Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: PAK32981 Country: Date: 5 March 2008

Keywords: Pakistan – Ahmadis – Ahmadi beliefs and practices – State protection

This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT 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. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein.

Questions

1. Please provide information on the basic principles of Ahmadi belief and practices in Pakistan. 2. Please provide information as to the extent to which Ahmadis suffer or other harm in Pakistan. 3. Please provide information as to the extent to which the Pakistani authorities provide protection to Ahmadi people.

RESPONSE

1. Please provide information on the basic principles of Ahmadi belief and practices in Pakistan. 2. Please provide information as to the extent to which Ahmadis suffer discrimination or other harm in Pakistan. 3. Please provide information as to the extent to which the Pakistani authorities provide protection to Ahmadi people.

In his 2001 The Concise Encyclopaedia of , Cyril Glasse defines Ahmadis’ (or Ahmadiyyah’s) belief, practice and history as follows:

Ahmadiyyah. A heterodox founded by (/251-/326/1835-1908), a Punjabi. Reacting against the efforts of Christian missionaries, he declared himself a mujaddid, a "renewer" (of the faith) in 1882. He identified the Christian West, and particularly the economic, political, and religious colonialism, which was the dominant characteristic in the 19th century, as the manifestation of the dajjal (the "imposter" i.e. apocalyptic Antichrist). Mirza Ghulam did not judge the Occident to be anti-traditional, but simply denounced it for its domination of Islamic countries. However, he ruled out holy war (jihad) as a course of action against the colonial powers, awaiting instead an "awakening" of the Islamic world. He went on to enunciate a doctrine that had escaped death on the cross and had attained the age of 120 before dying and being buried in Srinagar. (In Islam, Jesus' death on the cross was only apparent; according to the Islamic perspective regarding the crucifixion, Jesus did not die and is still in a principial state, that is. in Being, from which he will return to this world to destroy the dajjal and bring the world to its end.) Mirza Ghulam finally claimed that he was the mahd., as well as the Second Coming of Jesus, and moreover, the last avatara of Vishnu. After Mirza Ghulam's death, the Ahmadiyyah split into two subsects, the and Lahorites. The Qadianis (after , birthplace of Mirza Ghulam) are called the Jama'at-i Ahmadiyyah, maintain his doctrines, more or less as they were propounded, and consider him a nabs', or Prophet. By this, they establish a gulf between those who do not accept Mirza Ghulam as a Prophet, whom the Qadianis therefore consider to be Katirun, or nonbelievers; the Sunnis in turn have been obliged to repudiate, by the pronouncements of religious courts, the Qadianis as non-. The Qadianis make the distinction that Mirza Ghulam was a Prophet, but not a law-prescribing Prophet (ghayr tashr7'r). To this end they call him a zilli nahi ("shadow Prophet") or buruzi nahi("a manifesting Prophet"). The Lahorites (Anjuman-i Insha'at-i /slam), less heterodox, hold Mirza Ghulam to be a mujaddid or "renewer" only, and have not wished to lose solidarity with the rest of the Islamic world. They were led by "Maulvi" (or "Mawlana", a title) 'Ali. He also translated the Koran into English, which was published along with Ahmadiyyah inspired interpretations and commentaries, and also wrote The Religion of Islam. Both Ahmadiyyah subsects were noted for energetic proselytizing through missionaries - a technique adopted from Protestants - the establishment of abroad, and publication of propaganda materials, particularly in English, long before such activities were adopted by the Sunnis. As a result, the Ahmadiyyah gained footholds in Europe and America, and above all, in West Africa, where they organized schools and hospitals. But while accepting the methods of the Christian missionaries and the ideas of Western civilization, both groups are stridently anti- Christian. Their opposition to Christianity lies in their claim that it has deviated from its original beliefs and can no longer be considered a "Religion of the Book" (a revealed religion), and that it is, moreover, the great force for unbelief throughout the world. Among the first claims of Mirza Ghulam to eminence, was that "it was a sign of the " to recognize the Dajjal, or Antichrist, as Ghulam recognised him, in Christianity. After the partition of and Pakistan in 1947, the branch moved to Rabwa in Pakistan and is headed by a leader entitled the "Viceroy of the " (khalifatu-l-masih). The Qadianis are evidently a departure from Islam, but the Lahorites are also considered with extreme reservation by the Sunni World for their sometimes novel and un-traditional interpretations of Islamic doctrine and practices, which include "conversion rituals" resembling Christian baptism. Nevertheless, there are approximately 500,000 Ahmadis, mostly in West Africa (Glasse, Cyril 2001, The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, Stacey International, pp 33 – 34 – Attachment 1).

