Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 29 September 2018
Pakistan's Ahmadis fearful as leaders bow to extremists

By KATHY GANNON discrimination and vio-
Associated Press lence. It calls for Ahmadis
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Paki- to take names that iden-
stan's embattled Ahmadi- tify their religion, bans them
yya minority enjoyed a brief from wearing "Muslim cloth-
moment of hope earlier this ing" — without specifying
month when one of its own, what that means — and
a U.S.-based Princeton bars them from taking the
economist, was appointed name "Ahmad." The judg-
to an economic advisory ment is being appealed.
council. "It is like Nazi Germany. They
But the backlash from Is- want to be able to identify
lamic hard-liners, which led us wherever we go," Usman
newly elected Prime Min- Ahmad, a representative
ister Imran Khan to quickly of the community, said.
rescind the appointment "The level of intolerance in
under political pressure, Pakistan has never been as
has only underscored the great as it is today. Every
Ahmadis' fraught position Ahmadi hides his identity."
in the conservative, Muslim- "What does Pakistan
majority country. want?" asked Salim Ud-
Ahmadis believe another din, a spokesman for the
Islamic prophet, Ahmad, community. "Do they want
appeared in the 19th cen- to eradicate Ahmadis?
tury, a view at odds with the Do they want Ahmadis to
fundamental Islamic prin- leave Pakistan?"
ciple that Muhammad was In this May, 24, 2018 file photo, Pakistani volunteers collect debris from an Ahmadi mosque Both men insisted on meet-
demolished by an angry mob, in the eastern city of Sialkot, Pakistan.
the final messenger sent Associated Press ing in a non-descript guest-
by God. Islamic hard-liners house, rather than the offi-
view them as heretics, and ers," Mian said. "The finality of the prophet think sympathize with such cial Ahmadi house of wor-
have successfully pressured Several religious parties and the blasphemy law is views." Mian's resignation ship, a fortress-like building
past governments to pass took part in this year's elec- the most potent weapon "shows the perceived pow- surrounded by high walls
draconian laws against the tion, but as in previous vot- because the mullahs know er of the Islamists and the and guarded around the
community. Ahmadis have ing, they garnered less than that no one can dare reluctance of both state clock.
also long been targeted by 10 percent of the popular touch it," said Zahid Hus- and society to stand up to "This is not a new story in
Islamic extremists, and are vote. However, they have sain, a defense analyst and them given the costs they Pakistan. It's been happen-
shunned by many main- allies among all the major the author of two books on fear — including physical ing for decades, including
stream Muslims. parties who rallied against militancy in Pakistan. harm." under more liberal govern-
Religious parties have nev- the appointment, even in- Mian had at least one de- Mian's abrupt resignation ments," said Michael Kugel-
er done well in Pakistan's troducing a resolution in the fender. Information Minister came as a major blow to man, deputy director of
elections, and last July's upper house of parliament Fawad Chaudhry sought the 500,000-strong Ahmadi the Asia program at the
balloting was no excep- to condemn the move. to stem the controversy by community, which already U.S.-based Wilson Center.
tion. But the ability of hard- Leading the charge was pointing out that the po- feels persecuted and "What makes it all more
line clerics to organize mass cleric Khadim Rizvi's politi- sition had nothing to do afraid. Many Ahmadis wor- alarming now is that with
rallies and incite violence cal party, which won three with religion or lawmaking, ry they could now lose their new parties now involved in
against political opponents provincial seats in southern and that the newly elected jobs, and say their children electoral politics, the hate-
has often forced even lib- Sindh province by cam- government wanted to be are often denied admission ful ideas and narratives
eral governments to bow paigning on a single issue inclusive. to certain schools. that fuel discrimination and
to their demands. — the finality of the Proph- "When I stood up and de- Pakistan changed its con- violence against Ahmadis
Khan, a cosmopolitan for- et Muhammad. They also fended the appointment stitution in 1974 to declare and other religious minori-
mer cricket star who ran on support a harsh blasphemy of Mian, I looked behind Ahmadis non-Muslims. Ten ties will gain more promi-
a populist platform of com- law that prescribes death me and no one was there," years later, the govern- nence," he said.q
batting corruption, is the for anyone found guilty of Chaudhry said in an inter- ment declared it a crimi-
latest leader to give in. insulting Islam. view this week. "The prob- nal offense for Ahmadis to
In early September, he Rizvi's power was on dis- lem is that you know the "pose as Muslims." They are
appointed Atif Mian, a re- play last November when opposition will partner with forbidden from calling their
spected Princeton profes- he mobilized mass rallies the violence. You don't places of worship mosques
sor of economics, public over proposed electoral get the kind of support you and cannot sound the call
policy and finance, to an reforms that neglected to need." to prayer. Ahmadis have
economic advisory coun- mention Islam's prophet. Despite their poor showing even been punished for
cil. Just 72 hours later, Khan The two-week demonstra- at the polls, the religious using the common Arabic
sought Mian's resignation, tion paralyzed the capital, parties are "very effective," greeting "assalamu alei-
which the economist an- Islamabad, leading to the Chaudhry said. "They have kum," which means "peace
nounced on Twitter, saying sacking of a government the capacity to kill you. Ex- be upon you."
he was stepping down "for minister and the legisla- tremism here is a reality. We High Court Judge Shaukat
the sake of the stability of tion's revision. It may have cannot say it isn't," he said. Aziz Siddiqui recently issued
the government." also contributed to the rul- Moeed Yusuf, a scholar at a more than 170-page
"The government was fac- ing party's defeat in July. the Washington-based U. judgment that would force
ing a lot of adverse pressure The firebrand cleric had S. Institute of Peace, said Ahmadis to take further
regarding my appointment threatened to bring his "Pakistani society has be- steps to identify themselves
from the Mullahs (Muslim supporters into the streets come deeply intolerant publicly, which would ex-
clerics) and their support- again over Mian. and many more than we pose them to even greater