Sargodha; January 2023: International Human Rights Committee issued the following Incident Report on January 08, 2023. We reproduce it below verbatim for benefit of all concerned. However first we translate the relevant extract of the mulla’s address:
“To eat, drink, sit, stand, doing business, to be with them in their moment of sadness and moment of happiness, to buy things from their shop, to give them things from your shop, to hire them as salesman, all these things fall under the category of being Haraam. If a Mirzai passes away, his funeral should not be offered, if he falls ill he should not be attended, if he is found fallen down on the road he should not be taken to hospital, and if his house catches fire in your neighborhood, if possible you may pour petrol on it, not water. The rights of minorities are for Christians, Jews, Sikhs, and Hindus — not for them. There cannot be any concession to Mirzaiat and Qadianiat.”
INCIDENT REPORT
“POUR PETROL ON HIS HOUSE, NOT WATER”: PAKISTANI MULLAH INCITES DEATH ON AHMADI MUSLIMS
In another major escalation of anti-Ahmadiyya sentiment in Pakistan, a radical religious cleric has called for a total boycott of Ahmadi Muslims. In a speech by Syed Muhammad Sibtain Shah Naqvi (Patron Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadees, Punjab; Founder and Principal of Markaz Imam Bukhari Sargodha), he went to the inhumane extent of saying, “if an Ahmadi’s house is on fire, you should pour petrol on it, not water”. This egregious and toxic statement risks influencing impressionable youth in an environment already extremely hostile to Ahmadi Muslims who have every basic human right stripped away from them in the country. Their voice is being suffocated as Ahmadi representatives are being de-platformed at events and educational institutions. Last year saw a violent and cynical escalation of anti-Ahmadiyya activities with grievous murders, gravestones vandalized and mosques attacked. Now the New Year begins with fresh calls for violence, hatred and inhumane action against Ahmadis, in unrelenting systemic persecution against the peaceful and charitable Ahmadiyya Muslims Community.
The cleric went on to claim that minority rights apply to Jews, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus but not to Ahmadis. “The rights of the minorities are for the Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus and it is not for them. There cannot be any relaxation with Mirzaiat and Qadianiat.” He said: “To eat, drink, sit, stand, do business, to be with them in their moment of sadness and moment of happiness, to buy things from their shop, to give them things from your shop, to hire them as salesmen all these things fall under the category of being Haraam.” The mullah went on further dehumanize Ahmadis in a sickening and twisted speech which echoes the worst crimes of ostracisation and ‘othering’ seen in human history. “If a Mirzai (derogatory term for Ahmadis) passes away his funeral should not be offered, if he falls ill he should not be attended, if he is found fallen down on the road he should not be taken to the hospital, if his house catches fire while he is living in your neighborhood, and if possible you can pour petrol on it, not water.” This level of dehumanization is not only against international human rights but every basic human and moral principles. It reeks of extreme hatred, prejudice and venom. This kind of rhetoric continues in Pakistan with authorities turning a blind eye. Anti-Ahmadiyya laws give license for such degraded sentiment to flourish with impunity. The international community is urged to pressure the government of Pakistan to afford Ahmadi Muslims the same basic standards of human rights and protection of minorities offered to others and enshrined in international human rights laws. On July 13, 2021, UN human rights experts expressed their deep concern over the lack of attention to the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Ahmadiyya community around the world and called on the international community to step up efforts in bringing an end to the ongoing persecution of Ahmadis. 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 inciters 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.
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