In his 2003 The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, John Esposito explains Ahmadis’ belief, practice and history as follows:

Ahmadis. Controversial messianic movement founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in Qadian, Punjab (British-controlled India), in 1889. Founder claimed to be a "nonlegislating" prophet (thus not in opposition to the mainstream belief in the finality of Muhammad's "legislative" prophecy) with a divine mandate for the revival and renewal of Islam. Dedicated to peaceful propagation of faith, production of literature, and establishment of mosques and missionary centers. Rejected by the majority of Muslims as heretical since it believes in ongoing after the death of Muhammad. Currently based in Pakistan, but forbidden to practice, preach, or propagate their faith as Islam or their places of worship as mosques. Consists of two factions: Qadiani and Lahori (who stress Ghulam Ahmad's claim to be a "renewer" of the faith rather than a prophet). Current head, , resides in London. See also Ghulam Ahmad, Mirza (Esposito, John.L. (ed) 2003, The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp.11 – 12 – Attachment 2).

The Muslim Community describes Ahmadiyya as follows:

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a religious organization, international in its scope, with branches in over 189 countries in Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Australasia, and Europe. This is the most dynamic denomination of Islam in modern history, with worldwide membership exceeding tens of millions. The Ahmadiyya Community was established in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835- 1908) in a small and remote village, Qadian, in the Punjab, India. He claimed to be the expected reformer of the latter days, the Awaited One of the world community of religions (The Mahdi and Messiah). The Community he started is an embodiment of the benevolent message of Islam -- peace, universal brotherhood, and submission to of God -- in its pristine purity. Hadhrat Ahmad proclaimed Islam as the religion of man: "The religion of the people of the right path" (98:6) With this conviction, the Ahmadiyya Community, within a century, has reached the corners of the Earth. Wherever the Community is established, it endeavors to exert a constructive influence of Islam through social projects, educational institutes, health services, Islamic publications and construction of mosques, despite being bitterly persecuted in some countries. Ahmadi Muslims have earned the distinction of being a law-abiding, peaceful, persevering and benevolent community. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam was created under divine guidance with the objective to rejuvenate Islamic moral and spiritual values. It encourages interfaith dialogue, and diligently defends Islam and tries to correct misunderstandings about Islam in the West. It advocates peace, tolerance, love and understanding among followers of different faiths. It firmly believes in and acts upon the Qur'anic teaching: "There is no compulsion in religion." (2:257) It strongly rejects violence and terrorism in any form and for any reason. The Community offers a clear presentation of Islamic wisdom, philosophy, morals and spirituality as derived from the Holy Qur'an and the practice () of the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of be on him). Some Ahmadis', like late Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (who served as the first Foreign Minister of Pakistan; President of the 17th General Assembly of U.N.O.; President and Judge of the International Court of Justice, at the Hague), and Dr. (the Nobel Laureate in Physics in 1979), have also been recognized by the world community for their outstanding services and achievements. After the demise of its founder, the Ahmadiyya Community has been headed by his elected successors -- Khalifas. The present Head of the Movement, Hadhrat , was elected in 2003. His official title is Khalifatul Massih V (Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (undated), ‘An Overview’, Al Islam: The Official Website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community http://www.alislam.org/introduction/index.html - Accessed 4 March 2008 – Attachment 3).

Referring to the current treatment of Ahmadis in Pakistan, comments that:

The state failed to protect members of religious minorities from abuse by private individuals. At least 72 people were charged and arrested under laws, including laws that make it a criminal offence for members of the Ahmadiyya community to practise their faith. Among the accused were 39 Muslims, 26 Ahmadis, four Hindus and three Christians (Amnesty International 2006, Amnesty International Annual Report 2006 – Pakistan, May amnesty.org/report2006/pak-summary-eng.html - Accessed 24 May 2006 – Attachment 4).

