Pakistan: 'No party can dare to amend Blasphemy Law': Pervez Elahi

... [N]o amendment in the Namoos-e-Reslat (Peace be Upon Him) law was acceptable to the people of Pakistan as the Muslims of Pakistan valued Namoos-e-Reslat (Peace be Upon Him) more than their lives.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Online News
By Online News | January 31, 2011

LAHORE: Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Senior central leader of the Pakistan Muslim League has said that they curse that assembly which dares to amend Namoos-e-Reslat (Peace be Upon Him) law and their party will be the first to quit such an assembly.

The united front formed to protect “Namoos-e-Reslat (Peace be Upon Him) the coming days will play an even more meaningful and effective role in exposing the hypocrisy’s of the rulers. We have not adopted double standards unlike the rulers and our children and assets are of no consequence in the defence of Namoos-e-Reslat (Peace be Upon Him).

The rulers sitting in Islamabad and Lahore can never succeed in stopping us in this mission. Chaudhry Parvez Elahi expressed these views in a speech at a grand rally organized in Lahore today under the aegis of Tahreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat (Peace be Upon Him).

Pakistan: Court asks review of social networking websites for blasphemy

A report submitted by Ministry of Information Technology said that an inter-ministerial committee is working to stop the display of objectionable material on websites, including Facebook.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: MSN News | PTI
By M Zulqernain | January 28, 2011

Lahore, Jan 28 (PTI) A Pakistani court has directed the Foreign Ministry to inform it about steps that have been taken to raise the issue of blasphemous caricatures and material against the Prophet Mohammed and Quran at the international level.

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry issued the order while hearing a petition against social networking website Facebook and other websites for allegedly hosting blasphemous content.

The petition, filed by lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique, asked the court to direct the government to take steps for blocking such websites in Pakistan.

Indonesia: FPI Thugs Hound Ahmadiyah in South Sulawesi

Photo: Members of the Ahmadiyah community in Makassar, including 36 women and children, being forcibly evacuated from their provincial office by police on Saturday. (Antara Photo/Yusran Uccang)

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Rahmat | January 31, 2011

Makassar. Dozens of members of the Ahmadiyah sect were forcibly moved by police on Saturday after Muslim hard-liners blockaded their provincial office in South Sulawesi’s capital.

The Ahmadiyah center had since Friday been the subject of demonstrations by members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), who demanded that the sect disband within 24 hours or risk the group’s wrath.

The protest came as Ahmadiyah members were holding an annual prayer gathering called Jalzah Salanah.

After hours of protests on Friday, the mob returned on Saturday evening, led by local FPI head Habib Reza, and repeated their demands for the Ahmadiyah to disband, calling members of the minority Islamic sect kafir (nonbelievers) and deviants.

USA: Opinion - Peace really amounts to justice | Imam Shamshad Nasir

"If you want that God should be pleased with you in Heaven, unite and be one, like two brothers from the same mother. Nobler is he among you who forgives the sins of his brother, and doomed is he who is stubborn and does not forgive."

Imam Shamshad A. Nasir, Baitul Hameed Mosque, Chino, California

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Daily Bulletin | Articles
By Imam Shamshad A. Nasir January 30, 2011

At the beginning of each new year, the perfunctory calls for peace and happiness are heard the world over. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but upon closer examination, one finds the sentiments devoid of meaning without some concrete morality and methodology to secure and maintain this longed-for peace and happiness.

It has been observed by others more knowledgeable than I that peace is not the absence of disagreements or conflicts between peoples, communities and nations, but the presence of justice in the resolution of their disagreements and conflicts. Being just is the duty and responsibility of each and every one of us, not a quality to be expected in our leaders but not in ourselves. The well-known expression "Peace begins with me" should also include the practice of justice, for without that, there is never true peace.

USA: 'Most North Texans seem curious, not judgmental of my religious expression'

The very first day that I started to observe purdah, we went out to a Mexican restaurant in Allen for dinner. I knew it would be a good test to see how people would react. There were some stares, but on the whole, it was a good experience.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Dallas News | Opinion
By Saima Sheikh | January 28, 2011

Someone recently sent me an article titled, “Muslim Women Gain Higher Profile in U.S.” The article covered many topics, and one of them was wearing hijab or observing purdah by American Muslim women.

A lot of people have a misconception that Muslim women are forced to wear the hijab. That is why few governments have taken it upon themselves to liberate women of this so-called “backwardness.” One of the women interviewed in that article talked about her experiences after she started to wear the hijab in her 30s. This gave me the courage to share with you my experiences.

Before I begin, I would like to explain that the word “purdah” is also used to describe the concept and practice of hijab. The Holy Quran requires that Muslim women dress modestly, cover their heads and wear an outer garment to conceal their beauty from strangers.

USA: "Muslims for Peace" Symposium

"We've got people who are from the different denominations that are represented here and then we have people who don't even believe in God and want to just find out about what the different faiths mean and it's just a way of us all coming together and realizing how much we've got in common and, really, how little divides us."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: FOX 23 | News
By Paul Merrill | January 30, 2011

People of all faiths attended a "Muslims for Peace" symposium in Loudonville on Sunday to promote understanding and enlightenment.

The title of the event was "In Pursuit of Peace and Harmony."

The three-hour-long symposium was part of the "Muslims for Peace" campaign - a nationwide effort to denounce extremism and terrorism.

Speakers from different religions spoke to a crowd of approximately 100 people.

USA: Faith symposium promotes peace | Religious leaders meet to discuss building bridges to understanding

Mahdi says he is wary of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic movement founded in Egypt which he fears may come into power if Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak steps down. Mahdi says the group is too extreme and would not provide a lifestyle any more favorable than that of Mubarak's autocratic reign.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Times Union
By Bryan Fitsgerald | January 31, 2011

ALBANY -- At an interfaith gathering organized by a Muslim community, held inside a Hindu temple, a Christian reverend turned and posed a question to a rabbi sandwiched between a Buddhist philosopher and a local Sikh leader.

"What do you think is the most powerful way to achieve world peace?" the Rev. Elanor Stanton said.

