Persecution of Muslim Ahmadi minority continues in Pakistan

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has once again denounced the ongoing persecution of the Muslim Ahmadi minority in Pakistan. In this case, Ahmadi Muslims are forbidden by law to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha (the feast of sacrifice) on Pakistani territory and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has denounced this fact in an official communiqué.

The official statement of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is reproduced below:

PERSECUTION OF THE MUSLIM AHMADI MINORITY CONTINUES IN PAKISTAN
BAN BY LAW ON AHMADI MUSLIMS TO CELEBRATE "EID-UL-ADHA" (THE FEAST OF SACRIFICE) IN PAKISTAN.

Pakistani authorities have banned Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan from gathering to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha, while Muslims in the rest of the world commemorate this Islamic festival.

In a serious violation of basic human rights and religious freedom, the Lahore and Gojra Bar Association instructed local police forces to take necessary measures to ensure that Ahmadi Muslims do not participate in Qurbani (ritual animal sacrifice performed by Muslims around the world on the occasion of Eid), or gather to pray on this special day for the Islamic world. The Lahore Bar Association has noted that "any violation of this edict" would entail "strict and stringent" preventive measures.  This state institution was once regarded as the last impartial and open-minded resource working for citizens regardless of caste, race or religious belief. Other such messages have circulated across the country urging people to report Ahmadi Muslims caught performing animal sacrifices to the police.

Eid celebrations and animal sacrifice on this holiday have been a tradition of Muslims around the world since the beginning of Islam. Ahmadi Muslims have always participated in this tradition.

This is the latest in a long series of restrictions and oppression by Pakistan's state authorities against the marginalised and persecuted Ahmadi Muslim community.

The plight of the Ahmadi Muslims has captured the world's attention. A few days ago, US Congressman Michael McCaul tweeted:

"We continue to be alarmed by the increase in violence against Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan. According to reports, an Ahmadi man was arrested for having a Muslim name, and his lawyers were beaten in open court. Such blatant persecution must stop. Ahmadi prisoners of conscience must be released".

The Eid-ul-Adha festival will be celebrated in Pakistan at the end of June 2023, and since the situation of the Ahmadis living in Pakistan is very precarious, the mullahs and the police will try to persecute them just for performing their religious rituals.

This is why, once again, we urge the international community to speak out against the restrictions imposed on religious freedom and to put pressure on the Pakistani Government to take the necessary steps without delay to safeguard the safety and security of the Ahmadis. The restoration of basic rights to all citizens will undoubtedly contribute to creating an inclusive society that will be beneficial to Pakistan in the long term. The Government of Pakistan must bring its laws and practices in line with international standards, as required by Article 2, 18 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 25, 26.

As we have recalled on previous occasions, on 13 July 2021 UN human rights experts expressed their deep concern at the lack of attention to the grave human rights violations perpetrated against the Muslim Ahmadi community around the world. They called on the international community to redouble its efforts to put an end to this persecution.