In his in-depth study of the ‘ of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan’, Amjad Mahmood Khan comments on the current situation of Ahmadis in Pakistan. He states that persistent campaigns against Ahmadis, spearheaded by the Jama’at-i-Islami, have resulted in institutionalization of the in Pakistan. As to the future for Ahmadis, he comments that the prospect of reform for minority religious groups appears unlikely (Khan, Amjad Mahmood 2003, ‘Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan: An Analysis under International Law and International Relations’, Harvard Journal, Spring 2003, vol 16 http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hrj/iss16/khan.shtml#Heading55 - Accessed 4 March 2008 – Attachment 5).

The US Department of State summarizes the current situation of religious minorities including Ahmadis in Pakistan as follows:

The Government took some steps to improve its treatment of religious minorities during the period covered by this report, but serious problems remained. Law enforcement personnel abused religious minorities in custody. Security forces and other government agencies did not adequately prevent or address societal abuse against minorities. Discriminatory legislation and the Government's failure to take action against societal forces hostile to those who practice a different faith fostered , acts of violence, and intimidation against religious minorities (US Department of State 2007, International Religious Freedom Report: Pakistan, 14 September www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90233.htm - Accessed 26 September 2007 – Attachment 6).

Referring to the difficulties faced by Ahmadis in Pakistan and the lack of state protection available for them, the US Department of State notes that:

• Between July 2005 and June 2006 Ahmadis and Christians were the primary targets of religious attack

• Specific laws that discriminate against religious minorities include anti-Ahmadi and blasphemy laws that provide the death penalty for defiling Islam or its prophets.

• The Ahmadiyya community continued to face governmental and societal discrimination and legal bars to the practice of its faith

• The Constitution establishes Islam as the . It also declares that adequate provisions shall be made for minorities to profess and practice their religions freely; however, in reality the Government imposes limits on , particularly on Ahmadis.

• A 1974 constitutional amendment declares Ahmadis to be non-Muslim. Section 298(c), commonly referred to as the "anti-Ahmadi laws," prohibits Ahmadis from calling themselves Muslims, referring to their faith as Islam, preaching or propagating their faith, inviting others to accept the Ahmadi faith, or insulting the religious feelings of Muslims

• . Those wishing to be listed as a Muslim must swear to believe that Muhammad is the final prophet and denounce the Ahmadiyya movement's founder as a false prophet and his followers as non-Muslims, a provision designed to discriminate against Ahmadis. Initial voter registration no longer required such an oath, but the Election Commission claimed that any Muslim registrant whose religion was challenged by the public would have to take the oath. As a result, Ahmadis continued to boycott elections.

• Muslim students must declare in writing that they believe that Muhammad is the final prophet, a measure that singles out Ahmadis.

• The Government does not restrict religious publishing in general; however, the sale of Ahmadi religious literature is banned.

• Missionaries (except Ahmadis) operate in the country and can proselytize, as long as there is no preaching against Islam and the missionaries acknowledge they are not Muslim.

• The Government used anti-Ahmadi laws to target and harass Ahmadis. The vague wording of the provision that forbids Ahmadis from directly or indirectly posing as Muslims enabled officials to bring charges against Ahmadis for using the standard Muslim greeting form and for naming their children Muhammad. The Ahmadi community claimed that during the period covered by this report, 28 Ahmadis faced criminal charges under religious laws or because of their faith: 4 under the blasphemy laws, 17 under Ahmadi-specific laws, and 7 under other laws but motivated by their Ahmadi faith.

• At the end of April 2006, four Ahmadis were in prison on blasphemy charges; one was in prison and two more were out on bail facing murder charges that the Ahmadiyya community claimed were falsely brought due to their religious beliefs. Seven more criminal cases, ranging from murder to destruction of property, were filed against prominent members of the Ahmadi community during the reporting period. The cases remained unprosecuted and the accused were allowed to post bail.

