by A. Abdul Aziz

Reports reaching us indicate, the London based International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) is again calling the attention of International Community to intensifying threats against the Ahmadi citizens in Pakistan. Enjoying virtual immunity from official sanction, and magnified by viral social media posts, hatred for Ahmadis has become a form of mass hysteria.

An example of illegal; incitement to violence may be found in the following speech now widely circulated in a video.

Whoever feels sympathy for Qadianis should take them to their home. If Chief Justice feels sympathy for them, he should take them to their home. If anyone from the administration has sympathy, he should take them to his home. You talk of preaching, By the God of Holy Kaba, we will make life hell for them in District Okaraa.

Why are you feeling so sympathetic towards Qadianis?

Preaching aside, we are compiling their data wherever the Qadianis are living and soon we will tell them how we allow them to preach.!

They will be forced to leave their, let aside do preaching.

We are Ahl e Sunnat, we made Pakistan.

We made the English run to England.

We held the flag of moon and star.”

The IHRC is receiving many heartbreaking appeals for assistance from Ahmadis in Pakistan who fear for their safety and lives and have concluded that the police and other state officials are either in different to their vulnerability, or complicit in their persecution.

The IHRC thus again appeals to governments and international organizations to insist that Pakistani authorities take immediate steps to punish any who threaten or harm others on the basis of their religion or ethnic background, and thius reduce the specter of massacres at the hands of extremist forces that now haunts the country.

The incitement to violence in the viral social media posts and videos are inconsistent with international norms and values concerning freedom of religion and belief, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), on the freedom of religion, and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which was ratified by Pakistan in 2008. Three other UN Human Rights treaties as well as numerous General Assembly Resolutions and Human Rights Committee comments, prohibit religious  discrimination. This viral social media posts and videos also violate Pakistan’s own National Action Plan as well as the recently enacted cybercrime laws because it fuels hatred, discrimination and persecution against members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan.

Nonetheless the Pakistani Government authorities who continue to bring frivolous cases against Ahmadi Muslims under anti-Ahmadiyya, blasphemy, cybercrime laws, turn a blind eye towards systematic and country-wide efforts by Islamic extremists to fan hatred and ignite violence against Ahmadi Muslims. Instead of prosecuting the makers of these social media posts and videos under cybercrime laws and the Natiional Action Plan, the government authorities continue to protect and support extremists and target innocent Ahmaadis.

This comes just weeks after a group of top UN  Human Rights experts including UN Special Rapporteurs urge an immediate end to discrimination and violation against Ahmadis in Pakistan, citing documented evidence of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, attacks on places of worships and curtainmentof free expression, peaceful assembly and association”. Apparently their pleas  fell on deaf ears.

We call upon the Pakistani Authorities to honor their International human rights commitments to protect religious freedom and promote religious tolerance towards the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

We respectfully request all members of the international community to urge the government of Pakistan to take urgent steps to bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards as ordained by UDHR and ICCPR.