L’infame
By Justice Markandey Katju
The eminent and highly respected Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi has bravely spoken out against the recent spree of attacks on Ahmadiya places of worship in many towns and villages in Pakistan. But most Pakistani politicians, intellectuals, journalists and others are silent about this crying infamy ( for fear of themselves being attacked by religious extremists ).
There are only about 4 million Ahmadiyas in the approximately 220 million people in Pakistan i.e. about 2% of the population. They are a peace-loving community, whose motto is ”Love for all, hatred for none”.
Yet they have been barbarically treated for decades in Pakistan, being regularly attacked and killed, insulted, humiliated, and their places of worship vandalised.
In recent weeks attacks on Ahmadiyas and their places of worship have intensified, and these are happening in many places in Pakistan, openly in broad daylight, and in the full public gaze, with the police turning a Nelson’s eye at such outrages, and the government doing nothing to bring the culprits to book.
On 11h January 2023 in Burkina Faso 9 Ahmadis were brutally murdered when their mosque was attacked by bigots
Many more such examples can be given.
What is the fault of the Ahmadis for which they are being hounded and attacked, like Jews in Nazi Germany?
It is alleged that they do not regard Prophet Mohammad as the last Prophet. Although Ahmadiyas deny this ( they believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, in whom they have faith, was a messiah, not a Prophet ), assuming that they do believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a Prophet, are they cutting off anyone’s head? Are they chopping off anyone’s limbs? They are a peaceful, tiny community, who do harm to no one. Let them believe what they want.
In his first Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11th August 1947, Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan said ” You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan ”.
For Ahmadis ( as well as for several other minorities in Pakistan ) these words are hollow, empty shells, and have become a cruel mockery and a burlesque.