by A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at – Sri Lanka.

In a grievous violation of basic human rights and religious freedom, circulars by the Lahore Bar Association and the Gojra Bar Association instruct local police forces to take pre-emptive and preventive” measures to ensure Ahmadi Muslims neither participate in Qurbani (animal sacrifice ritual carried out by Muslims the world over on the occasion of Eid) nor congregate for prayer on this special day for the Islamic world. 

 The Lahore Bar Association says such violations” would necessitate taking strict, iron-handed and preventative” measures. 

 State institutions like these were once thought of as the unbiased and open minded final resort for the oppressed and standard bearers of justice, working for the people regardless of caste, race or religious belief. Other messages have been circulated across the country urging people to report Ahmadi Muslims caught carrying out animal sacrifice to the police. Eid celebrations and animal sacrifice on this occasion is a long-standing tradition of Muslims the world over since the inception of Islam. Ahmadi Muslims have always been part of this tradition. 

This is the latest in a long series of restrictions and oppression by state authorities in Pakistan against the marginalized and persecuted Ahmadi Muslim Community. 

The plight of Ahmadi Muslims has caught global attention. In recent days U.S. congressman Michael McCaul tweeted: We continue to be alarmed by the uptick in violence against Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan. An Ahmadi man was reportedly arrested for having a Muslim name, & his lawyers were beaten in open court. Such brazen persecution must cease. Ahmadi prisoners of conscience should be released.”

 The United Nations and global human rights groups have long expressed serious concern over the poor treatment of Ahmadis in Pakistan which continues unabated. In view of such hate-filled propaganda, there is a likelihood that Ahmadis would be deprived of fulfilling this fundamental practice associated with this event and many would have to face criminal prosecution just because of practicing their faith. 

The Eid ul Azha Festival is going to be celebrated in Pakistan in the end of June 2023 and, as the situation of Ahmadis living in Pakistan is precarious and Mullahs as well as police are trying to persecute them only because of performing their religious rituals, hence, once again we plead to the International Community to take urgent action to urge the Government of Pakistan to safeguard the civil and religious freedoms of Ahmadis and provide them with the safety and security in order to observe and practise their faith. 

We once again urge the international community to pressure the Government of Pakistan to honor its responsibility to provide protection to all its citizens, ensure freedom of religious practice to Ahmadis, and bring perpetrators of such vicious attacks to justice. The Government of Pakistan must also bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards as ordained by Article 2, 18 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 25, 26.

Source: International Human Rights Committee, U.K.