Pakistan: The Blasphemy Law and the minorities

A 1974 constitutional amendment declares that Ahmadis are non-Muslims. Section 298(c), commonly referred to as the “anti-Ahmadi laws,” prohibits Ahmadis from calling themselves Muslims, referring to their religious beliefs as Islam, preaching or propagating their religious beliefs, inviting others to accept Ahmadi teachings, ... [thus] insulting the religious feelings of Muslims.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Lanka Web | AMJ Sri Lanka.
By A. Abdul Aziz | November 28, 2011

Pakistan is a country that has invoked laws of hatred against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community which prevent its members in Pakistan from basic acts of worship. The blasphemy laws are one of the many ways in which the government of Pakistan severely violates the internationally guaranteed right to religious freedom. Pakistan’s “Blasphemy Law” makes the death penalty mandatory for blasphemy. These laws require no evidence to be presented after allegations are made and no proof of intent, and contain no penalty for leveling false allegations, they are easily used by extremists to intimidate members of religious minorities and others with whom they disagree.  They are also often used by the unscrupulous simply to carry out a vendetta or gain an advantage over another. Pakistan’s penal code explicitly discriminates against religious minorities and targets Ahmadis in particular by prohibiting them from “indirectly or directly posing as a Muslim”.

The country is an Islamic republic. Islam is the state religion, and the Constitution requires that laws be consistent with Islam. The Constitution states that “subject to law, public order, and morality, every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and propagate his religion;” in practice the Government imposes limits on freedom of religion.


Specific laws that discriminate against religious minorities include anti-Ahmadiyya and blasphemy laws that provide the death penalty for defiling Islam or its prophets. The Ahmadiyya community continued to face governmental and societal discrimination and legal bars to the practice of its religious beliefs.

Ahmadis, who are legally prohibited from identifying themselves as Muslims, generally choose to not identify themselves as non-Muslims.

The Pakistan Constitution establishes Islam as the state religion. It also declares that adequate provisions shall be made for minorities to profess and practice their religious beliefs freely; however, the Government imposes limits on freedom of religion, particularly on Ahmadiyya Community.

A 1974 constitutional amendment declares that Ahmadis are non-Muslims. Section 298(c), commonly referred to as the “anti-Ahmadi laws,” prohibits Ahmadis from calling themselves Muslims, referring to their religious beliefs as Islam, preaching or propagating their religious beliefs, inviting others to accept Ahmadi teachings, or insulting the religious feelings of Muslims. The punishment for violation of the Section is imprisonment for up to three years and a fine.

The Government designates religious affiliation on passports and requests religious information in national identity card applications. A citizen must have a national identity card to vote. Those wishing to be listed as Muslims must swear their belief that the Prophet Muhammad is the final prophet and denounce the Ahmadiyya Community’s founder as a false prophet and his followers as non-Muslims, a provision designed to discriminate against Ahmadis. As a result, Ahmadis continued to boycott elections.

District-level authorities consistently refused to grant permission to construct non-Muslim places of worship, especially for Ahmadiyya Community, citing the need to maintain public order. There is no official restriction on the construction of Ahmadiyya places of worship; however, Ahmadis are forbidden from calling them mosques. District governments often refuse to grant Ahmadis permission to hold events publicly; therefore, they hold their meetings in members’ homes. The Government can shut down these gatherings if neighbors report hearing the recitation of Qur’anic verses.

Muslim students must declare in writing that they believe that the Prophet Muhammad is the final prophet, another measure that singles out Ahmadis.

The Government does not restrict religious publishing in general; however, the sale of Ahmadi religious literature is banned.

Since 1983 Ahmadis have been prohibited from holding public conferences or gatherings and from holding their annual conference. Ahmadis are banned from preaching and were prohibited from traveling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj or other religious pilgrimages.

 As mentioned the Pakistan Constitution guarantees the right to establish places of worship and train clergy, but in practice these rights were restricted for Ahmadis

Due to the passport requirements to list religious affiliation and denounce the Ahmadi prophet, Ahmadis were restricted from going on the Hajj because they were unable to declare themselves as Muslims.

Promotions for all minority groups appeared limited within the civil service. These problems were particularly acute for Ahmadis, who contended that a “glass ceiling” prevented their promotion to senior positions and that certain government departments refused to hire or retain qualified Ahmadis.

Since the promulgation of anti-Ahmadi laws in 1984, number of Ahmadis has been killed in Pakistan on religious grounds.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam was founded in 1889 in a small town Qadian, in Punjab, India.  Its founder, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) claimed to be the Promised Reformer of the age.  Ahmadiyya

Muslim Community stands for the brotherhood of mankind and tries to establish peace on earth through love, persuasion and tolerance.  It is a spiritual Community and has no political agenda.

Ahmadi Muslims follow five pillars (Basic Principles) of Islam and six Articles of Faith in Islam.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has prospered throughout the world in 200 countries expounding and practicing its motto ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’.

Speaking during his weekly address, (delivered at: Baithul Futuh, Mordon, U.K. on 11th November 2011) His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Head of the World-wide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has spoken in length on the ongoing persecution faced by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan, Indonesia and some other Islamic Countries.

His Holiness remarked in this sermon that the persecution has now spread to innocent Ahmadi school children who are told that they cannot stay in their schools because they are disbelievers. The only option given to them is to be abusive about the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Community – Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). If a school headmaster or the owner of a private school shows some decency, he is told that if Ahmadi children attend a school, they would not send their children and would have the school closed……………..

Please go through the following link to view this Sermon in video format or in text.

http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/
http://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/20111111.html#summary-tab

Finally, we urge the International Community and Human Rights Organizations to pressurize the Government of Pakistan to repeal the Blasphemy law existing in the country.


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