Pakistan: Researched and compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland on 6 March 2009
Information on the Ahmedi/Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan
Information on Ahmadi / Ahmadiyya activities, objectives, faith, ritual, leadership, membership and history.
A report by Al Islam states
“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a religious organization, international in its scope, with branches in over 193 countries in Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Australia, and Europe.” (Al Islam (Date Unknown ) -Ahmadiyya Muslim Community)
A report by the Times Online states
“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has tens of millions members in 190 countries with most followers living in the Indian subcontinent and Africa. It emerged from the Sunni tradition of Islam and remains the fastest growing denomination within the faith.” (Times Online (27th May 2008) - The Ahmadi Muslim Community)
Also
“The Ahmadi Muslims believe in all the five pillars and articles of faith required of Muslims. They differ from other Muslims mainly with respect to the status of their founder, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, as a Prophet within Islam, and their view that Jesus survived the attempted crucifixion, traveled in search of the remaining lost tribes in the East and died in India. They believe that Jesus is buried in Kashmir.” (Ibid)
A report by BBC News states
“In 1947, the community moved its religious headquarters from Qadian in India to Rabwah in Pakistan.
Then in 1953, orthodox Muslim groups in Pakistan came together to form what they called the "anti-Qadiani movement".” (BBC News (7th October 2005) - Rare attack on Pakistan Ahmadis)
Also
“In 1984, Pakistan's longest serving military dictator, Gen Zia-ul-Haq, brought in a new law that barred Ahmadis from reciting the Kalima (the first proclamation of Islamic faith), from calling their places of worship mosques or from propagating their faith in "any way, directly or indirectly” (Ibid)
According to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan
“On 22nd April, 2003 at 11:40pm London Time , Sahibzada Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib’s was elected as Khalifatul Masih V (Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah). Based in London, he is the current head of the Ahmadiyya muslim movement worldwide. Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Australia is the Australian chapter of this rapidly progressing international Islamic movement” (Ahmadiyya Mulim Community (Date Unknown) – About Us)
The UK Home Office Operational Guidance Note states
“According to official figures obtained from the last census conducted in Pakistan in 1998, there were approximately 291,000 Ahmadis in Pakistan. The real figure is not known, however, as Ahmadis do not generally take part in the official census. In 2007, reports estimated that there were between 3 and 4 million Ahmadis in Pakistan. Most Ahmadis are from central Punjab but are scattered across towns and cities. There are two separate Ahmadi groups the main Qadiyani community centred on the Ahmadi spiritual town of Rabwah and the smaller Lahore Ahmadi Movement based in Lahore.” (UK Home Office (4th February 2009) - Operational Guidance Note: Pakistan)
The UK Home Office Country Report states
“Rabwah is the headquarters of the Ahmadi movement in Pakistan which is made up of 95% Ahmadis.” [20a] (p3) In a letter dated 21 October 2005, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) commented that “…very few Ahmadis are represented in public and semi public organisations in Rabwah. Approximately 54% of the voting population of Rabwah are Ahmadi, but it appears that Ahmadis do not normally vote in or contest elections for a variety of reasons” (UK Home Office (5th November 2008) – Country of Origin Report)
Treatment of members or those perceived to be members by the Pakistani Government and/or Society
A Report by Global Security states
“Although Ahmadis consider themselves to be Muslim, some Muslims in Pakistan hold the opposite view because of the Ahmadis' claim that their founder was a recipient of divine revelation and a prophet of God. This claim is believed by some Muslims to violate a basic Islamic tenet regarding the finality of the prophet Muhammad. This religious difference has been used in the past by certain Pakistani governments to justify a number of legal restrictions on the Ahmadis' practice of their faith.” (Global Security (Date Unknown) – Ahmadiyya Islam )
A report by the International Crisis Group dates 13th March 2009 states “Musharraf and currently an anchorman for a show on the private television channel, GEO TV – declared on the air that killing members of the minority Ahmadi sect was a religious duty for all devout Muslims. Within 48 hours after the broadcast two prominent Ahmadis were murdered. No action has been taken against Hussain.” (Ibid)
A report by the US Department states
