More than eight-in-ten support segregating men and women in the workplace, stoning adulterers and whipping and cutting off the hands of thieves. Roughly three-in-four endorse the death penalty for those who leave Islam."
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1683/pakistan-opinion-less-concern-extremists-america-image-poor-india-threat-support-harsh-laws
"a group of 500 Muslim clerics, meanwhile, praised assassin of [Christian governor, Taseer], 26-year-old Mumtaz Qadri, and warned people against mourning Taseer. In Islamabad, lawyers tossed rose petals on Qadri as he was produced in a court"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/04/AR2011010400955.html
"Qadri's act.... is symptomatic of deeper intolerance.
"It is significant in the sense that it clearly shows that religious extremism has seeped deep into the state apparatus...," Rizvi told Al Jazeera.
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/01/2011141762235392.html
Care to revise your statement to reflect realty?
1. Separation of religion and state. Is the Ahmadi definition of separation the same one currently used in America?
2. Freedom of speech—including the right to criticize, make fun of and show disrespect for Islam, the Koran and Mohammed.
3. Freedom of conscience—the complete freedom of Muslims to join, leave or ignore any religion.
4. Equal rights for women—including the right for a single woman to choose her husband and freedom from physical punishment by the husband.
5. Equal rights for gays.
6. Equality of all before the law—including non Muslim religious groups.
7. Children’s rights—no marriage of underage children.
8. Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment—hudud penalties.
Thank you for asking those very important questions.
1. Separation of religion and state. Is the Ahmadi definition of separation the same one currently used in America?
Yes, Ahmadi Muslims, like the Prophet Muhammad, believe in separation of mosque and state. Here's a great piece on it: http://www.alislam.org/books/shariah/
2. Freedom of speech—including the right to criticize, make fun of and show disrespect for Islam, the Koran and Mohammed.
The Qur'an champions freedom of speech. The Qur'an forbids Muslims, however, from mocking the religious or honored personalities of other faiths. The Qur'an is clear, however, that those who mock Islam should be left alone and ignored, not punished. (25:63) (4:140)
3. Freedom of conscience—the complete freedom of Muslims to join, leave or ignore any religion.
The Qur'an guarantees absolute freedom of conscience and religion. 2:256
4. Equal rights for women—including the right for a single woman to choose her husband and freedom from physical punishment by the husband.
The Qur'an is first religious scripture to guarantee women the right to choose whom they marry, divorce, own property, inherit, lead a business, etc. Contrary to misguided interpretations of 4:34, the Qur'an forbids beating women, as per the example of Prophet Muhammad who also forbade beating women.
5. Equal rights for gays.
Islam, like Christianity and Judaism, views any sexual act outside marriage (between a man and woman) as a moral sin. In secular matters, however (employment, housing, education, etc) Islam does not discriminate.