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GENERAL APPEAL (Pakistan): Recent suppression of Ahmadi sect of Islam in Punjab

September 21, 2006

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ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

22 September 2006
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UG-017-2006: PAKISTAN: Recent suppression of Ahmadi sect of Islam in Punjab

PAKISTAN: Violation against religious minority; suppression of the freedom of expression; discrimination; un-rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission has been informed about two separate incidents against the religious minority called Ahmadi sect in Punjab province, Pakistan. In one case, the Daily Al-Fazal run by Ahmadi sect was banned by the Punjab government for the reason of disseminating "hate-literature". In another case, about 100 Ahmadis of Jhando Sahi village in Daska fled their homes due to a mob attack. The police were allegedly present but did not take any action against the attackers. The Ahmadi sector has been persecuted after being declared as a non-Muslim group through a constitutional amendment 30 years ago.

In the first incident, the government of Punjab Province banned a century-old newspaper Daily Al-Fazal, which was published by Ahmadi sect and raided its office in Chenabnagar, Chiniot District, Punjab, Pakistan on 10 September 2006. Chenab Nagar (Rabwah) police raided the newspaper office, arrested the printer Mr. Sultan Dogar and a journalist Mr. Abdul Sattar Khan and lodged cases under 298B and 298C of the Pakistan Penal Code, 16 Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and 9 the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) against them. The police also confiscated all the publications and sealed the offices. Mr. Khan was later released but Mr. Dogar is still in detention.

The Daily Al- Fazal was founded in 1911, and is one of the oldest newspapers in Pakistan.  No previous ban had been imposed until this incident. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Saeed Tatla, the raid was a part of the government's campaign to confiscate religious "hate-literature".

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the police accused the newspaper of preaching Qadiyani beliefs and describing Ahamdis as Muslims, which is against the law.  According to the local newspaper report, Inspector Muhammad Yasir, Station House Officer (SHO) of Chenab Nagar police, said that the Punjab additional Inspector General (Operations) had ordered them to confiscate four issues of Alfazal and take action against the editor, printer and publisher of the newspaper. The police reportedly conducted several raids on different houses to arrest the editor and the publisher but failed to arrest them. During the raids, the police allegedly took some of the editor's relatives illegally in exchange of his arrest. 

Prior to this incident, a mob attacked Ahmadi residents in Jhando Sahi village in Daska near Sialkot district, Punjab province on 24 June 2006, after allegations of the desecration of the Holy Quran. The report was typical propaganda that Ahmadi men were seen allegedly burning pages of the Quran in public. The report was repeated in Punjab province three times in one week. The police arrested the accused Ahmedis but the mob got together and started burning houses, shops and vehicles of Ahmadis in Jhando Sahi village. It is alleged that prior to the incident, the Muslim clerics had declared Ahmadis non Muslims and encouraged a mob attack announcing through the mosques that non Muslims should not be allowed to live among the Muslims.

Two Ahmadis were reportedly injured and about 100 Ahmadi villagers fled their homes where they had lived for the last 60 years. The police were present during this attack but reportedly did not take any action against the attackers. It is also alleged that the police also refused to record the complaint of Ahmadi villagers regarding the incident and subsequently no proper investigation have been launched into the case.  

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

According to the government's sources, among the whole population, 77% are Sunni Muslim, 20% are Shi'a Muslim, 1.5% are Christian and 1.5% are Ahmadis, Hindus, Zikris or others.

The Ahmadi sector is a religious minority that considers itself the purest form of Islam, but which has been persecuted as a non-Muslim group by Pakistan's Islamic government, which declared the sect beyond the faith by a constitutional amendment 30 years ago. One: A Pakistani political party, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), has filed a motion demanding a debate on the government's deletion of religious information from electronic passports, claiming that the removal was an Ahmadi conspiracy to circumvent a ban on non-Muslims entering Mecca. Two: A Pakistani man, and recent convert to the Ahmedi sect, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for "being disrespectful to the Prophet Muhammad" under the country's draconian blasphemy laws which Amnesty International has described as "'so vaguely formulated that they encourage, and in fact invite, the persecution of religious minorities or non-conforming members of Muslim majority.'" (Information source: http://www.religioustolerance.org/aboutus.htm)

In 1984 came the 295-C clause, usually referred to as the blasphemy law. It rather sweepingly stipulates that "derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet . . . either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly . . . shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine." Six years later, the stakes were raised when the Federal Sharia Court, where cases having to do with Islamic issues tend to be heard, ruled, "The penalty for contempt of the Holy Prophet . . . is death and nothing else." So far, none of the convicted has been executed, in part because scheduling an execution can take years. But lynch mobs have killed several of the accused. (Information source: Pakistan's Blasphemy Law: Words Fail Me by AKBAR S. AHMED, The Washington Post, May 19, 2002. Page B01)

SUGGESTIED ACTION:
Please write a letter to the relevant Pakistan authorities listed below and demand their urgent intervention into these two incidents. Please also urge the Pakistan government to protect the media freedom and the right of religion of its citizens. 