"Through relationships, not through politics," Rabbi Yaakov Kellman replied. "If we don't have relationships, we do not look at one another."

The theme of Sunday's symposium at the Hindu Temple Society of the Capital District on Albany Shaker Road was a "pursuit of peace and world harmony."

Fear Extreme Islamists in the Arab World? Blame Washington

When U.S. media glibly talk about the Egyptian and Tunisian "presidents" being valued "allies in the war on terror," it's no surprise they offer no details about the prisoners the U.S. has renditioned to these "pro-Western" countries for torture.   

Image: The American

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: CommonDreams.org
By Jeff Cohen | January 29, 2011

In the last year of his life, Martin Luther King Jr. questioned U.S. military interventions against progressive movements in the Third World by invoking a JFK quote: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

Were he alive to witness the last three decades of U.S. foreign policy, King might update that quote by noting: "Those who make secular revolution impossible will make extreme Islamist revolution inevitable."

For decades beginning during the Cold War, U.S. policy in the Islamic world has been aimed at suppressing secular reformist and leftist movements.

Indonesia: Ahmadiyah activity back to normal after FPI threat

“Prayer and religious discussion are our obligation. We can’t stop these activities just because of a threat,” South Sulawesi Ahmadiyah leader Jamaluddin said, adding that Ahmadiyah would take a legal action against FPI following its threat.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post
By Andi Ajramurni | January 30, 2011

Ahmadiyah followers in Makassar returned to their daily activities on Sunday after police had evacuated them by force due to threats from the Islamic Defender Front (FPI).

“Prayer and religious discussion are our obligation. We can’t stop these activities just because of a threat,” South Sulawesi Ahmadiyah leader Jamaluddin said, adding that Ahmadiyah would take a legal action against FPI following its threat.

Ahmadiyah would also report the intimidation to the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas-HAM) and the Legal Aid Institute (LBH).

Jamaluddin said the FPI not only threatened Ahmadiyah followers, but also destroyed some of their facilities.

Read original post here: Ahmadiyah activity back to normal after FPI threat

Global Muslim population gains will outstrip non-Muslim growth over the next 20 years

The analysis could fuel critics of Islam in Europe and the United States, who argue that the religion is at odds with Western values and worry that the number of Muslim extremists is on the rise. Or it could calm those fears by providing evidence that Muslim populations in the West will remain relatively tiny.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Washington Post
By Michelle Boorstein | January 27, 2011

The world's Muslim population will grow at double the rate of non-Muslims over the next 20 years, according to a broad new demographic analysis that is likely to spark controversy in Europe and the United States.

If current trends continue, the study found, the number of Muslims in the United States will more than double, from 2.6 million in 2010 to 6.2 million in 2030. The percentage of native-born Muslims in the U.S. is projected to rise from 35 percent today to 45 percent in 2030.

The Future of the Global Muslim Population may be the first to attempt to map the Muslim population of most of the world's countries. The analysis was conducted by two giant nonprofit groups interested in religion: the Pew Research Center and the John Templeton Foundation.

Faith and common sense: “Only prayers backed with action can stem religious crisis in Nigeria” | Dr.Mashhud Fashola

God will call our leaders to book. He will judge them for their actions or inactions. If only they can train and equip the teeming youths who are wallowing in joblessness, poverty and idleness to maintain peace; young people that will be trained to protect lives and defend the innocent without bias.

Dr. Mashhud Adenrele Fashola

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Nigerian Compass
By NC Staff | January 30, 2011

The incessant attacks by religious fanatics in the country have continued to be a serious concern to both the government and ordinary citizens. Responsibility for the last attack in Jos, Plateau State, in particular has been linked to the Boko Haram, an anti-Western education Islamic sect. In this interview with SEGUN OTOKITI, Dr.Mashhud Adenrele Fashola, the Amir of Ahmadiyya Muslim Nigeria, says he sees the religious crises in the North as outside the usual Muslim-Christian borders. He shares his view on what he thinks the real problem is.

The recent religious killings in the North is believed by many to have been perpetrated by an Islamic sect, Boko Haram. How do you feel about this as an Islamic leader?

It is very unfortunate that the devil has captured mankind. It is also very sad. We do not know the source of these bomb blasts. But as far as I am concerned, it is not Islamic. Islam teaches that a Muslim is the best human being, someone who is peace loving and benevolent to all, regardless of tribe or religion. In many verses of the Quran, it is stated that let there be no compulsion in the matters of religion.

Pakistan: Bananas | Go America, or Go to America? What gives?

...[F]or long, a number of Pakistan’s staunch anti-West defenders of the faith and sovereignty have had close relatives, children and siblings settled in various western countries, while they urge Pakistanis to rise against ‘US slavery’ and to ‘crush America.’

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Daily Dawn | Pakistan
By Nadeem F. Paracha | January 30, 2011

For long, many Pakistanis have wondered just how do certain Pakistani media men and religious leaders who have turned the obsessive act of badmouthing the US, Jews and liberals into a robust cottage industry, manage to travel so frequently to the US. Well, it seems the days of curiosity in this respect may be coming to an end. According to a front-page story in Dawn last Friday, four US Congressmen have asked Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, to refuse visas to those Pakistanis who are on record praising the killer of former Governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer.

There are reports that the US government is now seriously contemplating refusing visas to a number of Pakistani media personnel, lawyers and religious leaders who have been reported to have condoned the ghastly murder. These also include TV and print journalists and religious leaders who travel regularly to the US (and Europe). Most Pakistanis who were shocked by the jubilant reactions of certain people at Taseer’s assassination have squarely hailed the report of a possible US visa ban on these men and women.

Indonesia: Police evacuate Ahmadiyah followers amid threat from hardliners

Police officers broke into the mosque's locked door at 9:15 p.m. local time and took out all the members, including 25 women and 11 children. They were taken to Makassar Police using two vans and one truck.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post
By Andi Hajramurni | January 30, 2011

South Sulawesi Police use force to evacuate around 40 Ahmadiyah followers from their mosque on Jl. Anuang, Makassar amid heightened tension in the vicinity with the presence of hardline group.

Police officers broke into the mosque's locked door at 9:15 p.m. local time and took out all the members, including 25 women and 11 children. They were taken to Makassar Police using two vans and one truck.