“On September 7, the local anchor of a religious affairs program on Geo Television, Amir Liaquat Hussain, declared that Islamic teachings necessitated the killing of members of the Ahmadi sect and prompted two religious scholars who were guests on the program to affirm the injunction. Amir, a former minister of religious affairs in the Musharraf government, repeated the statement the next day. Within days, two local Ahmadi leaders were killed in Sindh. Two gunmen killed Dr Abdul Mannan Siddiqui, an Ahmadi doctor and local leader known for his charity work, in a Mirpurkhas hospital on September 8. The gunmen also shot an Ahmadi guard and two patients. A day later, gunmen killed another local Ahmadi leader, Seth Muhammad Yousuf, in the bazaar in Nawab Shah. The Pakistan Medical Association called for official investigations into the case, but as of year's end, the government continued to stall investigation into the deaths. Local media and human rights organizations condemned the Geo program for inciting sectarian violence” (US Department of State (25th March 2009) – Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2008)
The UK Home Office Operational Guidance Notes dated 4th February 2009 states
“However, Ahmadis are prevented by law from engaging in the full practice of their faith. A 1974 constitutional amendment declared Ahmadis to be non- Muslims because they do not accept Muhammad as the last prophet of Islam. In 1984, the Government added to the Penal Code Section 298(c), commonly referred to as the ‘anti-Ahmadi law.’ Used by the Government and anti-Ahmadi religious groups to target and harass Ahmadis, the section prohibits Ahmadis from calling themselves Muslims or posing as Muslims; from referring to their faith as Islam; from preaching or propagating their faith; from inviting others to accept the Ahmadi faith; and from insulting the religious feelings of Muslims. The punishment forviolation of the section is imprisonment for up to 3 years and a fine” (Ibid)
The US Department of State Religious Freedom Report states
“The Government, at the district level, consistently refused to grant permission to construct non-Muslim places of worship, especially to the Ahmadiyya and Baha'i communities, citing the need to maintain public order. There is no official restriction on the construction of Ahmadiyya places of worship; however, Ahmadis are forbidden from calling them mosques. District governments often refuse to grant Ahmadis permission to hold events publicly, therefore they hold their meetings in members' homes. The Government can shut down these gatherings if neighbors report hearing the recitation of Qur'anic verses” (US Department of State (19th September 2008) - 2008 Report on International Religious Freedom – Pakistan)
Information on whether members of the Ahmedi/Ahmadiyya community can move freely within Pakistan
The UK Home Office Operational Guidance Notes dated 4th February 2009 states
“Ahmadis have been banned from holding public conferences, preaching or travelling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and/or other religious pilgrimages.” (Ibid)
The UK Home Office Country of Origin Report states
“Pakistan introduced new machine-readable passports in early 2004. Unlike previous passports these did not state the holder’s religion. This attracted criticism from religious leaders who accused President Musharraf of secularising the country. Following pressure from the religious opposition, the government set up a parliamentary committee to investigate the issue. Its findings in favour of a religion column in passport were supported by the cabinet and all passports printed since March 2005 again include the holder’s religion…The practice discriminates against minorities, particularly Ahmadis. Application forms for passports (and voting papers) require the applicant to sign a declaration specifically rejecting Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiyani as a religious figure. If Ahmadis cannot obtain a passport stating their religion as Muslim, they are not permitted on the Haj, one of the tenets of their faith” (Ibid)
Also
“While an internal relocation alternative may be viable in some circumstances, particularly for low-level members of the community, relocation may only be a temporary solution given the ease with which Ahmadi affiliation can be detected. This is because Ahmadis cannot, for example, attend the same mosques as majority Muslims and cannot register as Muslims for political/official purposes. Ahmadis therefore remain somewhat visible within Muslim communities, especially within small communities. Due to the efforts of groups such as Khatme Nabuwat [Nabuwwat], a general intolerance for Ahmadis exists throughout Pakistan such that large numbers of agitators can be raised and catalysed in a short time, in any area of the country” (Ibid)
And
“Although Rabwah does provide a degree of community support to individual Ahmadis, there are reports suggesting that Rabwah is highly targeted by fundamentalist Islamic groups for anti-Ahmadi protests and other actions. So relying on the internal flight alternative as a solution for an Ahmadi facing persecution may result in a pattern of constant movement, as an individual may be forced to relocate each time his religious affiliation is discovered” (Ibid)
Please also see the Parliamentary Human Rights Group report titled Rabwah: A Place For Martyrs? – Report of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group mission to Pakistan into internal flight for Ahmadis
Do the police provide protection to someone experiencing problems due to his/her faith as an Ahmadi.