To support this appeal, please click:

Sample Letter:

Dear __________,

PAKISTAN: Recent suppression of Ahmadi sect of Islam in Punjab province

CASE 1
Victims:
1. Mr. Sultan Dogar, the printer of the Daily Al-Fazal run by Ahmadi sect, still being detained
2. Mr. Abdul Sattar Khan, journalist of the Daily Al-Fazal, arrested and later released
** the Daily Al-Fazal newspaper office was raided by the police and banned for "disseminating hate-literature".
Alleged perpetrators:
1. Inspector Muhammad Yasir, Station House Officer (SHO) and officers of Chenab Nagar police
2. Punjab additional Inspector General (Operations)
Date of incident: 10 September 2006

CASE 2
Victims: About 100 Ahmadi residents in Jhando Sahi village in Daska near Sialkot district, Punjab province, Pakistan
Alleged perpetrators:  A Muslim mob of Jhando Sahi village
Date of incident: 24 June 2006

I am deeply concerned by the recent two incidents against Ahmadi sector in Punjab province, Pakistan. The Ahmadi sect has been persecuted after being declared as a non-Muslim group through a constitutional amendment 30 years ago.

According to the information I have received, a century-old newspaper Daily Al-Fazal, which was published by Ahmadi sect and has been banded and raided by the Chenab Nagar (Rabwah) police in Chenabnagar, Chiniot District, Punjab, Pakistan on 10 September 2006. The printer Mr. Sultan Dogar and a journalist Mr. Abdul Sattar Khan were arrested and charged under 298B and 298C of the Pakistan Penal Code, 16 Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and 9 the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA). Mr. Khan was later released but Mr. Dogar is still in detention. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the newspaper was accused of preaching Qadiyani beliefs and describing Ahamdis as Muslims, which is against the law. The police also reportedly conducted several raids on different houses to arrest the editor and the publisher and allegedly took some of the editor's relatives illegally in exchange of his arrest. 

Prior to this incident, a mob attacked Ahmadi residents in Jhando Sahi village in Daska near Sialkot district, Punjab province on 24 June 2006, after allegations of desecration of the Holy Quran. The Muslim mob burned houses, shops and vehicles of Ahmadis in Jhando Sahi village.
Two Ahmadis were reportedly injured and about 100 Ahmadi villagers fled their homes. The police were presented during this attack but reportedly did not take any action against the attackers. It is also alleged that the police also refused to record the complaint of Ahmadi villagers regarding the incident and subsequently no proper investigation have been launched into the case.  

These incidents breach the freedom of expression, the freedom of religion and right of housing that are guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan. I am afraid that these are not isolated cases of persecution against Ahmadi sector. For example, a Pakistani man, and recent convert to the Ahmedi sect, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for "being disrespectful to the Prophet Muhammad" under the country's draconian blasphemy laws.

In light of above, I strongly urge you to ensue that the ban imposed against the Daily Al-Fazal is removed and that charges framed those arrested are withdrawn as soon as possible. I also urge you to ensure the freedom of expression & religion of the Ahmadi sector. I also urge you to order a prompt and impartial investigation into a mob attack to Ahmadi residents in Jhando Sahi village and take action against those responsible. An inquiry should also be conducted about the police inaction about this incident and appropriate disciplinary action must be followed against the responsible police officers. Lastly, I urge the Government of Pakistan to abolish the blasphemy law and reform discriminatory legislation in order to protect the rights of religious minorities.   

Yours truly,


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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:

1. Lt. General Khalid Maqbool
Governor of Punjab
Governor House
Mall Road, Lahore
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 9200023
E-mail: governor.sectt@punjab.gov.pk

2. Choudhry Pervez Ihhahi
Chief Minister of Punjab
Chief Minister House
Lahore
PAKISTAN
5. Secretary of Law and Parliamentary Government of Punjab
Punjab Secretariat
Ravi Road
Lahore
PAKISTAN
E-mail: law@punjab.gov.pk

3. Chief Secretary of Government of Punjab
Punjab Secretariat
Lahore
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 7324489
E-mail chiefsecy@punjab.gov.pk

4. Mr. Khusro Pervez Khan
Home secretary
Punjab Secretariat
Lahore
PAKISTAN
E-mail: home@punjab.gov.pk

5. General Pervez Musharraf
President
President's Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
E-mail: (please see - <http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx>http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx)

6. Mr. Muhammad Wasi Zafar
Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights
S Block
Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2628
E-Mail: minister@molaw.gov.pk

7. Mr. Mohammad Ijaz ul Haq
Zakat & Ushr Wing
Minister of Religious Affairs
Near GPO, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 921 4856
E-mail: minister@mra.gov.pk or infor@mra.gov.pk 

8. Mr. Ambeyi Ligabo
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
c/o J Deriviero
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9177
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION)


Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal General
Document ID :
UG-017-2006
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Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries.  Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings.  Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. 

Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere.  People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. 

Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person.  And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.

There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances.  Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly.  In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate.  Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.

In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates.  For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.

Changing society

In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors.  Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money.  Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.

Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost.  In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.

Practical action

The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action.  If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.   

At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government.   However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:

"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."

Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies.  The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.