Some Ahmadiyah members reportedly managed to flee using backdoor.

Those members have locked themselves in the mosque since 5 p.m. following the rally by a hardline group claiming to be members of the South Sulawesi's Islam Defenders Front (FPI) in front of the Ahmadiyah secretariat office next to the mosque.

UK: Ahmadi Muslim welcome to visiting police

Sergeant Richard Bird and community support officer Daniel Kirk, of the Cradley Heath and Old Hill neighbourhood team, visited the Baitul Mahdi Mosque in School Street.

Sgt Richard Bird and Ahmadiyya Muslim Association
local president Dr Masood Majoka. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Hales Owen News
By HalesOwen | January 29, 2011

POLICE met worshippers of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Cradley Heath on a fact-finding mission to learn more about Islam.

Sergeant Richard Bird and community support officer Daniel Kirk, of the Cradley Heath and Old Hill neighbourhood team, visited the Baitul Mahdi Mosque in School Street.

Dr Masood Majoka, president of the local Ahmadiyya branch, spoke on how Ahmadi Muslims stand for peace, equality, freedom and loyalty to the land.

Copies of the Holy Qur'an were presented to the two officers.



Read original post here: Muslim welcome to visiting police

USA: "Muslims for Loyalty " share views at IceFest

According to Khan, people often ask if Muslims should be loyal to America. He answered emphatically: "Yes, we should be loyal to America. Actually, Muslims are required to be loyal to their host country, as long as there is freedom of religion."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Public Opinion | Online
By Roscoe Barnes III | January 30, 2011

Six people from an Islamic community visited Chambersburg Saturday to help clear up what they consider are misconceptions about Muslims.

Maaiz Khan and five other members of the Ahmadiyyya Muslim Community in Harrisburg handed out fliers to people observing IceFest in the downtown area. The fliers were titled "Muslims for Peace," and "Muslims for Loyalty."

The group consisted of three adults and three children. They said the response from the public was generally positive.

"A lot of people took them," said Khan. "There was very little resistance. Some people aid, 'No, we believe in Jesus.'"

Khan said their downtown campaign was not about converting people to Islam. Instead, it was to show the public what Islam is about, and to let everyone know that Islam is about peace and loyalty to the host country.

According to Khan, people often ask if Muslims should be loyal to America. He answered emphatically: "Yes, we should be loyal to America. Actually, Muslims are required to be loyal to their host country, as long as there is freedom of religion."

Muslims for Loyalty: Albany Hindu center hosting peace symposium

The symposium, sponsored by AMC and the Hindu Temple Society of the Capital District, features speakers from the faiths of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam. Each speaker will describe the faith and their perspective on global events, followed by a Q&A session.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Record | News
By Cecelia Martinez | January 30, 2011

ALBANY — A local organization supporting a nationwide “Muslims for Peace” campaign will be hosting the In Pursuit of World Peace and Harmony Interfaith Symposium today at the Hindu Community Center in Albany.

The symposium brings together leaders from six different faiths to forward the cause of peace between religions and to demonstrate to the community that not all Muslims are extremists associated with terrorism.

“This campaign is a message to extremists who wish to hijack Islam,” said Sahim Khan, a media representative for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Albany Chapter. “We say to them to either behave peacefully or accept that whatever you represent, you do not represent Islam.”

The campaign, which is being advertised on Capital District Transportation Authority buses, is part of a nationwide effort to denounce extremism and terrorism and promote the true guiding principles, including peace, loyalty to one’s country and justice for all.

The symposium, sponsored by AMC and the Hindu Temple Society of the Capital District, features speakers from the faiths of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam. Each speaker will describe the faith and their perspective on global events, followed by a Q&A session.

Indonesia: Hardliners mob Ahmadiyah secretariat office in Makassar

Several people vandalized the address board in front of the office and set ablaze a poster of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who is recognized by some members of the Ahmadiyah congregation as their prophet.

(Photo: JP) Against the Ahmadis: Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) protesters
broke down a billboard in front of the Jamaah Ahmadiyah secretariat
office in Makassar on Saturday evening, demanding that members
 of the minority Islamic sect halt their "tainted" Islamic activities. (Antara)

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post
By Andi Hajramurni | January 29, 2011

Dozens of men claiming to be members of the South Sulawesi Islam Defenders Front (FPI) mobbed the Ahmadiyah secretariat office on Jl. Anuang in Makassar on Saturday afternoon.

The group arrived at 5:15 p.m. and staged a rally in front of the office demanding the local administration take action to disband the sect.

Several people vandalized the address board in front of the office and set ablaze a poster of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who is recognized by some members of the Ahmadiyah congregation as their prophet.

Dozens of police officers were reportedly deployed to safeguard the office.

The group left the vicinity at 6:15 p.m., but threatened to return later Saturday evening if the administration ignored their protest.

Pakistan: Student booked in blasphemy case in Karachi

When contacted, Qudrat Sher Lodhi, an investigation officer of this case, said that the accused told that he was brainwashed by his cousins, who came from Norway.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Daily Times | Pakistan
By Atif Raza | January 30, 2011

KARACHI: Shahrah-e-Noor Jahan police station has registered a blasphemy case against a student.

The police said Muhammad Samiullah, an intermediate student, was arrested on January 28, 2011 on the complaint of chief controller intermediate board, who alleged him for writing derogatory remarks in his answer sheets against Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

He said that Samiullah, who was the resident of Mujtaba Colony Malir Halt, violated the blasphemy laws of the country as he expressed unacceptable remarks against Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in his three answer sheets (Urdu, Islamiat and Physics).

UK: Photographer reveals how Muslims saved Jews from the Nazis

Saleem Kidwai, secretary of the Muslim Council of Wales, said: “This is a very important piece of history that shows how people will selflessly help others out of pure humanity.”

Photo: JewPI.Com

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit:Wales Online |
By Martin Shipton | Western Mail
First posted January 26, 2011


An audience in Wales will be told tonight of one of the most extraordinary acts of humanitarianism seen anywhere in wartime Europe – the rescue of 2,000 Jews from Nazi persecution by a group of Albanian Muslims. Martin Shipton reports

AN extraordinary and largely forgotten piece of history will be commemorated tonight when two Welsh communities come together to hear about a group of Muslims who rescued Jews from Nazi persecution.

