Faith and Inter-faith: Churches in Muslim countries

I always find it very discomforting reading about sanctions on building places of worship or attacks on such places. I feel a lot of sorrow whenever I read about a place of worship being attacked, damaged, demolished and disrespected.

Sacred Heart Church, Lahore, Pakistan has be repeatedly threatened.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Article
Source/Credit: Times of Malta
By Laiq Ahmed Atif | November 20, 2010

Churches, synago­gues and mosques are all places of worship where the name of God the creator and lord of the entire universe is oft-commemorated. Thus, they all are very sacred and holy and deserve to be respected and honoured fully, irrespective of the denomination to which they belong.

But, unfortunately, there are some countries that do not allow the building of churches, mosques or other places of worship on their territory. Also, there are some people who are not paying full respect to the places of worship that do not belong to them or which are not the symbols of their religion. However, I believe all places of worship, whatever the religion they belong to, whoever the worshipers, whatever the way they worship God, are sacred and holy and must be respected fully, in every country, in every part of the world and by all people.

Pakistan: Zardari stays execution of blasphemy accused Christian woman

The case has drawn huge attention in the media, and there is deep sympathy for Aasia Bibi. Several NGOs have called for repealing the blasphemy law because it was “being used by illiterate masses in rural areas to hoodwink the minorities”.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Daily India | Asian News International
By  ANI | November 18, 2010


Islamabad, Nov 20: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has stayed the execution of a Christian mother sentenced to death on charges of blasphemy.

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/409687.php
On Friday, Zardari directed the federal minister for minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, to submit a report in this regard within three days, The News reported.

The lawyer for the accused, SK Shahid, has already challenged the verdict in the Lahore High Court.

Earlier, a religious leader of the local mosque, Qari Saleem, had lodged an FIR against her for allegedly passing derogatory remarks against the Holy Prophet.

Indonesia: Ahmadiyah followers evicted again

“We have reported the matter to the regent, and next Friday he will conduct Friday prayers in Ketapang and provide guidance to residents. There’s no decision whatsoever now, but we have asked the Ahmadiyah members to leave Ketapang to prevent untoward matters from happening.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post | Headlines
By Panca Nugraha | November 20, 2010

West Lombok: Members of the Ahmadiyah sect, who returned to their homes in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, a few months ago after being evicted, were evicted once again on Friday following pressure from local villagers.

Dozens of Gegerung villagers converged at the village office on Friday and urged the village chief to immediately evict the Ahmadiyah members from Ketapang hamlet.

They voiced objection to the presence of the Ahmadiyah members to the Gegerung village chief, the Lingsar district head and police chief.

During the meeting held at the Gegerung village office, located around 3 kilometers from Ketapang hamlet, a number of Ahmadiyah followers began leaving their homes, especially women and children.

Minorities abused in Pakistan as no religious freedom: US

The annual US State Department Report on Global Religious Freedom, which was released by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday, said "organised violence against minorities have increased" in Pakistan.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: MSN News | India
By Agencies | November 18, 2010

Washington: The US on Thursday expressed concern over the discrimination against minorities in Pakistan, saying serious problems remain with regard to religious freedom in the country.

"There have been attacks against Christians, against the Ahmadis. There's still discriminatory laws on the books, blasphemy laws, anti-Ahmadi laws. We're raising these issues with the government of Pakistan," said Michael Posner, the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour.

Pakistan: Blasphemy laws -- Stopping the rot

The pattern involves one party targeting another, alleging blasphemy while the real motives are personal enmity or economic rivalry...

Photo: Reuters

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Asian Human Rights Commission
By Beena Sarwar | November 16, 2010

An article by Ms. Beena Sarwar published by the Asian Human Rights Commission

The introspection, debate and outrage generated a month ago by the attacks on two villages in Gojra on July 31 and Aug 1 may be out of public sight, as happened all too often in the past, but the nine people murdered and the homes and churches gutted are not out of mind. Neither is Najeeb Zafar, the young factory owner in Sheikhupura, Punjab, killed on August 4 for allegedly desecrating Quranic verses when he removed a calendar from a wall. The following day, police in Sanghar, Sindh, saved a similarly accused 60-year old woman, Akhtari Malkani by taking her in protective custody.