• Ahmadis continued to be arrested for preaching their faith. In July 2006 four Ahmadis were arrested in District under the anti-Ahmadi laws for preaching.

• In August 2006 Mian Mohammed Yar was charged under the anti-Ahmadi laws on the charge of preaching. He was the president of the local Ahmadi community.

• Since 1983 Ahmadis have been prohibited from holding public conferences or gatherings, they have been denied permission to hold their annual conference. Ahmadis were banned from preaching and were prohibited from traveling to for the or other religious pilgrimages. Ahmadi publications were banned from public sale, but they published religious literature in large quantities for a limited circulation.

• While the Constitution guarantees the right to establish places of worship and train , in practice Ahmadis suffered from restrictions on this right. According to press reports, authorities continued to conduct surveillance on Ahmadis and their institutions. Several Ahmadi mosques reportedly were closed; others reportedly were desecrated or had their construction stopped.

• The Government funded and facilitated Hajj travel but had no similar program for pilgrimages by religious minorities. In addition to prohibiting Ahmadi travel for the Hajj,

• Shi'a and other religious minorities contended that the Government persistently discriminated against members of their communities in hiring for the civil service and in admissions to government institutions of higher learning. Promotions for all minority groups appeared limited within the civil service. These problems were particularly acute for Ahmadis, who contended that a "" prevented them from being promoted to senior positions and that certain government departments refused to hire or retain qualified Ahmadis.

• The Government discriminated against Ahmadis and Christians when they applied for entry to university and medical school because of their religious affiliation.

• Officials used bureaucratic demands and bribes to delay religious groups trying to build houses of worship or to obtain land. While Ahmadis were prevented from building houses of worship, Sunni Muslim groups built mosques and shrines without government permission, at times in violation of zoning ordinances and upon government-owned lands.

• Authorities often accused converts to the Ahmadiyya community of blasphemy, violations of the anti-Ahmadi laws, or other crimes.

• In October 2006 police arrested Ahmadi Mohammed Tariq and charged him under blasphemy laws for allegedly tearing off anti-Ahmadiyya stickers inside a bus. Police released him on bail in December 2006 and at the end of the reporting period, he was awaiting trial.

• In September 2006 police released on bail two Ahmadi journalists working for an Ahmadi publication, , whom they had charged under blasphemy laws. Three others from Al Fazl, an editor, a publisher, and a printer, remained in confinement awaiting court proceedings on the same charges.

• In the spring of 2007, members of the Ahmadi community purchased 6 acres of land outside to expand a preexisting cemetery. Local clerics denounced the purchase and held demonstrations against the Ahmadi community. Police sided with the clerics, and local authorities claimed the construction of a wall on the land would be used to form a "center of ." When the Ahmadis refused to remove the wall, five buses of policemen arrived and destroyed it in the middle of the night. Officials admitted the action was taken under pressure of local clerics.

• In December 2006 a local mullah collaborated with police to prevent the burial of Bakht Bibi, an Ahmadi woman, in the common village graveyard. She was finally buried on private land 1.5 kilometers away. The same mullah had convinced police to close an Ahmadi prayer center 1 month prior.

• In October 2006 police stopped construction of a new Ahmadi school in Sialkot district. Mullahs reportedly then destroyed the partially constructed building.

• In September 2006 Malik Saif ur Rahman, the president of a local Ahmadi organization, completed construction of a small on the property of his farm. The local mullah objected to police. Later, a contingent of police in plain clothes came and destroyed it.

• In June 2006, following an attack during which a mob injured two Ahmadis and destroyed their property, Sialkot District police arrested seven Ahmadis and removed 75 from the village for fear of more attacks. Police arrested four Ahmadis for alleged Qur'an . Later, hundreds of persons demonstrated against the alleged desecration and damaged an Ahmadiyya house of worship. Police deployed to avert more damage.

• In September 2006 a Sindh district court granted provisional bail for three Ahmadis who had been in hiding, fearing arrests on charges of attempted conversion. Police had previously arrested two other Ahmadis, to whom the higher Sessions Court had granted bail.