Humanity First: MoverMoms Kick-0ff ‘Hope and Soap’ Collection for Haiti

Since Humanity First has many established relief teams in Haiti, they will be able to deal with the logistics of distributing the soap and blankets to the most needy. 

File Photo: A Humanity First roadside service center.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Connection Newspaper
By Susan Belford |  January 28, 2011

Moms gather to make a difference.

"The difference between life and death in Haiti is now a bar of soap." This quote from The Washington Post article of Jan. 12, 2011 describes the horror of the cholera epidemic in impoverished Haiti. More than 3,000 people have died of this disease — and thousands more are expected to die. With over a million Haitians living in unsanitary tents and ingesting unhygienic food and water, the infection is rapidly spreading. Bars of soap are one solution to help alleviate Haiti’s devastating problem.

MoverMom Salma Ali of Potomac read the Post’s article and was troubled and touched that the bar of soap so many take for granted can make a difference.

Eye on Extremism: Why did a trusted bodyguard turn fanatical assassin?

 Since the assassination, the family's fortunes have soared. Hardline groups have showered them with gifts and cash. The Sunni Tehreek, a militant group spawned by the so-called moderate Barelvi sect, has given them a million rupees (£ 7,400). Another group holds thousands-strong rallies, hailing Qadri's crime.

Malik Qadri confessed killing Gov. Salman Taseer for religious reasons

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Independent | UK
By Omar Waraich | January 28, 2011

By murdering the politician he was supposed to protect, Mumtaz Qadri has become a hero for Islamists

It isn't difficult to find the house of Pakistan's most famous killer. At every corner in this maze of packed streets, shopkeepers and street vendors cheerfully gesture directions to the birthplace of Mumtaz Qadri, the police bodyguard who pumped 27 bullets into Salmaan Taseer, the Governor of Punjab, for his opposition to the country's blasphemy laws. A mere month ago, Qadri was little known even in this modest neighbourhood. Now, he is chillingly vaunted as a hero of Islam in much of Pakistan.

Faith and practice: Silence from Muslim- Americans

So while many Muslim-Americans may abhor what happened in Pakistan, others may agree with friends and relatives back home that Taseer’s killing was justified, or at least to be tolerated.

Pakistani civil society activists protest in Lahore against
the killing of late Punjab Governer Salman Taseer.
(Arif Ali/ AFP/ Getty Images)

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Boston Globe
By Peter Skerry and Gary Schmitt | January 29, 2011

AMID THE uproar earlier this month over the assassination of Salmaan Taseer, the secularist governor of the Pakistani province of Punjab, Muslim-American organizations have been largely silent. At a time when mainstream Muslim leaders have been trying to demonstrate their embrace of religious tolerance and pluralism to their fellow Americans, few have had a word to say about this People’s Party leader whose denunciation of Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy law led to his death at the hands of a Muslim zealot — a zealot who has since been celebrated by fundamentalists around the globe.

The most notable silence is on the part of the Islamic Circle of North America. Operating in this country for about 40 years, this organization has ideological ties to the Jamaat-e-Islami, one of Pakistan’s main Islamist political parties. The Jamaat explained away the assassination of Taseer on the grounds that it could have been avoided if the government had simply removed him from office.

Australia: Muslims reach out to celebrate Australia Day

External affairs secretary Mirza Ramzan Sharif said it was a way of strengthening their members and reaching out to the broader community.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Rouse Hill Times
By Stacy Thomas | January 28, 2011

MUSLIMS will celebrate Australia Day at Ahmadiyya’s Baitul-Huda in Marsden Park on Sunday.

And as part of its festivities Ahmadiyya Muslim Association of Australia is opening its Marsden Park mosque doors to the public.

The event has been part of its calendar since 2007 and is a great opportunity for the community as a whole.

External affairs secretary Mirza Ramzan Sharif said it was a way of strengthening their members and reaching out to the broader community.

“It is tradition of the Holy Prophet that a love of a nation (country) is part of faith,” he said.

Indonesia: Raging FPI Mob Disrupts Annual Ahmadiyah Prayers in Makassar

According to Ismail Hasani, from the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, there were about 50 recorded cases of violence or intimidation against the Ahmadiyah last year.

File Photo: Ahmadiyya Mosque, Indonesia

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Rahmat | January 29, 2011

Makassar. Dozens of protesters from the Islamic Defenders Front surrounded an Ahmadiyah center in Makassar on Friday, demanding that the sect disband.

Clad in white, members of hard-line group, also known as the FPI, arrived on motorcycles and tried to storm the center where around 50 Ahmadis were holding an annual prayer gathering called Jalzah Salanah.

More than 50 armed officers from the Mamajang Police and Makassar Police prevented the demonstrators from entering the center.

The FPI, however, continued to chant and yell threats at the panicked Ahmadiyah members, who hid inside a mosque in the center on Jalan Antang and locked the gates.

Pakistan: Punjab governor rules out change in blasphemy la

Talking to the media after meeting JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hasan at Mansoorah on Thursday, Khosa dispelled the impression that the PPP was amending the blasphemy law.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The News | Pakistan
By The News correspondent | January 28, 2011

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa has ruled out an amendment to the blasphemy law and asserted that no such plan is under consideration.

Talking to the media after meeting JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hasan at Mansoorah on Thursday, Khosa dispelled the impression that the PPP was amending the blasphemy law. He said the government had no such plan and asserted that the PPP would defend the Namoos-e-Risalat till the last drop of blood.

He clarified that the fact-finding committee, constituted by President Asif Ali Zardari, was merely aimed at stopping the path of any bill by any member on the private memberís day in the National Assembly.