A report by the International Crisis Group states
“In February 2009, the JD’s local chapter in Punjab’s Layyah district pressured the police to register blasphemy cases against four Ahmadi72 students of a private tuition centre, and called for all of their Ahmadi peers to leave the school. (International Crisis Group (13th March 2009) - Pakistan: The Militant Jihadi Challenge)
The UK Home Office Operational Guidance Notes dated 4th February 2009 states
“There have reportedly been instances in recent years of low-ranking police officials being bribed to file false blasphemy charges against Ahmadis. Appeals courts have overturned these blasphemy convictions, but suspects are generally forced to spend lengthy periods in prison, where they are reportedly subject to ill- treatment, and they continue to be targeted by religious extremists after they are released. In an attempt to limit abuse of these laws, an amendment was enacted in 2005 requiring that a senior police officer investigate such charges. This has reportedly led to a reduction in new blasphemy cases registered in recent years though non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have reported that this law is not uniformly enforced.” (Ibid)
The UK Home Office Country of Origin Report states
“The mission were informed that the state provides no protection to senior Ahmadi figures or mosques at Rabwah, except for a symbolic presence at the central mosque at Friday prayers. The Representatives described how during the Khatme Nabuwwat conference in Rabwah the police line the streets and look on as Khatme Nabuwwat members march through the town, chanting ‘filthy, dirty slogans’ and vandalising Ahmadi property... The Ahmadi Community Representatives concluded that if someone fled to Rabwah fearing attack in their home area there would be no police protection available to them. Indeed, the police are seen by the community as actively protecting the Mullahs and their followers” (Ibid)
And
“Faiz ur Rehman, President, Amnesty International Pakistan stated that nowhere, including Rabwah, is safe for Ahmadis as the police would refuse to give protection to an Ahmadi. When asked if the police might react differently
in Rabwah to elsewhere in Pakistan, Mr Rehman explained that whilst it is not impossible, it has not happened. He explained that... even relatively senior and educated local police officers find that their hands are tied by their superiors when dealing with Ahmadi cases” (Ibid)
A report by the UN Human Rights Council states
“Amendment to the Pakistan Constitution officially outlaws the Qadiani (Ahmadi) religion. Police consistently arrest Ahmadis on charges of blasphemy and for “posing as Muslims” (UN Human Rights Council (3rd April 2008) - Summary prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, in accordance with paragraph 15(c) of the Annex to Human Rights Council Resolution 5/1 – Pakistan)
References
Al Islam (Date Unknown ) -Ahmadiyya Muslim Community http://www.alislam.org/introduction/index.html Accessed 6th April 2009
Ahmadiyya Mulim Community (Date Unknown) – About Us http://www.ahmadiyya.com.pk/about/ Accessed 6th April 2009
BBC News (7th October 2005) - Rare attack on Pakistan Ahmadis http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4319116.stm Accessed 6th April 2009
Global Security (Date Unknown) – Ahmadiyya Islam http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/intro/islam-ahmadi.htm Accessed 6th April 2009
Human Rights Watch (6 May 2007) - Pakistan: Pandering to Extremists Fuels Persecution of Ahmadis http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/05/06/pakist15848_txt.htm Accessed 6th April 2009
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (4th December 2008) - Pakistan: The situation of Ahmadis, including legal status and political, education and employment rights; societal attitudes toward Ahmadis (2006 - Nov. 2008) http://www.unhcr.org/cgibin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?page=printdoc&docid =49913b5f2c Accessed 6th April 2009
International Crisis Group (13th March 2009) - Pakistan: The Militant Jihadi Challenge http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/49be0b242.pdf
Accessed 6th April 2009
Minorities at Risk (31st December 2003) - Assessment for Ahmadis in Pakistan http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/mar/assessment.asp?groupId=77001 Accessed 6th April 2009
Parliamentary Human Rights Group (26 January 2007) - Rabwah: A Place For Martyrs? – Report of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group mission to Pakistan into internal flight for Ahmadis Ensor, Jonathan (ed.)) http://www.thepersecution.org/dl/rabwah_report.pdf Accessed 6th April 2009
Times Online (27th May 2008) - The Ahmadi Muslim Community http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4009445.ece Accessed 6th April 2009
UK Home Office (4th February 2009) - Operational Guidance Note: Pakistan http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/498971a02.pdf Accessed 6th April 2009
UK Home Office (5th November 2008) – Country of Origin Report http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/49195a062.pdf Accessed 6th March 2009
UN Human Rights Council (3rd April 2008) - Summary prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, in accordance with paragraph 15(c) of the Annex to Human Rights Council Resolution 5/1 – Pakistan http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/48591f5ed.pdf Accessed 6th March 2009
US Department of State (25th March 2009) – Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2008 http://www.unhcr.org/cgi- bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?page=printdoc&docid=49a8f165c Accessed 6th April 2009
US Department of State (19th September 2008) - 2008 Report on International Religious Freedom – Pakistan http://www.unhcr.org/cgi- bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?page=printdoc&docid=48d5cbf84d Accessed 6th April 2009
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Refugee Documentation Centre within time constraints. This response is not and does not purport to be conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please read in full all documents referred to.
Sources consulted
BBC News Canadian IRB Danish Immigration Service ECOI IRIN News LEXIS NEXIS Refugee Documentation Centre Query Database IDSN// Relief Web Google Refugees International BBC Monitoring All Africa