• Between July and December 2004, at least eight separate incidents of anti-Ahmadi arrests occurred, many involving blasphemy charges. In most cases, police released the victim or dismissed the charges without trial.

• Following July 2004 protests, police in Chenab Nagar () continued to retain property of the local Ahmadiyya community on which a makeshift mosque had once existed.

• On April 8, 2007, local extremists tortured and killed Chaudhry Habibullah Sial, an 82-year old Ahmadi man who was using his home as a prayer center for Ahmadis.

• On March 1, 2007, a former police officer killed Mohammed Ashraf, an Ahmadi, because Ashraf changed his religion from Sunni to Ahmadi. The killer claimed to have done nothing wrong and that he followed Islamic law, since apostasy is punishable by death.

• In November 2006 two Ahmadi men in Bagar Sargana were attacked by a mob on their way home after Friday prayers.

• In October 2006 an Ahmadi imam at a mosque in Chawinda was attacked in his apartment in the mosque complex.

• In September 2006 Professor Abdul Basit, an Ahmadi, was attacked in his home in Dera Ghazi Khan.

• On August 22, 2006, Munawwar Ahmad Sahib, an Ahmadi, was killed by two gunmen in his home in Gujrat.

• In August 2006 an Ahmadi youth, Etzaz Ahmad, was attacked in the shop where he worked as an apprentice. The attacker said he was trying to kill an infidel.

• Ahmadi individuals and institutions long have been victims of , much of which organized religious extremists instigated. Ahmadi leaders charged that in previous years militant Sunni mullahs and their followers staged sometimes violent anti-Ahmadi marches through the streets of Rabwah, a predominantly Ahmadi town and spiritual center in central Punjab. Backed by crowds of between 100 and 200 persons, the mullahs reportedly denounced Ahmadis and their founder, a situation that sometimes led to violence. The Ahmadis claimed that police generally were present during these marches but did not intervene to prevent violence. In contrast with the previous report, there were no such reports during this reporting period.

• Some Sunni Muslim groups published literature calling for violence against Ahmadis, Shi'a Muslims, other Sunni , and Hindus. Some newspapers frequently published articles that contained derogatory references to religious minorities, especially Ahmadis, Hindus, and Jews. Sermons at mosques frequently railed against religious minorities (US Department of State 2007, International Religious Freedom Report: Pakistan, 14 September www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90233.htm - Accessed 26 September 2007 – Attachment 6).

Stating that the minority religious groups including Ahmadis all faced discrimination and societal violence, the 2007 US Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices also notes that:

Attacks on houses of worship and religious gatherings linked to sectarian, religious extremist, and terrorist groups resulted in the deaths of 127 individuals during the year (see section 2.c.). According to HRW, approximately 4,0004 persons, largely from the Shi'a branch of Islam, died as a result of sectarian hostility since 1980. The Ahmadi community claims that 171 of their members have been killed since 1988 and that the government made little effort to bring those responsible for these and other acts of to justice or to provide protection for the targets or their families…

Court rulings mandate the death sentence for anyone blaspheming against the "prophets." The law provides for life imprisonment for desecrating the Koran and up to 10 years in prison for insulting another's religious beliefs with the intent to outrage religious feelings (see section 2.c.). This law was used only against those who allegedly insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Groups such as the Khateme Nabuwwat Movement, which considered anyone who questioned the finality of Prophet Muhammad to be a heretic, were known to insult Ahmadi beliefs; however, the law was not used against them. Foreign books must pass government censors before being reprinted. Books and magazines may be imported freely but are subject to censorship for objectionable sexual or religious content… The law declares the Ahmadi community, which considers itself a Muslim sect, to be a non Muslim minority. The law prohibits Ahmadis, who claimed approximately two million adherents, from engaging in any Muslim practices, including using Muslim greetings, referring to their places of worship as mosques, reciting Islamic prayers, and participating in the Hajj or Ramadan fast. Ahmadis were prohibited from proselytizing, holding gatherings, or distributing literature. Government forms, including passport applications and voter registration documents, require anyone wishing to be listed as a Muslim to denounce the founder of the Ahmadi faith. In 2005 the government reinstated the religion column for machine readable passports (see section 2.d.). Ahmadis were frequently discriminated against in government hiring and in admission to government schools and faced prosecution under the blasphemy laws.