How Pakistan's Largest Religious Minority Has Come Under Siege

The militants' anti-Shi'ite attacks are a part of their broadening assault on all faith communities they deem to be heretics or apostates. In recent years, they have attacked Christians, Sikhs, members of the Ahmadi Muslim sect and even the Barelvi Sunni sect, whose adherents form the majority of Pakistani Muslims.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Times | World
By Omar Waraich | January 28, 2011

For Pakistan's Shi'ites, the horrific scenes were depressingly familiar. On Tuesday, as thousands of Shi'ite worshippers solemnly shuffled through the medieval and narrow streets of Lahore's Old City, past its historic displays of Mughal grandeur, a teenage suicide bomber blew himself up nearby at a police checkpoint, killing 13 people and wounding scores. An hour later, in Karachi, a bomb exploded near a second procession, slaying two policemen. "It's very tragic," Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan's Foreign Minister, tells TIME. "One can only despise the elements who are killing innocent people, people who are performing their religious duties." The marchers were marking the final day of an annual Shi'ite mourning period that recalls the seventh century martyrdom of their most revered saint, Imam Hussain.

Rome: Protest against Pakistan's blasphemy law

Last Thursday the European parliament urged Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to pardon and release Bibi following calls from several countries, international organisations and an appeal by Pope Benedict XVI.

File photo

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | EU Desk
Source/Credit: Sify | News | World
By Sify | January 26, 2011

Italian lawmakers and religious associations protested in Rome Wednesday against Pakistan's blasphemy law, calling for the release of a Christian woman sentenced to death under the legislation.

Catholic and Jewish associations joined human rights group Amnesty International and representatives of the Pakistani community in Italy in a 100-strong demonstration in front of the Italian parliament.

"We want this law to be abolished," Pakistani-born Joseph Philip told AFP, explaining that his uncle, a Catholic Bishop, had been killed for his religious beliefs. He said he had come to the protest along with 15 compatriots.

Faith and interfaith: We need to respect each other's beliefs

How can we expect tolerance of our faith when we cannot be tolerant of the faith of others? Tolerance is a two-way street; we cannot expect to change or fix anything when all we do is demand respect for our views.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Post Crescent | Wisconsin
By Rachel Martens | January 27, 2011

On Jan. 4, Salmaan Taseer, governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, was shot to death by his own bodyguard, a response to Taseer's campaigns against Pakistan's blasphemy law.

The blasphemy law is a legal provision endorsed by the Pakistani government that allows persecution of anyone who speaks out against Islam or any aspect of Islam, deliberately targeting Christians in the country.

This law was used in November to sentence mother of four, Asia Bibi, a Christian who got into an argument with her Muslim neighbor, to death. Even if, by a miracle, Bibi's sentence is lightened, it's almost certain she will be gunned down by a vigilante.

Indonesia: Hundreds Protest in W. Java Over Clerics’ ‘Ahmadiyah’ Objections

Calling themselves the Garut Islamic People’s Forum, the protesters were making a stand against a formal objection lodged on Monday by a small group of clerics against three candidates nominated for the position.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Yuli Krisna | January 28, 2011

Bandung. There is more to running a local government than just one’s religious beliefs.

This was the point being rammed home by hundreds of protesters who demonstrated outside the West Java governor’s office on Thursday, demanding he immediately appoint a city secretary for Garut.

Calling themselves the Garut Islamic People’s Forum, the protesters were making a stand against a formal objection lodged on Monday by a small group of clerics against three candidates nominated for the position — Iman Ali Rahman, Hermanto and Indriana Soemarto — because they were “suspected of following Ahmadiyah teachings.”

Eye on media: Seizing a Moment, Al Jazeera Taps Arab Anger

Al Jazeera’s opaque loyalties and motives are as closely scrutinized as its reporting. It is accused of tailoring its coverage to support Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza against their Lebanese and Palestinian rivals.

File Phote: Lebanese protesters set fire to a van belonging to Al Jazeera. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The New York Times
By Robert F. Worth & David D. Kirkpatrick
Published: January 27, 2011

The protests rocking the Arab world this week have one thread uniting them: Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite channel whose aggressive coverage has helped propel insurgent emotions from one capital to the next.

Al Jazeera has been widely hailed for helping enable the revolt in Tunisia with its galvanizing early reports, even as Western-aligned political factions in Lebanon and the West Bank attacked and burned the channel’s offices and vans this week, accusing it of incitement against them.

In many ways, it is Al Jazeera’s moment — not only because of the role it has played, but also because the channel has helped to shape a narrative of popular rage against oppressive American-backed Arab governments (and against Israel) ever since its founding 15 years ago. That narrative has long been implicit in the channel’s heavy emphasis on Arab suffering and political crisis, its screaming-match talk shows, even its sensational news banners and swelling orchestral accompaniments.

USA: A Response to Hussain Rashid - Re.: "The Muslim Loyalty Oath"

"The 'Muslims for Loyalty' campaign intends to peacefully but forcefully convey to Americans that all messages which encourage disloyalty to, or terrorism against, America contradict the teachings of Islam, the Holy Koran and Prophet Mohamed."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: AMK / Ahmadiyya Times
By Amjad Mahmood Khan | January 27, 2011

Los Angeles, California: 

I read with disappointment Professor Rashid's recent blog posting objecting to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA's "Muslims For Loyalty" campaign ("The Muslim Loyalty Oath," 1/18).  Professor Rashid casts aspersions on the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community's public activities without recognizing the Community's intentions or engaging with any of the Community's leaders or spokespersons.  This is becoming a habit for the good professor.  Last summer, he posted a similar loaded objection to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community's public activities, and I respectfully pointed out my issues with his contentions at that time.  I am compelled to do the same here.

As a threshold matter, I must take issue with Professor Rashid's omission of the word "Muslim" from the name of our Community.  As is abundantly clear from our website and literature, we are the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA (not the "Ahmadi community").  The error, which I hope is unintentional on Professor Rashid's part, speaks to a more profound problem.  It is difficult for American Muslims of any persuasion to engage in any honest or productive inter-religious dialogue if they are prejudged as "non-Muslims."

USA: To stand against those who would divide

The featured speaker of the evening was Qasim Rashid, national spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. Ahmadiyya Muslims, who worship locally in Rotterdam, are a sect of Islam who believe Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a 19th century Indian religious leader, was the messiah.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Jewish World | News
By Dan Vollweiler | January 20, 2011

Photo: JIHAD OF THE PEN: Qasim Rashid, national spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, discussed Islamic history and beliefs to a gathering at Temple Sinai in Saratoga Springs on Jan. 9.

