Spreading hatred

I would like to bring to your attention a recent event that has gotten little or no coverage in Pakistan and the international media so far. A group called All-Pakistan Students Khatm-e-Nubuwat Federation is handing out vile, hate fuelled pamphlets calling for outright murder of the already persecuted Ahmadiya community in the city of Faisalabad. The pamphlet lists Ahmadi industrialists, doctors and prominent businesses calling “to shoot such people is an act of jihad and to kill such people is an act of sawab (blessing).” This is an obvious attempt to incite violence against a minority and cannot be ignored under the guise of freedom of speech. It targets individuals and should be seen as liable in the eyes of the law. Sadly, the Ahmadiya community was declared non-Muslim in Pakistan’s 1973 Constitution and it provides many of these zealous organisations the legitimacy they need to spread their hate.
The Umoor-e-Aama Jama’at Ahmadiyya in Faisalabad has already approached the authorities warning them of the mayhem that could ensue but no action has been taken against the organisation distributing this hate material in the cities commercial districts. The authorities in spite of having received information regarding these pamphlets claim to have no knowledge of them and keep ignoring the emails that have been sent to them by the Jama’t’s secretary Mahmood Ahamad.
Given that there is no political will for the Punjab government and its law enforcement agencies to take action against this, I urge the international community to weigh in on the matter and put pressure on the Punjab government to take action against the Khatm-e-Nubuwat Federation. It is irresponsible for the government to ignore these blatant threats that could lead to mass murder of many innocent civilians.
I would also like to see more media outlets print the story as it may help spur the government into taking action. To quote Martin Luther King: “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
MEERA GHANI
A concerned citizen