Persecution of Ahmadies in Pakistan

Note: This post is different from my other ones. In the other ones, I talk about my life as a teenage girl, whose only worries are school, friends, and her expectations. Those worries are minute compared to what I write about today. Although this post might not be the bubbly stuff which everyone wants to read, it is reality. It is a reality which hurt. And this post, was written from the bottom of my hurt heart.

To Curious Eyes:

The population of this world, according to U.S Census Bureau, is estimated to be 6,855,680,232 people. And we all know that number is growing every second. As part of that enormous population we must always remember that we are all diverse.

Why must anyone be penalized and persecuted for what they believe in? In  history, there has always existed friction among groups of people for various reasons which might be associated with skin color, hair type, way of speech, the way they dress…etc. There has always been animosity among people who are different. From the Crusades to today, religion has been a way of differentiating civilians.

As a teenager who is in quest for answers, I wonder why must one be attacked for what they believe in? Why must people be violently attacked when they are offering prayer? Why are people mistreated by others just because their beliefs differ? How can grown men turn into savage dogs and forget their common sense so soon?

Islam is depicted of being a religion which supports violence and murder. But, it’s not. The word “Islam” means peace and submission. Islam’s true followers live their lives peacefully, and attempt to be completely obedient to God. All religions believe in the same god.

I am sick. I am sick of hearing, “Oh, there has been another dhamaka.” In Urdu, my home language, dhamaka means blast. On Friday, May 28th, 2010, I woke up to my mom with tears in her eyes. Her face was filled with emotion of frantic-ness as she tells me, “Terrorist have attacked Darul Zikr.” Darul Zikr is the name of a mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. The sentence which I just wrote is a controversial one. Let me rephrase that: Darul Zikr is the name of an Ahmadi mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. It is also known as the Garhi Shahu mosque. I ran downstairs to my parents bedroom where we had turned on the television. The first thing I saw was a terrorist on one of the minarets shooting at people who surrounded the mosque. The news anchors were reporting headlines which read, “Terrorists Attack Ahmadi Mosques,” but within minutes, that changed. They wrote, “Terrorist Attack Ahmadi Places of Worship.” Darul Zikr wasn’t the only Ahmadi mosque attacked that day. Baitul Noor, located in Model Town, Lahore, Pakistan was attacked as well. The police arrived but they didn’t enter. Brave members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community tied up the terrorist. As a result, fewer lives were lost in Baitul Noor.

In Pakistan, Ahmadies aren’t allowed to call their mosque a mosque. Is it me, or does that seem ridiculous? Despite the way it seems, it is in the constitution of Pakistan.

As I mentioned before, during these attacks, many lives were lost. Some of my family members were martyred in the attacks. My aunt’s father-in-law, is in the hospital, recovering from injuries. Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik, came to visit the injured at the hospital. My aunt was there with her father-in-law. Rehman Malik offered her flowers. She denied them. This community had been facing numerous threats, but the government did nothing to assist them. So, why must she accept his gift. Why must she thank him for the flowers, when many innocent people lay around her, injured, and punished for believing in peace? She refused his “act of  sympathy”, and denied him the opportunity to make himself appear gracious. Because, the truth is, that is exactly what he is not. He is the Interior Minister of Pakistan as the Secretary of Homeland Security is of America. What has he done to protect the citizens of Pakistan? There are signs posted propagating that it is acceptable to kill Ahmadies.  No action is taken by the government with the fear of reaction from the violent people who call themselves believers. So, those signs remain posted on the walls which are most likely already stained with blood.

Below is a video clip from a talk show in Pakistan. The host praises my aunt, and admires her courage. After this encounter, she feared for her safety. But, you can see just by the pain on her face that she is angry. She controlled her anger, and instead, she used the power of words to explain her hurt. (The encounter between my aunt and Rehman Malik starts at 1:19 in the clip below. Before that, the host is just praising her.)

In Pakistan, the government gets to decide if you are Muslim or not. Huh? Since when is that not a violation of freedom? Basically, life for Ahmadies in Pakistan is not a life filled with the peace that they believe in, it is a life abundant with fear, fear of death. The government has gone to extreme extents to persecute these innocent believers of the true Islam. On their mosque, when Ahmadies write “لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله” (La illa ha illala, Muhammadur Rasoolulah), they can get arrested. This Arabic phrase simply translates to “There is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”.

Below is a picture of a Pakistani police officer  erasing the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) from the Kalima of an Ahmadiyya Mosque in Faislabad, Pakistan.

Why? Why Must You Control What I Can or Cannot Believe In?

To read the history of Ahmadies in Pakistan, click here.

I know that there are people out there who are evil and their intentions are evil. I know that there are people like that in every religion. But there is absolutely no justification for what these crazy terrorists are doing. They are not Muslims. Maybe they were born Muslims, but as far as I understand, a Muslim is one who believes in the teachings of Islam, and I know that Islam does not teach violence. It doesn’t teach murder or killing or anything that issues pain to another creature of God. The Holy Prophet Muhammad was known to be such a kind and pious man who was honest in everything he did. He was kind to all humans, whether they be his followers or his opponents.

If you ask those evil men, they are lying. They have no fear of God. It is God who gave us life. Are they trying to be God, when they take away something that God, himself has given us? They have no right to tell us whether we are right or wrong. That is what Allah will do.

Pictures from the attacks can be viewed here. If any of you have any questions, please comment below. I will do my best to answer any questions. And, you can also visit, www.alislam.org to learn more about this peaceful community.

-Noor

I am Perfect. Ha, if only.

(Now, I truly realize that I am definitely not perfect, and neither is this world. Reality has indeed struck.)