On June 24, a mob attacked Ahmadi residents in Jhando Sahi near Sialkot district, Punjab, after allegations of the desecration of the Koran. The rumors alleged that Ahmadi men were seen burning pages of the Koran in public. The police arrested the accused Ahmadis, but a mob gathered and started burning houses, shops, and vehicles of Ahmadis. There were reports that prior to the incident, Muslim clerics had encouraged mobs to attack Ahmadis by calling out to Muslims on the loud-speakers of their mosques that non Muslims should not be allowed to live among Muslims. Reports indicated that two Ahmadis were injured, and about 100 Ahmadi villagers fled their homes where they had lived for 60 years.

On September 10, the government of Punjab banned the century old Ahmadi newspaper the Daily Al Fazal and raided its office in Chenab Nagar, Chiniot District, Punjab. Police arrested printer Sultan Dogar and journalist Abdul Sattar Khan and lodged cases under ("anti-Ahmadi" provisions) 298B and 298C of the Penal Code, Maintenance of Public Order, and the Anti Terrorism Act against them. Police confiscated all the publications and sealed their offices. While police released Khan on September 23, Dogar remained in custody at year's end. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Saeed Tatla, the raid was part of the government's campaign to confiscate religious "hate literature." In the FIR, the police accused the newspaper of preaching Qadiyani ("Ahmadian") beliefs and describing Ahamdis as Muslims, which is illegal. Qadiyani is a derogatory word for Ahmadis…

According to AHRC, during the year, four churches, five Ahmadi mosques, and two Hindu temples were burnt, attacked, or destroyed in different parts of the country, with most occurring in the Punjab. Religious extremists killed ten Christians and four Ahmadis who were accused of blasphemy. AHRC reported that 49 Ahmadis and 110 Christians faced trials or were in prison on charges for desecrating the Koran. According to AHRC, there were 35 reported cases of forcible conversion of religious minorities…

In October 2005 gunmen opened fire at an Ahmadi worship service in Mong, , Punjab, killing eight and injuring 14. On May 11, police arrested four persons linked to the terrorist organization Lashkar e Jhangvi in Toba Tek Sing, Punjab. Police charged Malik Abrar and Amjad Shah for planning and executing the attack. The state filed a case against them under the Anti Terrorism Act. According to the Ahmadi community, judges feared for their lives if they accepted such cases. .. Ahmadi leaders charged that militant Sunni mullahs and their followers sometimes staged marches through the streets of Rabwah, a predominantly Ahmadi town and spiritual center in central Punjab. Backed by crowds of between 100 and 200 persons, the mullahs reportedly denounced Ahmadis and their founder, creating a situation that sometimes led to violence. The Ahmadis claimed that police generally were present during these marches but did not intervene to prevent violence (US Department of State 2007, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Pakistan, 6 March http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78874.htm - Accessed 14 November 2007 – Attachment 7).

In support of the Ahmadis in Pakistan, has recently called on the government of President General Pervez Musharraf to repeal laws that discriminate against religious minorities such as the Ahmadis, including the penal statute that makes capital punishment mandatory for “blasphemy”. It also states that the persecution of the Ahmadiyya community is wholly legalized, even encouraged, by the Pakistani government. Pakistan’s penal code explicitly discriminates against religious minorities and targets Ahmadis in particular by prohibiting them from “indirectly or directly posing as a Muslim.” Ahmadis are prohibited from declaring or propagating their faith publicly, building mosques, or making the call for Muslim prayer’ (Human Rights Watch 2007, ‘Pakistan: Pandering to Extremists Fuels Persecution of Ahmadis - Government Must Repeal ‘’ and End Persecution of Religious Minority’, 6 May http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2007/05/06/pakist15848.htm - Accessed 4 March 2008 – Attachment 8).