SARATOGA SPRINGS–One hundred people of diverse faiths gathered at Temple Sinai on a recent Sunday night to learn about and discuss Islam, a religion under severe scrutiny in the western world. The event, organized by several area peace and religious groups, was meant, according to Rabbi Linda Motzkin of Temple Sinai in her introductory remarks, to “stand against those who would divide.” It was also meant, according to Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein, also of Temple Sinai, “to bring awareness of Islam to Saratoga, where there is little exposure to the Muslim faith.”

USA: Muslim Leader Heads to St. Louis To Talk Peace, Rebuke Terrorism

"Our goal is to bring all the different faiths onto the same platform," Mahdi says. "We are so lucky to be in the USA where we enjoy freedom of religion. In many countries it is impossible for a Muslim to sit with a Jew. Radical Muslims will say, 'Go bomb this meeting.'"

Naseem Mahdi, Ntn'l V.P. AMC, USA

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Riverfront Times
By Melissa Meinzer | January, 27 2011

​Religions have different traditions, rituals and beliefs, and sometimes they clash. But, says an imam who is heading to St. Louis for an interfaith symposium on peace this weekend, their similarities are striking -- and ultimately promote peace between faiths.

Naseem Mahdi is the national vice president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a denomination of Islam formed in 1889 which has been active in the U.S. since 1920. The Ahmadiyya tradition, he says, has been holding discussions between people of different faiths -- and people of no faith -- for a century.

"Our goal is to bring all the different faiths onto the same platform," Mahdi says. "We are so lucky to be in the USA where we enjoy freedom of religion. In many countries it is impossible for a Muslim to sit with a Jew. Radical Muslims will say, 'Go bomb this meeting.'"

Pakistani Extremists Step Up 'Blasphemy' Attacks

The new offensive comes as the government -- and civil society in general -- remains unable to form a strong response to the Taseer killing. Instead, the government has opted for a cool-down strategy to contain the crisis, which in many ways leaves the extremists looking victorious.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | International Desk
Source/Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
By Charles Recknagel, Majeed Babar | January 27, 2011

One might hope Pakistani extremists would lie low after killing Salman Taseer over the country's blasphemy law.

Far from it.

In the weeks since the Punjab governor's assassination on January 4, Islamist extremists have not just ignored all international and domestic criticism of the killing. They have also stepped up their own enforcement of the blasphemy law by accusing one of Pakistan's most prominent civic leaders of violating it.

A summons filed recently in a court in Multan, in southern Punjab, accuses Sherry Rehman of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a recent television interview. Rehman, a parliament deputy who is also a former cabinet member and senior member of the Pakistan People's Party, denies the charges.

Albany, NY: Capital District Religious Leaders Conference 2011

The Interfaith conference will bring representatives of major world religions in the Capital District together, to discuss how their teachings can lead to peace and how to build bridges and share commonalities.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Albany | Guide to Capital Region
By Albany.Com | January 25, 2011

The Pursuit of Peace and Harmony - through dialogue among Faith Communities in the Capital District

Albany, NY - The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in collaboration with The Hindu Temple Society of the Capital District are organizing an interfaith symposium as an effort to shorten the gap between faiths and to demonstrate that we can live together in the spirit of acceptance, harmony, and compassion.

The Interfaith conference will bring representatives of major world religions in the Capital District together, to discuss how their teachings can lead to peace and how to build bridges and share commonalities. The program seeks to highlight the unifying factors between the different religions of the world and to promote dialogue between the local faith communities.

Pakistan: Jamaat-e Islami leader recites Sura incorrectly

The secretary general Jama’at-e-Islami, known for frequently quoting Quran and Hadith during speeches, failed to correctly recite Al-Kausar, the shortest surah in the Holy Quran that is remembered by even a primary student.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Nation | Pakistan
By Nation | January 24, 2011

LAHORE – At a time when the incident of Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s wrong recitation from the Holy Quran at a cabinet meeting is still fresh in the mind of general public, prominent religious personality Liaquat Baloch committed the same mistake while reciting Sura Al-Kausar at a seminar held on Sunday.

The secretary general Jama’at-e-Islami, known for frequently quoting Quran and Hadith during speeches, failed to correctly recite Al-Kausar, the shortest surah in the Holy Quran that is remembered by even a primary student.

Baloch failed in his ‘attempt’, when asked for opening the seminar on Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat (PBUH) organised by Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith at a local hotel. He insisted that his recitation was correct, as Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith chief Senator Sajid Mir pointed that he (the JI leader) made a mistake in the recitation.

Pakistani Politician in Davos Criticizes War in Afghanistan

“This war on terror is a disaster for the people of the U.S. It’s a bigger disaster for the people of Pakistan. It is causing more radicalization, more polarization in the society. The war is perceived by the vast majority as a war against Islam and because it is perceived as a war against Islam there is no shortage of people willing to die for it.”

(Photo: AFP) Former cricket star turned Pakistani politician Imran Khan.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | EU Desk
Source/Credit: FoxNews | World
By Amy Kellogg | January 27, 2011

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Former cricket star turned Pakistani politician Imran Khan has been working the corridors of the World Economic Forum in Davos, with a message about the war in Afghanistan, which has spilled over into Pakistan.

“This war on terror is a disaster for the people of the U.S. It’s a bigger disaster for the people of Pakistan. It is causing more radicalization, more polarization in the society. The war is perceived by the vast majority as a war against Islam and because it is perceived as a war against Islam there is no shortage of people willing to die for it.”

Pakistan's blasphemy laws

Derogatory remarks towards important holy figures, including the Prophet Muhammad's family and companions, are punishable by a three-year prison sentence. Ahmaddiya, a late 19th century Islamic revivalist movement, is severely circumscribed, its practitioners forbidden by law from identifying themselves or their teachings as Muslim.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Journal Issue 42 | Online
By Marcus Kernohan | January 26, 2011

Unsurprisingly for a country whose population is over 95 per cent Muslim, Pakistan has some of the strictest anti-blasphemy laws in the world. The constitution entrenches Islam as the state religion, and includes strict provisions protecting Islamic tradition and culture.