On the surface, these incidents were motivated by passions aroused by allegations of blasphemy or disrespect to the holy Quran. These criminal charges can be punishable by death – but this is a punishment for the state to administer, not private citizens. The real motivation remains settling scores, a pattern identified over twenty years ago when the first 'blasphemy murder' took place; that of the Punjabi poet and teacher Naiamat Ahmar in Faisalabad in 1992.

Indonesia: Ahmadiyah Families Again Forced to Flee in Lombok

On Friday, ..., following complaints from villagers opposing their presence in Gegerung, local authorities raided the homes of the remaining Ahmadiyah families, forcing them to flee once again with their belongings.

File Photo

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Jakarta Globe | November 20, 2010

Jakarta. More than four years after they were forced out of their village in West Lombok by their neighbors, 12 Ahmadiyah families are once again on the run.

Some 50 followers of Ahmadiyah, a minority Islamic sect, have been living in Gegerung village for the past three years — returning a year after they were first chased away when hard-liners attacked their homes in February 2006.

Twenty-two other families who fled Gegerung have since been living at a temporary shelter in Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara and main city on Lombok Island.

On Friday, however, following complaints from villagers opposing their presence in Gegerung, local authorities raided the homes of the remaining Ahmadiyah families, forcing them to flee once again with their belongings.

Pakistan: UPDATE | Gunmen open fire at Ahmadiyya mosque in Lahore

Ahmadis are a religious minority that are being targeted by terrorists. In May this year, at least 86 people were killed and over 200 injured when terrorists attacked Friday congregations of the Ahmadis in twin assaults in Lahore.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Express Tribune
By Express | Lahore | October 18, 2010
Edited by Ahmadiyya Times

The following is an update to Ahmadiyya Times news story reported earlier. [read here]

It was Eight people who started aerial firing outside an Ahmadi mosque in Lahore’s Mughalpura area on Friday, The Express Tribune reported.

According to the report, those who started the firing managed to escape after security guards deputed there opened retaliatory fire.

No casualty was reported.

The report further said that according to the administration of the Ahmadiyya community, CCTV cameras installed outside the building captured images of the eight miscreants.

Faith and Extremism: Serious problems remain in Pakistan on religious freedom: US

"Organised violence against minorities increased; for example, there was violence against Christians in Gojra, Punjab, and a terrorist attack on Ahmadis in Lahore, Punjab. "There were instances in which law enforcement personnel abused religious minorities in custody."

Anti-Ahmadi and Anti Christian graffiti

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Hindustan Times | World
By Press Trust Of India | November 18, 2010

Noting that serious problems remain in Pakistan with regard to religious freedom, the Obama Administration has expressed its concern over the existence of laws that are "discriminatory" against religious minorities. "There have been attacks against Christians, against the Ahmadis. There's still
discriminatory laws on the books, blasphemy laws, anti-Ahmadi laws.

"We're raising these issues with the government of Pakistan," assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and Labour, Michael Posner, said.

Posner was responding to questions after the release of the annual state department report on Global Religious Freedom by secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Faith and common sense: Truth is never extremist

A mother of five, who belonged to a minority religion, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy this week, which is also the first such conviction of a woman. The womans case dates back to 2009, when she was asked to fetch water, while working in the fields.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Trading Markets
Asia Pulse Data Source | November 12, 2010

The religion of Islam, as I understand it, lays great emphasis on all human beings being equal. Some of that teaching managed to get fudged because of living in the subcontinent where the Hindu faith does not consider the entire human race as equals and is divided in a caste system. Despite living in Pakistan, and for 63 years now, there continue to be Muslims here, who believe that allowing people belonging to minority faiths to touch their utensils and food items renders them impure. One has never heard a fatwa against such behaviour.

A mother of five, who belonged to a minority religion, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy this week, which is also the first such conviction of a woman. The womans case dates back to 2009, when she was asked to fetch water, while working in the fields. A group of Muslim women labourers objected saying that she could not touch the water bowl. A few days later, some women went to a local cleric and alleged that she had made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The cleric went to the local police and opened an investigation. She was arrested and prosecuted under Section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries the death penalty.