Isambard Wilkinson of The Telegraph provides a different aspect to the mistreatment suffered by Ahmadis as follows:

The laws mandate three years' imprisonment for Ahmadis who dare to call themselves Muslims, call their places of worship mosques, recite the Koran or announce the azan, the call to prayer. Twenty years ago, the people of Rabwah were charged with impersonating Muslims. Since the charges are still outstanding, the town's 50,000 inhabitants have to hide their Islamic habits, keep their beards trimmed and avoid using Muslim invocations. The word "Muslim" has been erased, on the orders of a magistrate, from an epitaph engraved on the tomb of Pakistan's most distinguished scientist, Dr Abdus Salam. It used to read "the First Muslim Nobel Laureate". The religious laws are used by hardline clerics to persecute minority groups. Despite recent improvements in voting rights for Christians and Hindus, Ahmadis are effectively still disenfranchised as they are permitted to vote only as "non-Muslims". Pakistani popular rhymes defame Ahmadis in lurid terms and militants have stamped thousands of rupee notes imploring believers to "put them to death". Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, has presented himself to his Western allies in the US- led war on terror as a bulwark against . But despite his policy of "enlightened moderation" and pledges to repeal the blasphemy law, so far the secular-minded retired general has not dared to tackle the clergy on the issue (Wilkinson, Isambard 2007, ‘Pakistan clerics persecute 'non Muslims'’, Telegraph, 27 December http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/25/wpakistan125.xml - Accessed 4 March 2008 – Attachment 9).

For further reference, see the following RRT Research Responses:

• RRT Country Research 2007, Research Response PAK31248, 22 January – Attachment 10 (Q1 background – Q2-4 history – treatment of – Q3 geographical location – Q4 protection)

• RRT Country Research 2005, Research Response PAK17201, 17 February – Attachment 11 (Muslim identity – personal law)

• RRT Country Research 2005, Research ResponsePAK17182, 3 February – Attachment 12 (Q1 treatment of – Q2 state protection)

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources: Government Information & Reports UK Home Office http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ US Department of State http://www.state.gov/ United Nations (UN) International News & Politics BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk Region Specific Links The Nation http://nation.com.pk/archive/ The Post http://www.thepost.com.pk/Back_Issues.aspx Daily Times http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?date=11%2F14%2F2006 Search Engines Copernic http://www.copernic.com/ Google http://www.google.com

Databases: FACTIVA (news database) BACIS (DIMA Country Information database) REFINFORMATION (IRBDC (Canada) Country Information database) ISYS (RRT Country Research database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Reports) RRT Library Catalogue

List of Attachments

1. Glasse, Cyril 2001, The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, Stacey International, pp 33 – 34. (MRT-RRT Library)

2. Esposito, John L. (ed) 2003, The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp.11 – 12 . (MRT-RRT Library)

3. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (undated), ‘An Overview’, Al Islam: The Official Website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. (http://www.alislam.org/introduction/index.html - Accessed 4 March 2008)

4. Amnesty International 2006, Amnesty International Annual Report 2006 – Pakistan, May. (amnesty.org/report2006/pak-summary-eng.html - 24 May 2006)

5. Khan, Amjad Mahmood 2003, ‘Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan: An Analysis under International Law and International Relations’, Harvard Human Rights Journal, Spring 2003, vol 16. (http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hrj/iss16/khan.shtml#Heading55 - Accessed 4 March 2008)

6. US Department of State 2007, International Religious Freedom Report: Pakistan, 14 September. (www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90233.htm - Accessed 26 September 2007)

7. US Department of State 2007, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Pakistan, 6 March http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78874.htm - Accessed 14 November 2007.

8. Human Rights Watch 2007, ‘Pakistan: Pandering to Extremists Fuels Persecution of Ahmadis - Government Must Repeal ‘Blasphemy Law’ and End Persecution of Religious Minority’, 6 May. (http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2007/05/06/pakist15848.htm - Accessed 4 March 2008)

9. Wilkinson, Isambard 2007, ‘Pakistan clerics persecute 'non Muslims'’, Telegraph, 27 December. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/25/wpakistan125.x ml - Accessed 4 March 2008)

10. RRT Country Research 2007, Research Response PAK31248, 22 January.

11. RRT Country Research 2005, Research Response PAK17201, 17 February.

12. RRT Country Research 2005, Research ResponsePAK17182, 3 February.