Chapter 15 of the Pakistani Penal Code sets out strict penalties for religious offences: deriding the Prophet Muhammad “by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly” is punishable by death, while the defiling Islamic holy text carries a penalty of life imprisonment.

Derogatory remarks towards important holy figures, including the Prophet Muhammad's family and companions, are punishable by a three-year prison sentence. Ahmaddiya, a late 19th century Islamic revivalist movement, is severely circumscribed, its practitioners forbidden by law from identifying themselves or their teachings as Muslim.

Egypt unrest rages; web shut ahead of big protest

Video images obtained by Reuters showed the man among a small group of protesters some distance from the security forces when he suddenly collapsed with a gunshot wound and was dragged away by other demonstrators. The video circulated widely on the Internet, galvanizing anger.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit:  Reuters | Online
By Yasmine Saleh and Sherine El Madany
CAIRO | Thu Jan 27, 2011

(Reuters) - Egyptian demonstrators fought security forces into the early hours of Friday in the city of Suez, and the Internet was blocked ahead of the biggest protests yet planned against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

Emboldened by this month's revolt that toppled the authoritarian leader of Tunisia, Egyptians have staged mass protests since Tuesday. The biggest demonstrations yet are planned for Friday afternoon after weekly prayers.

"This is a revolution," one 16-year-old protester said in Suez late on Thursday. "Every day we're coming back here."

Pakistan's only Nobel laureate is now a symbol for those who suffer Islamist intolerance

 The epitaph on his grave initially read "First Muslim Nobel Laureate," but later a magistrate ordered that the word "Muslim" be removed from the epitaph, changing it to "First Nobel Laureate."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: MEMRI.Org | Special Dispatch #3535
By MEMRI / Masood Hasan | January 25, 2011

Pakistani Columnist: Religious Prejudice has Defined Pakistan's Response to Its Only Nobel Laureate, Ahmadi Muslim Dr. Abdus Salam

Dr. Abdus Salam (January 29, 1926 – November 21, 1996) is the only Pakistani national to win a Nobel Prize. A member of the Ahmadi Muslim sect, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1979. He left Pakistan for England in 1974, the year the government of Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto declared Ahmadi Muslims as non-Muslims, barring them from describing their mosques as mosques or saying Islamic forms of greetings such as Assalam-o-Alaikum (peace be upon you).

Ahmadi Muslims, banned from referring to themselves as Muslims in Pakistan, have been persecuted on a regular basis by government officials as well as by Islamic clerics, who accuse them of not believing that Islam's Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet of god. In recent years, numerous blasphemy cases have been filed against members of the community.

Strange standards in Pakistan - Pak Amb. lashes out at foreign correspondent

The Ahmadiyyas' main crime in the eyes of the fundamendalists is their objection to "spreading Islam by the sword". Is this why they are not accepted as Muslims in Pakistan?

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Nation | Opinion
By Horst Bullinger | January 28, 2011

His Excellency, the Ambassador of Pakistan [to Thailand, Sohail Mahmood] had some harsh words to say about Nick Cohen's article on blasphemy laws. Nick Cohen is absolutely right in saying that only thugs love blasphemy laws.

The ambassador assures us that Pakistan's government is upholding the rule of law and prevents the misuse of the blasphemy law. Sweet words, but if this does include sharia law, then blasphemists are fair game for the Islamists. He doesn't like the expression "Islamists". Would he prefer us to call them terrorists?

Calling the murder of governour Salmaan Taseer a "tragic incident" gives the impression that he defends the Islamic mob who showered the murderer with rose petals. Not a single word about the fate of that poor (Christian) woman on death row for blasphemy. The governor's support for her was enough to have him killed. "The act of one individual?" Give us a break, Mr Ambassador.

Indonesia: Crowd bullies Ahmadi at trial, disrupts courtroom

Police officers were there to protect the witness from what looked to be a potential savage beating at the angry rabble’s hands. After a brief scuffle, officers safely escorted Mubarik out of the courtroom.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post | Headlines
ByHans David Tampubolon | January 27, 2011

An elderly man was harassed by a rowdy mob on Wednesday as he testified in court about the destruction the property of Ahmadiyah followers in Ciampea, Bogor.

Mubarik Ahmadari came to the Cibinong District Court in Bogor on Wednesday to testify about the attack against his fellow Ahmadiyah members in October.

The 70-year-old man was greeted by more than 1,000 anti-Ahmadiyah protesters. Members of the crowd claimed to be residents of Ciampea who came to support the alleged arsonists on trial: Dede Novi, Aldi and Akbar.

Indonesia: Rally Rages Outside Bogor Court Trial on Ahmadiyah Village Attack

Though police had barred them from entering the courtroom, the protesters reportedly “became incensed” when the defendants’ lawyer told them about a witness who said Dede had set the At-Taufiq Mosque and an Ahmadiyah Koran on fire.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Elisabeth Oktofani | January 27, 2011

Bogor: Over 1,000 Muslim hard-liners surrounded a district court in Bogor on Wednesday, demanding the immediate release of three youths standing trial for an attack on an Ahmadiyah community last year.

Dede Novi, 18, Aldi Afriansyah, 23, and Akbar Ramanda, 17, are accused of destroying property and inciting violence during an October riot in Cisalada village, according to indictment documents.

The three were said to be part of a mob that burned down houses, schools and a mosque at the Bogor village, home to 600 members of the Ahmadiyah, a minority Islamic sect deemed deviant by mainstream Muslims for their different beliefs on the Prophet Muhammad.

USA: Katie Couric Was Right! Muslim-Americans Do Want Their Own TV Show

Muslim and Arab writers, directors and actors say they see Couric's remarks as a stepping stone to tolerance and say the CBS news anchor gave them a platform they wouldn't have otherwise had to express their desire for more positive Muslim portrayals on scripted television.

File Photo: Katie Couric with Afghan Muslim women

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Pop Eater | AOL
By Jo Piazza | January 26 2011

Katie Couric came under fire this month for suggesting a Muslim version of 'The Cosby Show' would go a long way in fixing America's ignorance about the Islamic faith.

