FROM THE PRESS DESK

34 FROM THE PRESS DESK MURDEROUS ATTACKS ON AHMADI MUSLIMS. An Ahmadi Muslim Mr. Hanif Khan and his son Islam Khan, both of village Jalalah, Distt. Sialkot had been charged under sections 298 C (punishable with three years imprisonment) and 295 C (punishable with death). As they were returning from the court in Narowal, shots were fired at them. The injured were taken to Narowal Hospital, but were refused admission.’ They were then transported to the Civil Hospital Sialkot, some fifty miles away. Initially the authorities there too refused to admit them for treatment. In Gambit, Sind, two persons lured an Ahmadi doctor Zafar Ali into a trap on the pretext that a patient needed attention at some distance away. On the way they fired at him. Fifty five years old doctor was hit in the arm. He ran towards the nearby canal, jumped into it and swam towards the opposite bank, where he lay bleeding for about one and a half hour before a passerby came to his rescue and rushed him to the local hospital. SIX MONTHS FOR WRITING: “In the Name of Allah, Most Beneficent, ever Merciful”. An Ahmadi Muslim, Malik Mubaraka Ahmad of Attok had printed invitation cards for his daughter’s wedding on top of which were written “In the name of God. Most Beneficent, Ever Merciful” as is customary to do so on these cards. A case was brought against him in the court of magistrate Malik Tariq Javed. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment. AHMADI MUSLIMS DISMISSED FROM THEIR JOBS 1. The Manager of the Quetta Mills, Kotri, Sind Province summoned an Ahmadi Muslim employee, Mr. Naseer Ahmad, in his office recently and told him that they had tolerated the presence of an Ahmadi in their company for too long and it wa’s time for him to leave. He was consequently dismissed. This came after mullahs of the area held a meeting in the city inciting the public against the Ahmadis. FROM THE PRESS DBS 35 2. Hameedullah Jaskani Baluch, an Ahmadi Muslim from Karachi, had been serving in the Pakistan Air Force as a senior technician for almost thirteen years. His letter of dismissal, NO. AIR HQ 22879/26/ADP (Mng), dated 22nd February, 1988 stated: “Since you have renounced Islam, you are, therefore, dismissed from service under section 20(1) of P. A.F. Act 1953, on the government directive.” 3. “The President of Pakistan General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq has Sent the case of the dismissal of 328 Qadiani non Muslim, army officers to the Secretary Establishment Division for necessary action. These officers, he maintained, do not believe in Jihad, the religious wars. The Director of the President Secretariat’, President house Islamabad, Hafiz Khalid Mahmood has sent a memorandum to this effect to the Secretary Information International Majlis Khatme Nabuwat, Maulvi Faqir Muhammad. Earlier the case was sent to the P. S. Department Branch of the General Headquarters, but General Ghulam Mohyuddin returned the case to the President House with the note that the dismissal of Qadiani military officers be sent to the Ministry concerned.” (Daily, Jang, London dated 30th April- 1st May 1988). FINED FOR WRITING KALIMA ON THE WALL OF HIS HOUSE: Mr. Rafiq Ahmad, resident of Rabwah, District Jhang, was sentenced till the rising of the court and fined rupees 200 for writing Kalima i.e. There is none worthy of worship except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, on the walls of his house. A CASE AGAINST AN AHMADI ADVOCATE: Mirza Abdul Haq, an eminent Ahmadi Advocate and Provincial Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Punjab was charged under section 298C a few days ago as the Kalima ( Declaration of Ahmadi Muslim faith) was found written in his house. • Another Ahmadi Muslim, Mr. Rashid Ahmad Khan, was arrested in Sangarh, Sind Province, under section 298 C because the Arabic words” God is sufficient for his servant” were written on the front of his house. FIVE AHMADI MUSLIMS CHARGED FOR TAKING PART IN PRAYER. Five Ahmadi Muslims, resident of Chak 152, Distt. Sargodha were 36 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS charged with the ‘crimes’ of calling the Azan (call to prayer) and taking part in congregational prayer. AHMADIYYA MOSQUES BEING ATTACKED IN PAKISTAN: According to the latest reports reaching here from Pakistan a police party broke into the Ahmadiyya mosque Khushab, Pakistan, late one evening and removed the Kalima inscription i.e. “There is none worthy of worship except God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God’, from the mosque for the eighth time. In Gogej, Sind, 200 local mullahs took out a procession and made extremely provocative speeches against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Later the local magistrate along with 30-35 mullahs raided the local Ahmadiyya mosque, took away 28 copies” of the Quran, and sealed the mosque. In another village Khando, Sind, the Ahmadiyya mosque was attacked, and the attackers broke the furniture, smashed the door and the windows. They also took away the copies of the Holy Quran and other religious literature from the building. A spokesman of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association U. K. Mr. Rashid Ahmad Chaudhary, stated: “It seems that the magistrates and the police of Pakistan have no other duty except to go round and desecrate the Ahmadiyya mosques.’ He said: “The Government of Pakistan has unashamedly usurped the fundamental rights of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community four years ago, and has since applied the ridiculous clauses of the Ordinance 20 to curb the religious freedom of four million of its people”. (For further information please contact Mr. Chaudhary Rashid Ahmad, Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, 16/18 Gressenhall Road, London SW18 SQL, Tel: 01-870 8517 ext. 147)