"Maybe we need a Muslim version of 'The Cosby Show' ... I know that sounds crazy," Couric said on a web version of her show, while discussing the major stories from 2010. "But 'The Cosby Show' did so much to change attitudes about African-Americans in this country, and I think sometimes people are afraid of things they don't understand."

Critics were quick to call Couric's well-intentioned remarks simplistic and "bird-brained."

UK: Community relations not harmed by 7/7

The Spiritual Head of the 160 million-strong international Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, said about the 7/7 atrocities: “The perpetrators demonstrated a total disregard for the sanctity of human life and an obsession for violence."

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (Photo: AlIslam.Org)

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: The Huddersfield Daily Examiner
By Daily Examiner |  January 27, 2011

THE 7/7 atrocity has not had a long-term harmful impact on community relations says a Muslim group.

The long-running inquest is continuing into the attacks in London on July 7, 2005, which involved former Huddersfield man Jermaine Lindsay who blew himself up along with innocent underground passengers near Russell Square underground station.

But the Ahmadiyya Muslims in Huddersfield say it has not damaged community relations in the long-term and its worldwide leader strongly condemned the attacks.

USA: Rep. Frank Wolf Introduces Bill To Protect Religious Minorities Near East And South Central Asia

Last May, militants in Pakistan attacked two Ahmadi mosques in Pakistan killing at least 80 people.  While the Ahmadis consider themselves Muslim, Pakistani law does not recognize them as such and they have been the target of large-scale coordinated attacks by extremist groups.

Rep. Frank Wolf (R)

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The State Column
By The State Column | January 27, 2011

The following is a statement from Rep. Frank Wolf:

Washington, D.C. – In the wake of increasing violence, targeted attacks and heightened discrimination against Christians in Iraq and Egypt, and persistent concerns in Afghanistan and Pakistan, among other nations, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today introduced bipartisan legislation calling for the creation of a special envoy at the U.S. State Department for religious minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia.

Wolf, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, is long recognized as a voice for the persecuted around the world.  He said threats against religious minorities have been increasing in recent months and that the United States has an obligation to speak out for the voiceless, to develop policies to protect and preserve these communities, and to prioritize these issues in our broader foreign policy.

Why Pakistan is not a nation - And how it could become one.

After Jinnah, the Objectives Resolution of 12 March 1949 was the first major step towards the transformation of Pakistan from a Muslim state into an Islamic state. The Resolution starts with the statement that sovereignty rests with Allah.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Asia Sentinel | Opinion
By Pervez Hoodbhoy | 25 June 2010

Pakistan has been a state since 1947, but is still not a nation. It is a land and a people inside a certain geographical boundary that is still lacking the crucial components needed for nationhood: a strong common identity, mental make-up, a shared sense of history and common goals. The failure so far to create a cohesive national entity flows from inequalities of wealth and opportunity, absence of effective democracy and a dysfunctional legal system.

While it is true that most Punjabis think of themselves as Pakistani first and Punjabi second, this is not the case with the Baloch or Sindhis. Schools in Balochistan refuse to hoist Pakistan’s flag or sing its national anthem. Sindhis, meanwhile, accuse Punjabis of stealing their water, the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) runs Karachi on strictly ethnic grounds, and in April the Pashtun of th North West Frontier Province successfully had the province officially renamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (against the wishes of other residents). In getting a job, caste and sect matters more than ability, and ethnic student groups wage pitched battles against each other on campuses throughout the country.

The lack of nationhood can be traced to the genesis of Pakistan and the single factor that drove it – religious identity. Carved out of Hindu-majority India, Pakistan was the culmination of the competition and conflict between natives who had converted to Islam and those who had not. Converts often identified with Arab invaders of the last millennium. Shah Waliullah (1703-62), a ‘purifier’ of Islam on the subcontinent who despised local traditions, famously declared ‘We [Hindustanis] are an Arab people whose fathers have fallen in exile in the country of Hindustan, and Arabic genealogy and the Arabic language are our pride.’

Indonesia: Violations of Religious Freedom in Indonesia Rise in 2010

“The central government only reacted to situations that had already gotten out of hand — smaller incidents were left for regional governments to deal with, which do not have the capacity to solve such problems.” 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Ulma Haryanto | January 25, 2011

Jakarta. A total of 216 cases of violations of religious freedom across Indonesia were recorded last year, up just a little from the 200 cases recorded in 2009, according to a human rights watchdog.

In a media briefing on Monday, the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy pointed out that West Java, with 91 cases registered last year alone, continued to top the list as the region where the highest number of violations occurred.

East Java stands at second place with 28 violations last year, followed by Jakarta with 16 cases.

Pakistan: Shareefs' party playing double game to save govt. in Punjab: JUI-F chief

The Daily times quoted Rehman, as saying that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had been working on figuring out ways to save the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government in centre.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Sify | News
By Sify | January 25, 2011

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has been playing a double game to save the Punjab government.

The Daily times quoted Rehman, as saying that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had been working on figuring out ways to save the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government in centre.

Talking about the blasphemy law, he said that it is an internal matter of the country, and urged the European Union and Pope to stay out of the sensitive issue.

USA: Ground Zero Imam: 'Apostates against Islam must be jailed'

It was announced last week Adhami, 44, will be taking on the role of senior adviser for the proposed $100-million Islamic cultural center and mosque to be built near Ground Zero.

Abdallah Adhami (Photo: WND)

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: WorldNetDaily
By Aaron Klein | January 23, 2011

'You do not have the right to spread this conviction, lest you pollute others'

Those who leave Islam and preach against the Muslim religion must be jailed, declared the imam who has become the new face of the proposed Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero in New York City.

"If someone leaves the din, leaves the path privately, they cannot be touched. If someone preaches about apostasy, or preaches their views, they're jailed," stated Imam Abdallah Adhami in a November lecture obtained and reviewed by WND.

Adhami was discussing the Quranic view of apostasy, or Muslims who decide to leave the Islamic religion.

According to Shariah, or Islamic law, the consensus view in Sunni Islam is that a male apostate must be put to death unless he suffers from a mental disorder or converted against his will.